Landscape
Amenity PRODUCT UPDATE
NOVEMBER 2016
Artificial Turf Maintenance
Play & Activity Today
Spotlighting the equipment and services available
The latest news, views and product information
Page 15-20
Machinery, Plant & Vehicles New product launches and case studies
Page 22-24
Page 29-34
Parks are vital hubs for physical activity and deserve protection Parks provide a public service as hubs for physical activity for people of all ages, and should be funded by the public purse, the Association of Play industries
(API) has told government. In its submission to the Communities and Local Government Committee Parks Inquiry, the API raises its
mounting concerns about the link between local authority budget cuts and dwindling opportunities for children to play and be physically active.
API chair Mark Hardy says: “Children’s increasingly sedentary lifestyles call for policy action, and parks have a pivotal role to play. “Play delivers wide-ranging developmental benefits, and evidence shows that children are more physically active if they have access to high quality outdoor play facilities. Investment in public play facilities and in the parks that host them should be a government priority, particularly for deprived communities, where need is greatest and obesity rates most prevalent.” Fields in Trust has also submitted evidence. Its key recommendations include: • That government make available an open data map of all UK green space updated and
Amenity Forum launches Get Moving campaign
New wall-top seating range from Furnitubes
Effective weed, pest and disease control impacts upon every UK citizen in terms of health, safety and their environment; as a collective, this is a matter that we all agree.
The latest innovation from Furnitubes’ designers is the new wall-top range of seating products.
The Amenity Forum has, therefore, launched the Get Moving campaign at their annual conference. John Moverley, Independent Chairman of the Amenity Forum explained: “Get Moving is about The Amenity
Forum supporting all the different sectors. It will demonstrate the various amenity areas, and how these impact on everyone in terms of our streets and pavements, transport networks, parks and play areas, sports surfaces and so on. “We are looking to embrace the world of digital marketing, to educate the public, starting with Why Amenity Matters” Amenity Forum
CIC 80x270 Ad 11 13:Layout 1 24/10/2013 14:50 Page 1
Enquiry 2
The range helps convert standard uncomfortable walls into usable seating with the addition of a timber-topped seating platform. Compared with independent seats and benches that require a suitable base for bolting down or root fixing, the addition of a wall-top seating platform can
prove a more cost effective and visually tidy alternative. Furnitubes offers four ranges of wall-top seating products, each with their own individual features catering for a range of budgets. Products are available with optional extras including backrests, armrests and antiskate devices. Furnitubes Enquiry 3
READER ENQUIRY 4
maintained so all stakeholders can assess the distribution of public recreation space and monitor future changes. • Fields in Trust recommend that the Inquiry should support statutory provision of outdoor green spaces with a sufficient area for play, sport and recreation maintained to an agreed standard and available to all communities. • Whilst we support the government’s cross-departmental Strategy for an Active Nation the crucial role of parks and open spaces must be prioritised if the aims are to be met we call for a re-valuing of our public green spaces to ensure funding for parks is commensurate with their positive impact on communities. The Parks Alliance said it was significant progress that the
Committee is exploring the state of parks and open spaces and their current challenges, as well as what needs to occur to ensure they remain viable and vibrant. Despite a hugely challenging environment, it hopes the Committee and Ministers will share an ambition to enable parks, open spaces and the people who use them to thrive. Mark Camley, chair of the Parks Alliance said: “We need to act now to have our voices heard. “The case for Parks is clear to all of us that love and support them, and the threats they face are equally clear. The opportunity to make the case will not be greater than it is now. I urge all Park users to make the case for their local Park.” API
Enquiry 1