Beachgoers welcome plans for adventure playground made with ocean waste

A “destination” adventure playground attraction made partly of recycled ocean waste and featuring a play tower with climbing walls and a thrilling tube slide is coming to a popular Welsh beach.

Also boasting a zip wire, swings, an overhead ladder, a carousel and other play equipment,  the new adventure playground planned for Aberavon Beach is being paid for by the £4.25m ‘green up and clean up’ fund established by Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet.

The fund is designed to improve the look of Neath Port Talbot’s towns, valleys and villages.

The new adventure playground has been designed by and will be built by Kompan – a global leader in the installation of outdoor play and fitness sites.

Green credentials

Being built on the site of an existing, dated, adventure playground on the Aberavon Seafront, the new attraction will help save the environment by being made of large amounts of ocean waste which includes nets, trawls and ropes.

The playground’s centrepiece, the imposing Ocean Giant play tower,  will be surrounded by other nautical themed features in the shape of dolphins and shells and the playground will be fitted with new safety matting.

Consideration will also be given to a quiet area within the play area, for users who require ‘time out’ and the design will ensure ease of access and exit to provide accessible and inclusive play areas in which all ages and abilities are considered.

Cllr Scott Jones, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Streetscene, said: ”Our vision for this attraction was to create a play area aimed at 6-12 year olds centred around a real ‘wow factor’ centrepiece which would attract families from near and far, to visit this stunning location, and spend an extended period of time exploring and enjoying a new play experience.

“We are confident that our contractors Kompan, by adding specially tailored play equipment, in line with the requests in our tender, will make this a must visit destination adventure playground with the planned Ocean Giant tower providing the wow factor.” 

Boost

Cllr Cen Phillips, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism and Wellbeing added: “This new, all-year-round feature for the Aberavon Seafront is aimed at attracting families to the area helping to boost the local economy.

“The funding is coming from the council’s green up and clean up scheme which seeks to provide high quality public areas and I’m sure this site will become a firm favourite with families during the years to come.”

Work will start on demolishing the former adventure playground on September 2^nd, 2024 and a week later work will begin on installing the new attraction.

It is expected the installation work will take eight weeks. Temporary safety fencing will surround the site while the work goes on.