Ponferrada, Spain

Client: City Hall of Ponferrada
Type of works: Lappset set up 26 new playgrounds, in addition to providing all services required by the city such as availability of spare parts, maintenance arrangements and technical instructions.

Ponferrada is a Spanish town of about 40,000 inhabitants in the region of León. Ponferrada is a typical example of a medium-sized, rapidly developing industrial town in an agricultural area. The town is situated in Santiago’s way; it enjoys a vivid cultural life and an environment of natural beauty. All of which attracts new inhabitants to this dynamically expansive urban area.

During the first half of 2003, as many as 26 new playgrounds were set up in Ponferrada and its environments.

Darío Martínez, Environment Councillor, City Hall of Ponferrada, says: ‘The playground improvement project was sparked off by a problem connected with the sand base of the earlier play areas. The excrement of pets and other unsuitable use of the playgrounds constituted a hygienic risk to the children using the playground equipment. As the playgrounds were to be paved with rubber tiles, it was necessary to improve the general standard of the play equipment as well as its educational and training properties and play value. The Lappset philosophy, which emphasises high quality and respect for the environment, seemed to the decision-makers to be a concept they wanted to convey to the next generation.’

Darío Martínez  continues: ‘The city looked at the products of other manufacturers, but in the end decided against involving several different manufacturers in the project. Reasons for this included easier maintenance resulting from concentration of procurement. The decision-makers were also won over by the top-level quality of Lappset products. Further, Lappset was capable of providing all services required by the city and of meeting all-important considerations, such as availability of spare parts, maintenance arrangements and technical instructions.’