CASE STUDY: WOODHALL SPORTS HUB, LEEDS - PLAYGROUND
Our innovative CocoTurf surfacing has been installed as part of the new play provision at Woodhall Sports Hub in Leeds, a major new community sports facility created to encourage people of all ages to get active.
The £9.6 million Woodhall Sports Hub, in Calverley, has been developed by Leeds City Council in partnership with the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation. The 8.3-hectare site includes new sports pitches, a pavilion, café and meeting space, improved walking and running routes and outdoor play areas for younger visitors.
CocoTurf has been installed within one of the play spaces, providing a natural, sustainable alternative to conventional synthetic grass. Made entirely from natural materials, CocoTurf combines coconut fibre yarns with no plastic fibres, microplastics or PFAS.
Designed specifically with play and recreational environments in mind, CocoTurf provides a natural-looking surface that complements outdoor surroundings while offering the durability required for busy community spaces. Alongside the CocoTurf area, VHAF NottsSward surfacing has also been used within the play provision, helping to create varied and welcoming spaces for children to enjoy.
The play areas form an important part of the wider vision for Woodhall Sports Hub. Rather than focusing solely on organised sport, the development has been designed as a community destination, giving children, families and local residents more opportunities to be active, spend time outdoors and enjoy the new facilities.
Sam Morris, ChildsPlay Manager, said: “Woodhall Sports Hub is a fantastic example of how major sports developments can provide something for the whole community, not just those taking part in organised sport. We’re particularly pleased to see CocoTurf included within the play provision. It gives children a great surface to play on while offering a natural alternative to traditional synthetic turf. Projects like Woodhall show how sustainability can be considered alongside performance, practicality and creating spaces that people genuinely want to use.”
With the Hub now welcoming its first visitors, the new play areas will sit alongside the community facilities, helping Woodhall become a place where people of different ages can play, exercise, meet and spend time together.
Looking to create a natural, sustainable play environment in your community or at your school? Contact the Notts Sport team to learn more about CocoTurf and our range of safer surfacing solutions.
