Stanway Masterplan Play Strategy
Stanway, Colchester l Residential l Reserved Matters Application
A coordinated play strategy aligned with Fields in Trust guidance, using varied, landscape-led spaces to support both planning compliance and everyday use.
Sector: Residential masterplan
Stage: Reserved Matters
Services: Play strategy, play space design, general arrangement plans, equipment specification
Site condition: New-build residential masterplan
Key challenge: Providing compliant play proposals while avoiding repetitive, standardised designs
Outcome: A clear, policy-aligned play network combining doorstep play, local destinations and neighbourhood-scale provision
Delivered: Play strategy, detailed GA Plans, play equipment specification (prepared and issued within a one-week programme to meet submission requirements
The play provision needed to demonstrate clear compliance with Fields in Trust standards, particularly in relation to quantity, typology and walking distances. At the same time, the spaces needed to feel integrated, varied and genuinely usable within the developing residential environment.
What Mattered
Ten LAPs were organised as a distributed network of doorstep play, each designed around a distinct play experience rather than a repeated layout. This was supported by a more active LEAP and a socially focused NEAP, establishing a clear and compliant hierarchy of play across the site.
What Changed
Using Fields in Trust as a structuring framework allowed the play strategy to clearly demonstrate compliance, while the varied design approach improved the quality and usability of the spaces. This created a submission that was both technically robust and easy to understand.
Why It Helped
Compliant Design
Play distribution aligned with Fields in Trust guidance on accessibility and typology.
Complementary Play Experiences
A coordinated set of play types providing a broader range of experiences across the site rather than repeated layouts.
Clear Plans
Detailed GA plans used to clearly communicate layout, equipment and spatial organisation at submission stage.
NEAP as a Social Hub
A flexible space combining recreation, social use and inclusive play for older children and young people