Background: Hilldene Childrens Centre is a ‘one-stop’ children’s community hub, which offers family healthcare, parental guidance, child development support, early education, and childcare services for children aged 0-5 and their parents. Following an on-site meeting with Havering London Borough Council, we identified several issues with the existing fencing. At 1.4m high it was not tall enough to safeguard the children, it had open sections at the front that were easily accessible to the public and had gaps under the fence which children could potentially pass through. Additionally, a hazard existed in the front entrance where two trees had been cut down, leaving tree stumps protruding from the ground. Also, the centre had no pedestrian access from the side of the building to the rear, only vehicular access, meaning pedestrians must walk through the centre itself to get to the rear of the site which was disruptive.

Solution: We removed all the fencing at the front of the centre and installed 2m high galvanised bow top railings, in keeping with the neighboring school, as a continuation of the existing style. We also installed a pedestrian gate and incorporated a digi-lock for security. To eliminate gaps underneath the existing fence, we neatly welded pieces of steel underneath and colour matched to suit. We removed the tree stumps and made good the tarmac to neaten up the area, making it safe for the children to play. Lastly, we Installed a new pedestrian gate allowing access from the side of the centre to the front without the need to walk through the centre also with a digi-lock.