Swanley's Hilda May playground, known locally as Blue Park, has reopened. It is the fourth refit this year in a record £337,686 spend on play.
Hilda May Playground in Swanley has reopened after a £23,510 refurbishment. It is the fourth playground in the town to be rebuilt this year. (Swanley Town Council, Hilda May Playground refurbished as Swanley celebrates record investment in play, 10 October 2026)
Some residents know it as “Blue Park”. It was officially reopened on Tuesday 6 October at an event arranged by the playground firm Kompan, with representatives of Swanley Town Council and Sevenoaks District Council there to see the new equipment in use.
The four schemes together cost £337,686. The town council says that is the largest investment in playgrounds in Swanley’s history.
What is new at Hilda May
The town council says the refit brings:
- new swings and slides
- a multi-play unit with low-level role play activities and talk tubes
- wheelchair transfer platforms and accessible steps on the multi-play unit
- an accessible spinner
The council says the aim is that a wider range of children can play together. Hilda May is the smallest of the four sites rebuilt in 2026.
Who paid for Swanley’s four playgrounds
The town council paid for three of the four schemes on its own. Cherry Avenue, which reopened on 10 September, was mostly funded by a National Lottery grant.
| Playground | Cost | Paid for by |
|---|---|---|
| Swanley Recreation Ground | £141,237.62 | Swanley Town Council |
| Cherry Avenue Park | £100,000.00 | National Lottery £64,727; Sevenoaks District Council £27,773; Swanley Town Council £7,500 |
| Elephant Park | £72,938.64 | Swanley Town Council |
| Hilda May | £23,510.11 | Swanley Town Council |
| Total | £337,686.37 |
The council says the equipment across the programme is made from up to 95% recycled material, including consumer waste and old fishing nets. Parts can be repaired or swapped out individually, so a whole playground should not need replacing when one piece wears out. The council links this to its aim of being carbon neutral by 2030.
What the councils said
The Mayor of Swanley, Councillor Michael Horwood, said: “It is fantastic to see another of Swanley’s playgrounds brought back to life.”
“Hilda May is a much-loved local park and I am delighted to see it given a new lease of life,” he said.
Ryan Hayman, the town council’s chief executive, called it “an extraordinary year for play in Swanley”. He said Hilda May and Cherry Avenue are among five green spaces due to transfer to the town council, and that it would be “taking on assets that have been brought up to a modern, fit-for-purpose standard”.
Councillor Irene Roy, Sevenoaks District Council’s Cabinet Member for Cleaner and Greener, said the investment “demonstrates the importance of partnership working”.
What comes next: Swanley Park
Mr Hayman said attention now turns to Swanley Park, which the council calls its destination park. “We hope to see the playground completely replaced within the next couple of years,” he said. No cost or start date has been published.
What it means for families
Hilda May is open now, ahead of the October half-term. Our guide to parks and playgrounds around Sevenoaks district lists where else to take children, and what is trading nearby is on our Swanley business directory.
Swanley Town Council publishes its committee agendas and news on its website, including the Estates and Facilities Committee, which meets on Wednesday 21 October. (Swanley Town Council, Estates and Facilities Agenda, 21 October 2026)
Sources
- Swanley Town Council, Hilda May Playground refurbished as Swanley celebrates record investment in play, published 10 October 2026 (the 6 October reopening, the Kompan event, the £23,510.11 cost, the equipment and accessibility features, the four-scheme costs and funding split, the £337,686.37 total and “largest investment” claim, the recycled materials and repairability, the 2030 carbon-neutral aim, the five green spaces transfer, Swanley Park, and the quotes from Cllr Michael Horwood, Ryan Hayman and Cllr Irene Roy)
- Swanley Town Council, Estates and Facilities Agenda, Wednesday 21 October 2026
- Sevenoaks District Council, Playground re-opened in Swanley!, 14 September 2026 (Cherry Avenue reopening)
Image: the refurbished Hilda May Playground, supplied by Swanley Town Council with its 10 October announcement. Chart by Sevenoaks Online.
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