DP Leisure announces development of new 360 Play FEC in Basildon, UK

Following the success of its three existing venues in Milton Keynes, Stevenage and Leicester in the UK, DP Leisure (DPL), operator of the 360 Play children’s entertainment centre brand, has announced that it is to open a fourth UK site later this year, in Basildon, Essex.

Now firmly established as a leading brand name within the UK’s children’s entertainment centre sector, the newest 360 Play site will be located at Basildon’s Festival Leisure Park, located just a short distance from Basildon town centre. The mixed use site is currently home to a wide variety of other leisure businesses, including Empire Cinema, Hollywood Bowl, Fitness First, Festival Wakeboard Park and a host of restaurants, and the 360 Play centre will add further diversity to the mix.

With opening scheduled for the end of 2015, the latest 360 Play venue is a key part of the redevelopment of the leisure park by landlord Aviva, which includes a drive towards catering increasingly to the family market. DP Leisure is developing a bespoke, 24,000 sq. ft. unit which will house its newest operation and become home to all the classic 360 Play elements, which have proved so popular with families with young children over the years, as well as several new components too.

“We are thrilled to announce the planned opening of our fourth 360 Play centre in the UK,” said Managing Director Duncan Phillips, “and are delighted to have secured a site on what is a very popular leisure destination in Basildon with a significant catchment area. Our operation will certainly complement the existing offering and will help to attract more families to the leisure park, something which is clearly the intention of the landlords as they look to redevelop the site.

“We will once again create a fun, stimulating, engaging and entertaining family play facility based on the successful model we have used at our other centres and I’m sure it will be very popular with families with young children from throughout the Basildon area and further afield. We offer a unique product concept which we are continually developing and this latest venture will feature a number of new ideas and elements to further enhance the experience provided to visitors. We can’t wait to get it all up and running!”

On behalf of Aviva, Justin Brand, Director – Real Estate, Head of Out of Town Retail and Leisure, said: “Aviva are delighted to be working with DP Leisure to deliver the fourth 360 Play facility at Festival Leisure Park in Basildon. It will be a fantastic addition to the park offering market leading facilities in family entertainment and will work very well with the current leisure offer.”

Pre-manufacturing of many of the key play elements and structures that will be housed within the Festival Leisure Park building is already underway in workshops at DPL’s headquarters in Milton Keynes, while the design and master planning of this latest project has once again been carried out by DPL’s sister company DP Associates (DPA), which will project manage the build.

The newest 360 Play FEC will follow the company’s tried and tested formula with a wide range of activities for all young children, from toddlers up to age 12, and with everything designed so that adults can join in too, it will be a true family day out offering. There will be both indoor and outdoor areas with the former including the familiar, multi-level play structure, bumper cars, a carousel and the 360 Street creative play zone, a feature at all 360 Play sites. This is made up of individual play units such as a fire station, supermarket, pizza parlour, car garage/body shop and dressing up shop and is designed to stimulate the creativity in young minds, while also providing an opportunity for parents to get involved in play with their children.

A party zone accommodating a dedicated area for children’s parties will be on offer, while various new elements will also be introduced for the first time at a 360 Play venue, details of which will be announced nearer the time of opening.

An outdoor area, Club 360, will also be a key part of the centre and will incorporate features such as a sand play activity area, water boats, climbing attractions, water play, an event area and outdoor seating and catering facilities.