Council spending cuts signal end for Norfolk firm

Cut backs in school and council spending were yesterday blamed for the demise of a Norfolk firm and the loss of 13 jobs after it went into liquidation.

Adventure Playgrounds, which has been trading since 1999, was a supplier, designer and manufacturer of play equipment for play areas and playgrounds. Trading mostly in East Anglia, clients included schools, councils and parish councils.

According to its website, the firm, which is based at Carleton Rode, near Attleborough, had previously carried out work a range of work in Norfolk including installing new equipment at Heather Avenue School, in Hellesdon, near Norwich, and at Great Ellingham Primary School, near Attleborough, and had received glowing testimonials from customers. Other work included installing village play equipment at Gooderstone, near Swaffham, and Hindringham, near Fakenham. But time ran out for the business shortly before Christmas when staff were laid off and yesterday Chris Williams, of business rescue and insolvency specialists McTear Williams and Wood, was appointed as liquidator.

Councils and schools across the country have been forced to cut back their spending in the wake of public cuts as the coalition government seeks to pare back the deficit.

In a sign of the tougher trading conditions, turnover at the firm fell from £1.1m to around £750,000 in the last year and staff were laid off shortly before Christmas as a result of the tougher trading conditions and a sharp drop in sales.

Adrian Sage, associate at McTear, Williams and Wood, said: “There has been falling turnover as a result of increased competition and schools and councils cutting back – which is where the majority of their work came from.

“Unfortunately these factors have had a severe effect on turnover. “We have notified all the creditors and there will be a sale of the assets to break up the business.”