Boost for young people's public spaces and activity playgrounds: 'pathfinder' local authorities to lead the way

Children across the country are to get an extra 3,500 play areas and 30 local authorities will get £2 million each to build new adventure playgrounds, as part of £235m Government investment on children’s play. The consultation document is available online.

Ministers Ed Balls and Andy Burnham also vowed to help tackle bullying and crime in play areas and other public spaces, improve road safety and work with town planners and developers to create more child-friendly public spaces, ending the ‘no ball games’ culture.

The Ministers promised to investigate whether local authorities were being over cautious with play equipment and to support parents in balancing risk against opportunity.

For the first time ever the Government will have a new play indicator, meaning that every year children and young people will be asked how satisfied they are with their local play areas and parks.

To help them improve their play facilities, all councils will get funding for play (3,500 play areas), with 30 play pathfinder authorities getting extra £2 million for adventure playgrounds, and 43 playbuilder authorities receiving an additional £1 million for play areas.

Funding of £225 million was announced for play in the Children’s Plan, but an additional £10 million has been added to this fund, as Ministers underlined the importance of play and how it should be taken seriously by every council in the country.

Children’s Play Consultation

In order to create more high quality places to play, the Government proposes to:

• Invest £235m over the next three years to develop up to 3,500 public play areas
• Support 30 local authorities to develop adventure playgrounds or play parks aimed at 8-13 year olds in disadvantaged areas (20 will be announced today and a further 10 in the autumn)
• Work with councils to ensure play areas are stimulating, exciting and attractive to children – working closely to involve children, families and communities
• Drive local performance with a new national play indicator from 2009
• Develop and test volunteering opportunities to support play
• Work with planners, developers and transport officers to create neighbourhoods that meet the needs of children and families
• Boost the qualifications and skills of the workforce

The Fair Play consultation was announced in a written ministerial statement, by the Departments of Children, Schools and Families and Culture, Media and Sport, which also included further information on how the Government intends to take forward the Children’s Plan, Children’s Trusts, the Youth Facilities Fund and the children’s workforce action plan.

Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Ed Balls, said: 'The ability to play safely and independently is one of the defining characteristics of a good childhood. Play is first and foremost to help children have fun – but it can also keep them happy and healthy and allow them to develop and achieve their full potential. I want every child in this country to be able to benefit which is why I’m announcing today the biggest investment in play ever so that we can see 3,500 more playgrounds and 30 adventure playgrounds around the country.

'We need exciting and stimulating places for children to play which are close to where they live and easy for them to get to. But this is not just about designated spaces – public play spaces are an essential part of any community. I want local communities and children themselves to play a key role in making public spaces more child friendly. Let’s see an end to the no ball games culture and a start of a new era where children’s needs and children’s play areas are at the heart of the planning process from start to finish.

'As parents we all want to keep our children safe and that means making sure they can play safely. But we also know that as our children get older they need to be able to learn to take risks so that they can thrive. Play is a vital way of helping them do that and if we can provide safe environments for our children and young people then as parents we can step back and let them learn from experience.'

The Children’s Plan set out a new agenda on how Departments will work together to support children to play. In this, the Government announced the biggest ever investment in play of £225 million. We have now added an extra £10 million to this, meaning that over the next three years we’ll be spending £235 million on helping children to play.

Background information

The 20 play pathfinder local authorities are: Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Kensington & Chelsea, Tower Hamlets, East Sussex, Portsmouth, Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, Nottingham City, Dudley, Wolverhampton, Cambridgeshire, Blackburn with Darwen, Knowsley, Rochdale, North Tyneside, Sunderland, East Riding and Rotherham

The 43 playbuilder areas are: Brent, Croydon, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Redbridge, Wandsworth, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Reading, Slough, Southampton, Cornwall, Plymouth, Somerset, Derby City, Leicester City, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Coventry, Solihull, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Luton, Peterborough, Southend, Suffolk, Thurrock, Blackpool, Bolton, Bury, Halton, Lancashire, Sefton, Tameside, Gateshead, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Northumberland, Stockton, Calderdale and Kirklees.

The national indicator for play will be measured using data collected through the TellUs survey, which asks a sample of children in years 6,8 and 10 their views on the parks and play areas in their local area. The indicator will be introduced in 2009-10, subject to technical consultation.

Government plans on how to stamp out bullying in public places and improve road safety were first contained in the Staying Safe Action Plan.