Agenda item

(a)       That the Committee support the draft Play Sufficiency Assessment 2019 and draft Action Plan 2019/20, which will be sent to Welsh Government at the end of March 2019; and

(b)       That the Committee support the continued development of a strategic Flintshire Play Sufficiency Implementation Group to provide a multi-agency forum to monitor the Play Sufficiency Assessment Action Plan 2019/20.

The Chief Officer (Education & Youth) introduced the Flintshire Play Development Officer, Marianne Mannello (Assistant Director for Play Wales) and the Play Design Officer – Aura Leisure & Libraries and invited them to present the report.  The report provided an overview of the Flintshire Play Sufficiency Assessment 2019 and the draft Action Plan 2019/2020. The local authority had a statutory duty under the Children and Families Measure Wales 2010 to report to Welsh Government and a draft document would be presented to Welsh Government shortly.  The Flintshire Play Sufficiency Assessment was a live document with the Action Plan published annually.  This was a statutory requirement and the local authority outlined in the action plan how it was intending to address deficiencies and maintain current levels.   The Play Development Officer explained the Council would be able to access funding via action plans towards such schemes as the County play schemes and that a universal service could be provided across the county for all children.

In response to a comment on the successful bids for funding, the Assistant Director of Play Wales explained that national lobbying continued to try and secure funding but this was still reliant on the money available at the end of the financial year.

Councillor Mackie congratulated the Play Development Officer for her dedication saying she was enthusiastic, determined and caring and that the report was exceptional. 

Councillor Patrick Heesom asked for information on the Strategy which linked play areas which were part of Aura.  In response the Play Development Officer said the council was connected to Aura with the Play Sufficiency Assessment and that play areas was a huge part of this. 

Councillor Heesom then raised a number of questions regarding the 106 agreement funding for play areas which was provided by developers into the School provision and asked if some of this money could be used for youth provision which would be very beneficial.  The Play Design Officer responded to say that Section 106 Funding had two components, the education contribution and the public open space contribution, which were not the same. He outlined the decision process for the allocation of the funding whether on sports pitches or play areas for example, public open space facilities, and the consultation undertaken with Local Members and Town and Community Councils.  

Councillor Heesom stated the 106 Agreement funding was a very significant amount of money and asked how the funding was monitored.  The Play Design Officer said that a survey report to assess the condition of all playgrounds was carried out and published.  The Assistant Director Play Wales reported on discussions being held across Wales regarding the Section 106 Agreement funding to look at all areas of open space where children could play.  This was not an easy process but with the national template there was potential to look at where the Section 106 money had been spent in schools and the possibility of extending the schools opening hours of the facilities to make it more of a community benefit which would contribute to the open space assessment and Local Development Plan.   Councillor Heesom was pleased to hear that but said that it was not always where the development was being built that the play areas were required and felt there should be a way of reporting to indicate the fairness in the distribution.

Councillor Ian Smith commented that councils were stretched financially and asked what would happen if the funding for the summer play scheme ceased.  In response the Play Development Officer confirmed if the plan was not in place and the slippage from Welsh Government was not received then this would be a concern.  The Plan enabled councils to access grants agreed by partners with town and community councils’ involvement and the legislation allowed progress to be made.

Councillor Smith added that this was not statutory funding requirement for the Council.  To which the Play Development Officer agreed but said it was a statutory duty for the Council to assess and secure funding and that this was so much easier with the plan in place to enable the Council to move quickly once funding became available.  The Assistant Director added there were a lot of local authorities in Wales that did not have a comprehensive summer play scheme programme or good working relationships with open spaces and countryside services.  She referred to the document and the 9 matters within it which the local authority had to respond to and said the local authority still had a duty to assess. She reported on what other local authorities were doing to provide play areas for children and the budgets provided for this.

Councillor David Williams referred to the Section 106 agreement funding accessed within his ward and the successful working relationship his community had with the Play Design Officer.  The Community was able to negotiate and improve play provision which benefited the whole community not just the isolated development area.  He reported on a village meeting to encourage the involvement of children via the youth clubs, who then circulated information around the schools etc. to determine what play equipment children would like placed in the play areas.

Councillor Tudor Jones asked if children and young people had been involved in drafting the Action Plan 2019/20.  In response the Play Development Officer confirmed that they had involved young people in a number of pieces of work and referred members to pages 5, 6 & 7 of the document and the consultation undertaken with 600 children which had just been finalised.  Councillor Tudor Jones was pleased to see they had been consulted.

Councillor Glyn Banks thanked the team for an excellent report and for the support Llanasa had received from the Play Design Officer.  He commented on there being no provision for a designated play space to be provided and well maintained on a gypsy traveller sites until 2023 and asked why this date could not be brought forward.  It was confirmed that this was still unknown at present because of other work and legislation being carried out on Gypsy Travellers sites.  The Play Development Officer would provide further information on this if available.

Councillor Andy Dunbobbin said it was a fantastic report and at the heart of this was the wellbeing of our children and people in society.  He referred to the Social and Well-Being Programme and that this opened up other opportunities. The Play Development Officer reported the projects in the Action plan were based around these Programmes our “little moments of well-being” and that we had a duty to provide the best service we possibly could.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the Committee support the draft Play Sufficiency Assessment 2019 and draft Action Plan 2019/20, which will be sent to Welsh Government at the end of March 2019; and

(b)       That the Committee support the continued development of a strategic Flintshire Play Sufficiency Implementation Group to provide a multi-agency forum to monitor the Play Sufficiency Assessment Action Plan 2019/20.