Agenda item

As detailed in the recommendations.

The Cabinet Member for Public Protection, Waste and Recycling reported on progress with the identification of sustainable play provision from April 2014 with reference to the maintenance and upgrading of children’s play areas.

During 2010/11 Play Safe and Space Consultancy undertook a County-wide analysis of 172 fixed equipment play areas, including those maintained by Town and Community Councils, and 26 link sites, including wheeled play areas and multi-use games areas.

The play survey employed a traffic light system, recognised within the Council as the ‘RAG’ system, to provide an instant overview of each site’s survey conclusion.  Out of the 172 play areas, 13 sites were identified in the ‘Red’ category, 141 in ‘Amber’ and 18 in ‘Green’. 

The 2010 play survey provided the Council with a considerable evidence base to inform its future investment programme for children’s play areas, particularly in relation to the match-funding improvement scheme launched in 2010/11.  This match-funding agreement between the Council and Town and Community Councils was in its fourth year and had resulted in more than a third of the current stock of play areas benefiting from upgrading works.

To date, the Council had contributed £413,780 (a match-funded total of £827,560) to enhance fixed play provision via the improvement scheme.  A full list of enhancements was provided in Appendix 1 to the report.

However, investment was only being made in sites which were nominated for match-funding by Town and Community Councils.  This resulted in a lack of strategic direction, a consequence of which was that only six of the thirteen ‘Red’ sites had received investment.  Seven of the thirteen ‘Red’ sites had neither received match-funding investment over the past four years nor been decommissioned.

Whilst recognising the benefits of the match-funding approach, and promoting its continuation, play areas remained corporate assets and therefore it was important that the Council targeted its future investment at those sites of greatest need in terms of play deprivation and strategic importance.  Should further resources become available then individual play areas which were ‘Red’ sites may be considered for attention on an equitable basis, outside match-funding criteria.

RESOLVED:

(a)       To consult with Overview and Scrutiny over renewal of the scheme for play area renewal based on the following principles:

• From 2014/15, the County Council aligns its match-funding improvement scheme to the findings of the play survey described in paragraph 2.01 of the report
• Each Town and Community Council will be invited to express an interest in participating in the match-funding improvement scheme for 2014/15 and beyond.  In order to ensure that the County Council’s funding is directed at areas of need identified by the condition survey, Leisure Services will identify those play areas which will be in scope (‘Red’ and ‘Amber’ sites) and out of scope (‘Green’ sites).  Approval of any proposed scheme will be:
  • Dependent upon the level of capital funding made available by the County Council
  • Based upon a maximum contribution of £10,000 per scheme
  • Determined on a priority basis in accordance with the findings of the play survey with investment targeted to strategically important sites
  • Confined to those play areas identified as red or amber

·                                                        From 2014/15, 10% of the fixed plan match-funding budget will be allocated to meet the ongoing maintenance costs of the fixed play portfolio; and

(b)       That officers will provide a further report on the potential decommissioning of play areas recognised as being in a poor state of repair and of low strategic importance.