Planning for play

Play does not and should not only happen in playgrounds. Play strategies should ensure a range of accessible play options across an area, including parks, squares and even streets.

Whether planning to refurbish or develop a play area, or improve play space across a neighbourhood, local authorities should include play provision in their strategic plan for the public space in their area. This strategic thinking should be underpinned by an agreed play policy.

CABE Space and Play England have provided support and advice to local play partnerships, to help ensure that play strategies align with local authority open space strategies and that play spaces combine creativity and durability.

Play partnerships, which have been set up to deliver comprehensive play strategies funded by the Big Lottery Fund, need to continue to steer and coordinate this kind of strategic approach. Strategies should consider planning, design and management of play opportunities, and bring play workers together with planners and park managers to ensure a joined-up approach across the local authority area.

Developing an effective play strategy

Play England and the Big Lottery Fund’s Planning for play: guidance on the development and implementation of a local play strategy explains how to develop, implement and sustain an effective local play strategy. The strategy can help to access and protect budgets for design, management and maintenance of play space by confirming levels of provision and need.

Play strategies should be linked to open space strategies and local standards for play should be set in accordance with planning policy guidance note 17 (PPG 17): Planning for open space, sport and recreation. PPG17 sets out how local authorities should assess the existing and future needs of their communities for open space, sport and recreation facilities.

This assessment should form the basis of an open space strategy that sets out a local authority’s vision for its open spaces and how this vision will be achieved. Play also needs to be embedded in local development frameworks to maximise the opportunities to improve play through new developments.