Play Sufficiency Assessment

Matter C

Space available for children to play: Open Spaces and Outdoor unstaffed designated play spaces

The Local Authority should recognise that all open spaces within their area are potentially important areas where children can play or pass through to reach other play areas or places where they go.

RAG Status

Amber: Criteria partially met

 

Open spaces

Criteria

  • The Local Authority has undertaken an Open Space Assessment (OSA) that maps areas that are used, or might be used for playing as listed in the Statutory Guidance

RAG status 2019

Amber: Criteria partially met

RAG status 2022

Amber: Criteria partially met

Evidence to support strengths

  • The Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Guidance was adopted by PCC and the National Park Authority in September 2016.
  • Recreational and Amenity open space is included as a facility that the Authorities will seek contributions on.
  • An OSA is carried out by the infrastructure department on an annual basis
  • Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority (PCNPA) has completed an Open Space Assessment as part of the Local Development Plan process

Shortfalls

  • Local Development Plan needs to be re-drafted and made more interactive, with a specific focus on play.

Identified actions for Action Plan

  • Local Development Plan to be redrafted.

 

Criteria

  • The Local Authority has undertaken an Accessible Greenspace Study that maps areas that are used for playing

RAG status 2019

Amber: Criteria partially met

RAG status 2022

Amber: Criteria partially met

Evidence to support strengths

  • The updated Open Space Assessment has been mapped to GIS and mapped for inclusion within the Local Development Plan review. A host of outdoor interactive play spaces are available within the county (see here: Play area map)
  • The Planning Team is in the process of redrafting the Local Development Plan (LDP).
  • We also collect data in the Annual Monitoring Report for the LDP.  Information is collected on any additional open space provided through planning applications each year.  The AMRs are also published on the Council’s website: Implementation and Monitoring

Identified actions for Action Plan

  • Review the State of Play report and the LDP when ready and align with the priorities of the PSA

 

Criteria

  • The Local Authority undertakes access audits at all open spaces and implements proposals to improve access and safety

RAG status 2019

Green: Criteria fully met

RAG status 2022

Amber: Criteria partially met

Evidence to support strengths

  • The Environmental Services department regularly conducts safety checks at all council owned play parks/spaces and also through Service Level Agreements at some of the Town and Community Council owned play parks, to ensure all equipment meets the health and safety requirements.
  • Local Authority undertakes access audits to areas with fixed play equipment. Access to each of the open spaces has been surveyed.
  • Funding was accessed in 2021/22 from the Welsh Government Capital Play grant to provide further training for our safety inspectors.
  • Unfortunately, for many years there has not been an equipment replacement budget, therefore we are just maintaining current equipment until it becomes uneconomical to repair – this is not a sustainable way to operate, this restricts further development of our play parks in Pembrokeshire.

Shortfalls

  • If equipment does not adhere to the safety standards, there is no budget for play equipment and therefore if it has to be removed/condemned, it cannot be replaced.

Identified actions for Action Plan

  • Allocate funding to enhance play provision across the county

 

Criteria

  • The Local Authority has developed its own Open Space Standards in accordance with the advice and requirements of Planning Policy Wales

RAG status 2019

Green: Criteria fully met

RAG status 2022

Green: Criteria fully met

Evidence to support strengths

  • Pembrokeshire have developed an Open Space Standards document.

 

Criteria

  • The Local Authority undertakes and actions play value assessments in public open space

RAG status 2019

Green: Criteria fully met

RAG status 2022

Green: Criteria fully met

Evidence to support strengths

  • Pembrokeshire County Council undertakes daily, quarterly and annual inspections of fixed play areas. The annual inspection is carried out independently and uses Play Safe assessment criteria.
  • Funding was accessed from the WG Capital Play grant to train more safety inspectors.

 

Criteria

  • Brownfield sites owned by the Local Authority are assessed for the potential for the site to be reclaimed to provide for children’s play

RAG status 2019

Amber: Criteria partially met

RAG status 2022

Amber: Criteria partially met

Evidence to support strengths

  • The Planning Department are not required to assess Brownfield sites in terms of assessing their suitability for open space provision and they have no requirement to undertake this.  The focus is on assessing new proposals (on either Brownfield or Greenfield land) and identifying whether or not they generate a requirement for on-site open space or (in some cases) for an off-site payment to support other open space in the vicinity.
  • There are a significantly lower number of Brownfield sites in Pembrokeshire compared to other Local Authority areas.  

Shortfalls

  • Waterway and are being used for industry or are ex MOD land such as airfields and are not suitable for either housing or play provision.

Identified actions for Action Plan

  • Brownfield sites should also be assessed for their appropriateness for play provision

 

Outdoor Unstaffed Designated Play Spaces

Criteria

  • The Local Authority keeps an up to date record of all designated play space as described in the Statutory Guidance

RAG status 2019

Green: Criteria fully met

RAG status 2022

Amber: Criteria partially met

Evidence to support strengths

  • Local Authority has three types of play areas in the County
  1. Those on land owned and managed by PCC
  2. Those on land owned by a third party and managed by PCC
  3. Those managed in partnership with community groups /town and community councils
  • Through independent annual inspections, quarterly inspections and daily visual inspections an up-to-date record is maintained of all play areas.
  • The Local Authority compiled a `State of Play` document in 2005 (reviewed 2011-2012) detailing all information on all play areas known to the Authority which ascertained a snapshot of each area at that time. A review of the State of Play document is at this time being carried out and currently awaiting the independent annual inspection which will provide information on the condition of parks equipment.

Shortfalls

  • If equipment does not adhere to the safety standards there is no budget for play equipment and therefore if it has to be removed/condemned  it cannot be replaced.

Identified actions for Action Plan

  • Allocate funding to enhance play provision across the county

 

Criteria

  • The Local Authority assesses play spaces for play value and potential to increase in play use as set out in the Statutory Guidance

RAG status 2019

Green: Criteria fully met

RAG status 2022

Red: Criteria not met

Evidence to support strengths

  • A state of play review has been carried out by the park inspectors; however, there is currently no budget for Play

Shortfalls

  • Unfortunately, for many years there has not been an equipment replacement budget, therefore we are just maintaining current equipment until it becomes uneconomical to repair – this is not a sustainable way to operate, this restricts further development of our play parks in Pembrokeshire.

Identified actions for Action Plan

  • Allocate funding to enhance play provision across the county

 

Criteria

  • The Local Authority undertakes access audits at all designated play spaces and implements proposals to improve access and safety

RAG status 2019

Green: Criteria fully met

RAG status 2022

Amber: Criteria partially met

Evidence to support strengths

  • Pembrokeshire County Council undertakes daily, quarterly and annual inspections of fixed play areas.
  • The annual inspection is carried out independently and uses Play Safe assessment criteria as well as DDA

Shortfalls

  • Funding is not available to ensure all play parks are DDA compliant once equipment is not economical to repair or it is condemned, it has to be removed and not replaced due to lack funding

Identified actions for Action Plan

  • Allocate funding to enhance play provision across the county

 

Criteria

  • The Local Authority has developed and agreed a new fixed play provision standard 

RAG status 2019

Amber: Criteria partially met

RAG status 2022

Amber: Criteria partially met

Evidence to support strengths

  • A review of the State of Play document is at this time being carried out and currently awaiting the independent annual inspection, which will provide information on the condition of parks equipment. (inspected by officers)
  • The Planning Team is in the process of redrafting the Local Development Plan.

Shortfalls

  • No budget for play, therefore items which need replacing cannot be funded or replaced

Identified actions for Action Plan

  • Allocate funding to enhance play provision across the county

 

Criteria

  • The Local Authority undertakes and actions play space assessments in designated play spaces 

RAG status 2019

Amber: Criteria partially met

RAG status 2022

Amber: Criteria partially met

Evidence to support strengths

  • A review of the State of Play document is at this time being carried out and currently awaiting the independent annual inspection which will provide information on the condition of parks equipment.
  • The Planning Team is in the process of redrafting the Local Development Plan.

Shortfalls

  • No budget for play, therefore items which need replacing cannot be funded or replaced

Identified actions for Action Plan

  • Allocate funding to enhance play provision across the county

 

Criteria

  • The Local Authority has introduced smoke-free playgrounds
  • The local authority complies with The Smoke-free Premises and Vehicles (Wales) Regulations 2020 that requires playgrounds in Wales to be smoke-free.

RAG status 2019

Green: Criteria fully met

RAG status 2022

Green: Criteria fully met

Evidence to support strengths

  • Signs have been erected at parks within Pembrokeshire and also all school sites and an audit has been completed by our safety officers

 

Criteria

  • The Local Authority has removed ‘no ball games’ signs to encourage more children playing in the community

RAG status 2019

Amber: Criteria partially met

RAG status 2022

Green: Criteria fully met

Evidence to support strengths

A full audit has been carried out by Park Officers from the Council for removal of ‘no ball game signs’; in addition PECS signs and symbols have been introduced in a number of play spaces across the local authority. See here: HCPSS



Criteria

  • The Local Authority includes a recognition of the importance of playing fields to children’s play when any disposal decisions are made

RAG status 2019

New

RAG status 2022

Amber: Criteria Partially met

Evidence to support strengths

  • To date this has not been necessary, as there have been no plans to dispose of any play areas. From time to time, some equipment may have to be removed for health and safety reasons. As previously mentioned any equipment removed would not be replaced, as there is no budget for play. 

 

Criteria

  • The Local Authority includes children and their families in any consultations regarding decisions to dispose of playing fields.

RAG status 2019

Green: Criteria fully met

RAG status 2022

Green: Criteria fully met

Evidence to support strengths

  • To date this has not been necessary as there are no plans to dispose of any play areas within the authority.

 


Criteria

  • The Local Authority refers to guidance around creating accessible play space when refurbishing or developing new playgrounds

RAG status 2019

Green: Criteria fully met

RAG status 2022

Green: Criteria fully met

Evidence to support strengths

  • WG funding has been awarded to several community owned play parks to carry out refurbishments. Town and community councils led their own consultation around the improvements, which have been made including accessible play spaces

 

Open spaces

How has the Local Authority ensured collaboration between Open Space Assessments / Green Infrastructure Strategies and Play Sufficiency Assessments to improve spaces for play?

Open Space Assessments and Play Sufficiency Assessments assist in providing baseline information about the level of open space provision within a local area.  This information is then used to inform planning obligation requirements from developments to improve provision.

Have there been challenges?

The review of the Local Development Plan and audits have been delayed.

There is no budget for play, especially play equipment and therefore we are maintaining existing play parks only, not making improvements for play opportunities. Once the equipment becomes uneconomical to repair or it is condemned we do not have funds to replace it.

How can these be overcome?

Review the LDP once complete to ensure that play is prioritised. The local authority should ensure the Play Priority signs are erected within the communities.

The County Council is looking at Community Asset Transfer as a way of sustaining many community play parks, where a community (Town/Community Council or other constituted group) would take responsibility for maintaining a play park, perhaps through a long-term lease or full asset transfer. 

Where this is not possible, fixed play equipment may be removed once it is ‘end of life’, but support would be made available to communities to develop open-access play should they wish.”

The Local Authority need to ensure that there is a budget line assigned to play and this needs to be prioritised.

 

Outdoor unstaffed designated play spaces

How has the local authority considered all issues of accessibility in play space development? 

The local authority works with partners to ensure that outdoor play spaces are accessible.

Have there been challenges?

There has been a lack of funding and capacity to ensure accessibility of play parks. The Local Development Plan is currently being redrafted.

How can these be overcome?

WG funding has been allocated to develop a number of play parks in the county utilising the Capital Play grant 2021/22. Further funding needs to be secured to ensure all the play parks are kept to a high standard and are useable.

 

ID: 9193, revised 03/11/2022
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