PLAY AREA STRATEGY VERSION 1.0 SEPTEMBER 2015 1 | P a g e CONTACT INFORMATION For general enquires regarding the management and maintenance of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council Play areas, please contact: ENVIRONMENT SERVICES THE CAMPUS WELWYN GARDEN CITY AL8 6AE TEL: 01707 357 000 EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: WWW.WELHAT.GOV.UK/PLAYGROUNDS 2 | P a g e CONTENTS Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... …6 Play Provision ................................................................................................................................. ..10 Current Challenges…………………………………………………………………………..……............15 Considerations …………………………………………………………………………………..……….. 20 Aims and Objectives ……………………………………………………………………………..….……23 Action Plan ……………………………………………………………………………………..………….25 Appendix 1 …………………………………..…………………………………………………………….28 Appendix 2 ………………………………..……………………………………………………………….34 Appendix 3 …………………………………………………………..…………………………………….36 Appendix 4 ………………………………………………………………………………..……………….37 Appendix 5 …………………………………………………………………………..…………………….38 3 | P a g e FOREWARD Welcome to the first Playground Strategy for Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. The Plan sets out our proposed objectives for our play areas over the next 10 years. The Strategy provides information on outdoor play provision across the Borough and identifies how the Council intends on continually providing safe, interesting and active play area facilities. CLLR HELEN BROMLEY EXECUTIVE MEMBER FOR ENVIRONMENT WELWYN HATFIELD BOROUGH COUNCIL 4 | P a g e EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A strategy for play areas has been created as both a reference and working document. By encompassing current and proposed provision of play areas, which are both operated by and independently of the Borough Council; this plan has been able to identify aims and objectives, which are intended to encourage greater use of the amenities by a wide range of the community. Continuing to work in partnership with the community, will ultimately prove crucial to the success of play facilities and will form a key part in the long term development. 5 | P a g e INTRODUCTION Plan Summary This Strategy is a 10-year plan to assist the Borough Council in its future management of existing play areas. It will help prioritise development and redevelopment of play areas. It is important to note this document is focused only on the physical play assets that are the responsibility of the Borough Council. The play strategy aims to: Outline the current provision and identify scope for adaptation or additional equipment Examine current challenges and future opportunities Develop partnerships with the local community and partner agencies Ensure inclusion and improve accessibility Prioritise future spending on play area improvement and development Ensure robust inspection process is viewed as an integral part the service area Ensure that play area provision is built around the local needs of children and young people. Every Child Matters (ECM) is a UK government initiative for England and Wales that was launched in 2003. ECM covers children and young adults up to the age of 19 or 24 for those with disabilities by setting out the changes needed locally to help build the services around the local needs of children and young people to ensure that their opportunities are maximised. The five outcomes for children specified in Every Child Matters are: 1. Being Healthy 2. Staying Safe 3. Enjoying and Achieving 4. Making a positive contribution 5. Economic Well Being This strategy considers government guidance for play sites and has provided the opportunity 6 | P a g e to reconsider its approach to how sites are designed and developed in partnership with the local community. It has introduced challenges on how to include an element of risk in a play site and the benefits this brings to children. It is important to provide opportunities for children and young people to play in different ways, utilising non-prescriptive equipment and to encourage creativity and imagination. Welwyn Hatfield’s Profile The Borough of Welwyn Hatfield is located in the centre of Hertfordshire, extending southwards to the boundary with the London Borough of Enfield. Central London lies around 15 Miles south of the Borough boundary. The Borough contains two towns of Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield as well as a number of large and small villages providing a mix of urban, suburban and rural areas. The Borough also contains large area of open countryside with almost 80% currently designated as Green Belt. The towns are the mains sources of housing, shopping, leisure and employment in the Borough. Census 2011 data shows that Welwyn Hatfield had an estimated population of 110,500. This is an increase of 13.33% compared to 2001 and is the largest increase of any Hertfordshire district making it higher than East of England averages. The percentage of the boroughs population aged between 0-14 totals over 17% of the entire population. Benefits of Play All children need to play. Play makes children happy and gives them an opportunity to burn energy, gain confidence, learn new skills, experience challenges and experience the satisfaction that comes when they overcome an obstacle. Interaction with other children is also vital. Children learn through play. They learn about themselves, other people, roles, society and their environment. There are numerous benefits that accrue from play. Children's play and recreation is of great importance in their physical, social, cognitive, creative and emotional development. Physical Development includes gross motor skill development, balance and co- ordination, spatial awareness and hand- eye co-ordination. These can all be provided for within the one play area. Social Development refers to experiences which involve another child or a group 7 | P a g e of children such as in role play situations or modeling behaviour. Cognitive Development includes imagination, problem solving, creativity and sensory experiences. Emotional Development includes building self confidence by risk taking and mastering new skills, building independence, co-operation skills, learning to share with others and enjoying laughter and fun. Stages of Play In relation to playground facilities, these age groups or developmental stages and the play activities and opportunities relevant to each stage are provided below. Toddler - refers to children aged under 2 years, with play needs provided in very simple settings such as: crawling and walking in a level area free of obstacles; running and rolling down gentle slopes; swinging in a secure seat; climbing up and down low level changes; rocking with an adult on a gentle rocker; playing in a small sand pit; Overhead structures such as wind chimes, flags and mobiles. Pre-schooler - refers to children aged between 2 and 4 years of age with play activity needs including: climbing, sliding and swinging; sensory experiences within low level planting; such as smell, listening to leaves, feeling different textures and hiding activities; small areas for play in groups with sensory materials, imaginative play props and dramatic play; large sand pits for individual and group play with buckets and trucks brought from home; a variety of surfacing materials and levels with different ways of getting up and down; and large grassed areas suitable for running and ball games. Junior - refers to children aged between 5 and 8 years of age. Public play areas for this age group are likely to be used for activities such as: climbing with increased interest in taking risks; fully independent on swings and interest in going higher; fine tuning gymnastic skills (i.e. monkey bars, turn over bars); extending physical challenges, such as hanging from one hand only, skipping a rail; 8 | P a g e racing and competitions using play equipment and structures; and ball games including the skills of catching, batting or kicking. Senior refers to children aged between 9 and 12 years of age. Some activities common to this age group include: challenging climbing and gymnastic type equipment; ball and team games; running and hiding activities; quiet, reflective areas; and social areas involving team work in construction or problem solving. 9 | P a g e PLAY PROVISION There are 76 play areas in the Borough, operated and maintained by a mixture of different Councils, housing associations and leisure trusts. Welwyn Hatfield Council is responsible for thirty eight of these play areas. The following section highlights the current provision and proposed future developments for the Borough Council. It also looks at the ‘Play Value’ of play areas. 10 | P a g e CURRENT PROVISION The National Playing Fields Association (NPFA), from 2007 rebranded as Fields in Trust (FIT), was founded in 1925 and granted a Royal Charter in 1933. It is a British charity which aims to protect and promote open areas for sports and recreation in British cities and towns. FIT categorise play areas and areas into four play area types. Appendix 1 provides details of the categories; below is a summary of the four categories: 4 CATEGORIES OF PLAY AREA Local Area for Play (LAP) – Small area of open area specifically designated and laid out for young children to play close to where they live, located within a walking time of 1 minute from home, which covers a minimum area of 100 sqm Local Equipped Area for Play (LEAP) – An open area that is designed and equipped