The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Key Decision Report dated 17 June 2008 For Decision by Councillor Ritchie, Cabinet Member for Family and Children’s Services Report by the Director for Community Learning PLAY PATHFINDER - APPROVAL TO DRAW DOWN FUNDING 1 Introduction 1.1 I am writing to seek your approval to draw down the Play Pathfinder Capital and Revenue Grants 2008-11. 2 Background 2.1 In February 2008, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea was invited by the DCSF to bid for ‘Play Pathfinder Status’. As set out in the Children’s Plan, there is to be an investment of £265 million in play facilities in England. Approximately £2.5 million will be allocated to each of 30 local authorities awarded ‘Play Pathfinder Status’, whilst all remaining local authorities will receive £1.14 million each to develop play facilities as ‘Playbuilder’ local authorities. 2.2 The Play Pathfinder programme has the following requirements; The creation of at least one new adventure playground at a cost of £800,000. The refurbishment or creation of a minimum of 26 smaller playgrounds at an average cost of £50,000. To promote adventurous ‘risky’ play within a secure environment. A focus on the 8-15 age range. Link the Play Pathfinder investment to planning, transport, leisure, and other related council strategies. Engage young people in positive activities. Ensure that play provision is of high quality and is sustainable. 2.3 A bid was submitted to the DCSF in March 2008 setting out how the Royal Borough can meet the priorities of the Play Pathfinder programme by building on the Royal Borough’s highly acclaimed Play Strategy and the existing investment in play facilities and services. 2.4 The Royal Borough was informed that it had been successful in securing Play Pathfinder status in April 2008. The capital and revenue 1 grant allocation letter, with attached guidance, was received on Thursday June 5th 2008. 2.5 The capital allocation is £2,153,170 and is to be spent by March 2010. The outline plans for the expenditure of the capital resources in 2008-9, and for the adventure playgrounds, are attached as Appendix 1. The revenue allocation is £498,011 and has to be spent by March 2011. 2.6 The original time limit placed on the capital expenditure was March 2011. The March 2010 date indicated in the DCFS guidance will create difficulties for the effective planning of this investment, including the identification of appropriate sites for the new adventure playground in Chelsea. Despite this, council officers will endeavour to secure the most appropriate and cost effective projects with the capital resources available. 3 Need 3.1 The RBKC Play Strategy sets out the benefits of good quality and accessible play for children and young people. It recognises play as fundamental for the social, physical and emotional development of children and young people. 3.2 The Play Pathfinder provides an opportunity to go further in meeting the aspirations of the RBKC Play Strategy. In particular, investment will enable the council to invest in the following priorities in the Play Strategy; Enabling Improved Child Development Providing Safe Play Opportunities Enhancing the Quality of Play Facilities Increasing Accessibility and Choice Promoting Social Inclusion Through Supervised Play Ensuring Children’s Participation in the Design and Maintenance of Play Facilities Promoting Healthy Lifestyles Through Play and Sport Ensuring All Children Can Access Good Quality Play. 3.3 In January 2007 the Play Service undertook an analysis of all play and open spaces in the Royal Borough. The analysis highlighted the areas of the borough with less play space and also assessed the quality of equipment in playgrounds, safety factors, and how accessible play was for children with disabilities. The play spaces analysis will help to inform the prioritisation of capital investment in the borough. 3.4 The Play Service works closely with colleagues in Parks, Housing, Planning, social landlords, the TMO, and the voluntary sector play 2 providers. There is a wealth of information held by these organisations that relates to the quality and maintenance of play areas in parks, housing estates and community amenity spaces. All of these partners will contribute to the prioritisation and delivery of play capital projects, ensuring that the Play Pathfinder maximises benefits to the borough’s children and families. A Play Pathfinder Team reflecting these agencies has been created to drive forward the Pathfinder project. 4 Project Management 4.1 A Project Board will oversee the effective development and delivery of the overall project, whilst a Project Team inclusive of key partners will ensure the delivery of individual projects. 4.2 A Programme Manager will be recruited to oversee the project and will be accountable to the Head of Extended Services and the Project Board. 5 Capital Projects - Adventure Playgrounds 5.1 Adventure Playground at Little Wormwood Scrubs - The Royal Borough has recently secured a 20 year agreement to manage the Little Wormwood Scrubs site in North Kensington. The Family and Children’s Services Business Group will be responsible for the existing adventure playground area in the south-west corner of the park. 5.2 The existing Little Wormwood Scrubs Adventure Playground is small and has poor quality equipment. There is a play hut that requires repair and does not support the provision of a varied programme of play and learning activities. The KIDS organisation is currently funded by the Royal Borough to deliver adventure play for local children and specialist play for children with disabilities at the Little Wormwood Scrubs site. The usage of the facility is very limited and could be greatly increased with improved facilities and increased opening hours. 5.3 The Play Pathfinder Bid prioritised a capital allocation of £210,000 for the refurbishment and expansion of Little Wormwood Scrubs Adventure Playground. This allocation is match funded by £114,000 of Section 106 capital from a residential development in Barlby Road. An additional £120,000 of capital funding has been identified by the Project Team following a more favourable capital allocation from the DCFS than first indicated. 5.4 At present, this project has secured £444,000. There is also potential to secure funding from the TELS Business Group for investment in parks, and the Big Lottery My Space Capital Programme. Once the 3 total allocation is known a major redevelopment project will be advanced for the playground. 5.5 The Play Service has secured agreement from the Friend of Little Wormwood Scrubs to increase the size of the Little Wormwood Scrubs Adventure Playground by 250% and to create a new play hut building for the service. Final approval of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, as trustees of the land, is required and a planning application is also likely. 5.6 The new service at Little Wormwood Scrubs will have extended opening hours and will be targeted at local children and young people aged 5-15. The programme will be varied during evenings, weekends and holidays to engage children with disabilities, local children, and young people at risk of offending. The project will be developed in full consultation with the local community, children and young people, disability groups, parks, housing and social landlords, and the police. 5.7 In order to carry out the capital project the Little Wormwood Scrubs Adventure Playground site will be closed from November 2008 until April 2009. The new service will be delivered by a successful bidder following an exercise to tender the new service from April 2009. Revenue funding will be available through match funding of the Play Pathfinder capital and the council’s voluntary sector commissioning budget. 5.8 Adventure Playground in Chelsea – The brand new adventure playground highlighted in the Play Pathfinder bid is to be located in Chelsea. The bid allocated £590,000 of capital for this project. The potential site identified in the bid is in Hortensia Road. However, alternative sites are now being sought because it has transpired that this site will not be available until September 2010 as it will be the temporary location for the Chelsea Academy from September 2009. 5.9 Chelsea was identified as the priority location of a new adventure playground for several reasons; Worlds End is the only ward in the 20% most deprived in the Royal Borough without good access to an adventure playground. Local supervised play facilities have been lost to make way for the Chelsea Academy site. The Hortensia Road site has an existing building that can offer high quality activities for children and young people and a training facility for staff and volunteers. There are a significant number of children and young people in the area that are not engaged in local projects or activities. 5.10There are a number of alternative sites for an adventure playground in Chelsea. It is proposed that detailed consultation is carried out 4 with the local community to identify a preferred site. If the preferred site is Hortensia Road then the Royal Borough will need to use the evidence of the local consultation to request to the DCSF that Play Pathfinder capital for this project be carried forward into 2010-11. 5.11The Chelsea consultation will take place in the autumn of 2008. All local residents’ groups, service providers, elected members and children and young people will be approached for their views. 6 Small Capital Projects – Playgrounds 6.1 The Council is required to create or refurbish 26 play areas using Play Pathfinder capital. The average allocation should be in the region of £50,000 per project, a limited sum for the delivery of high quality play provision.