public play areas review - stirling

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STIRLING COUNCIL THIS REPORT RELATES TO ITEM 7 ON THE AGENDA

EXECUTIVE CHILDREN’S SERVICES

12 FEBRUARY 2008 NOT EXEMPT

PUBLIC PLAY AREAS REVIEW

1 SUMMARY

1.1 The purpose of this report is to propose a strategy for the management and development of the Council’s public play areas.

1.2 Consideration is given to: the current operation of the service; the national bench marking exercise that has been carried out; resource issues and funding options.

1.3 The endorsement of a Public Play Areas Strategy will confirm the Council’s commitment to high quality, well managed public play areas as an important community resource for residents and visitors.

2 RECOMMENDATION(S)

The Executive agrees:

2.1 to approve the Public Play Areas Strategy laid out in Appendix 2 including:

• Approving the Play Space Principles;

• Approving in principle the rationalisation of provision laid out in Fair Play;

• Commissioning a detailed Council wide plan to be brought back to Committee to finalise the Strategy;

• Approving the guidance to the allocation of housing developers’ contributions in line with Fair Play;

• Recommending that regeneration areas follow the same principles as are being proposed for the council area in general;

• Supporting the application to the Big Lottery for a Play Areas Community Liaison Programme;

2.2 to recommend to Council to agree in principle to establish a four year Capital Programme in line with the proposed Strategy.

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3 CONSIDERATIONS

Public Play Areas – service location, management and innovative approach

3.1 Across Scottish local authorities, public play areas are managed in many different ways and by many different services, or combinations of services. However, Stirling Council is unique in both the location of its public play areas service, and in the way in which it is managed.

3.2 Public play areas are located within Children’s Services. The reason for this is the Council’s concept of public play areas as part of a spectrum of community based provision for children, young people, families and carers. Such a concept has at its heart the acknowledgement of the role that good public play areas can play in helping to meet children’s and young people’s developmental needs and right to ‘rest, play and recreation’(as enshrined in The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and adopted by Stirling Council). It also acknowledges the social and communal significance of public play areas for families and carers.

3.3 The Council is unique in that public play areas are managed by one dedicated team that is directly responsible for all aspects of their maintenance (other than litter collection). This includes grounds maintenance and means that each site can be treated holistically and individually.

3.4 The particular location and management arrangements have provided the infrastructure on which Stirling Council’s innovative and now nationally recognised approach has been built (see appendix 3 for details of awards, visits, presentations etc). The principles on which this approach is based are incorporated in the Public Play Areas Strategy (appendix 2).

Current funding 3.5 Capital Funding

The way in which play areas are funded is laid out in detail in appendix 2. The capital that is available comes in the main part from developers’ contributions associated with new housing developments and also from regeneration budgets and through grant funding accessed by communities themselves and by Play Services. The Council has been very successful and quite innovative in attracting funding in this way and it has allowed for the development of imaginative and challenging play spaces for children. One of the implications of relying on funding from housing development, which is by definition tied to specific localities, is that in areas such as the National Park where new housing development is very restricted, the scope for major refurbishment or renewal of play areas is severely restricted.

In terms of access to mainline capital grant the service is allocated £25,000 per annum to cover replacement and major refurbishment of equipment for those areas which cannot access developer contributions. As a consequence of having a limited flexible capital budget there are real and growing problems in ensuring that provision is equitable, and that ongoing and essential small replacement and refurbishment programmes can be carried out. It also means that the task of accessing external grants without any funding to act as leverage is much less effective than it could be.


Review of existing play area provision

3.6 The Council has 98 public play areas including 3 skateparks and some informal ball games areas (all pitches and most ‘multi court’ areas are the responsibility of Community Services or Active Stirling). Play areas range from small backcourt and street corner areas to neighbourhood facilities offering a wide range of play and informal recreational opportunities. Appendix 1 lists all the areas. Datasets and maps are in progress.

3.7 Appendix 2 sets out in Fair Play a proposal for the rationalisation of provision over a five year period that if adopted would ensure that the Council achieves as equitable distribution of high quality provision as possible. The framework for this would be:

• Approximately one good quality play area offering a range of play and informal sports provision per 2500 – 3500 population in urban areas. These areas will not necessarily coincide with community council or ward areas, but will relate to where existing good or potentially good provision is and the surrounding residential patterns.

• One good quality play area offering an appropriate range of play and informal sports provision per rural settlement.

• Kings Park and Beechwood to be further developed as Stirling city centre neighbourhood wide provision.

• Laighills Park to be developed as Dunblane city centre neighbourhood wide provision.

• Informal unequipped recreational space to be retained/created where necessary.

3.8 Adopting the principles above would see an overall reduction in the number of play areas with the potential to free up land which might be used for other purposes. I would also ensure that the remaining areas could be effectively maintained and refurbished.


4 POLICY/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS AND CONSULTATIONS

Policy Implications Diversity (age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation) No Sustainability (community, economic, environmental) Yes Corporate/Service (corporate plan, service plan, strategic aims, existing policies or strategies, new/amended policy or strategy)

Yes

Risk Yes Resource Implications Financial Yes People No Other (land, property, electronic etc.) Yes Consultations Internal or External Consultations If the strategy is agreed in principle a detailed play area review will be widely consulted on within the council, and through the Area Planning Forum.

Yes

POLICY IMPLICATIONS

4.1 Sustainability – These strategic proposals will offer opportunities for the long term sustainability of a smaller number of play areas appropriately located across the council area and not dependant only on housing developers’ contributions.

Corporate – The proposals are in line with the corporate plans and in particular meet the commitment to ensure that Stirling is a good place to live.

Risk – Failure to rationalise and invest in play areas will lead to random degeneration of sites.

RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

4.2 Financial – The current completed budget for the service is insufficient to meet the needs for refurbishment and/or removal of existing play facilities. The limitations of developer contributions are already highlighted in the report, and the impact on areas which cannot access developer contributions is noted.

The service is seeking agreement to an increase of £75,000 on the capital funding on an annual basis for the next four years. This will allow for implementation of the proposals in ‘Fair Play’ and will also act as match funding to the Big Lottery Bid.

Other – The proposal in Fair Play will see an overall reduction in the number of play areas across Stirling which may release land resources which could be used for other purposes.

CONSULTATION

4.3 If the paper is agreed in principle by Stirling Council it is proposed that consultations will be held with Community Planning Partnership Level on play area proposals relevant in each area.


5 BACKGROUND PAPERS

5.1 Interim Review of Development Advice Note – Play and Informal Recreation Areas 3 November 2006 Open Space Strategy – update on development of a comprehensive Open Space Strategy for Stirling Council 23 January 2007 Public Play Areas Follow Up Research 2007 Research Team Chief Executive’s Office. The above papers will be available in the Members’ Lounge.

Stirling Council’s play areas are discussed in a number of books, papers and articles. These can be made available to members if they wish to have more informal consultation. No Fear:Growing Up in Risk-averse Society, Tim Gill and Nils Norman publ. Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation 2007 Worth the Risk in UK Landscape Today November 2007 Risky Business, Tim Gill, May 2006, Green Places. Brand New Play, Mike Hyatt, June 2006, Landscape (Journal of Landscape Institute). Case Study of Darnley Park, Stirling in Making Space – award winning designs for young children 2006. This publication celebrates the Architecture and Design for Young Children, International Award 2005. Case Study of Balmaha Play Landscape in Growing Adventure, Final Report to the Forestry Commission publ Forestry Commission 2006 Pushing the Boundaries of Play, Sue Gutteridge in Playback (Play Equipment Manufacturers’ Journal) December 2006.

Author(s) Name Designation Telephone Number/E-mail

Sue Gutteridge Service Manager, Play Services 01786 430120

Approved by Name Designation Signature

David Cameron Director, Children’s Services

Date Reference N:\DOCS\WP\HOS\Km\Ch Comittee Reports\Public Play

Areas Review 201107.doc


Appendix List Appendix 1 - Stirling Council Public Play Areas Asset Register. Appendix 2 - Public Play Areas Strategy: Fair Play Appendix 3 - Play Services Visitors , Awards, Exhibitions etc.– 2006/2007.


Appendix 1 STIRLING COUNCIL PUBLIC PLAY AREAS ASSET REGISTER

Village Aberfoyle

Site Main Street

Aberfoyle Kirkton Farm, Aberfoyle Arnprior Kepp Cottage Ashfield The Square Balfron Donaldson Park Balmaha Balmaha Visitor Centre Bannockburn Stein Square, Bannockburn Bannockburn Quarryknowe, Bannockburn Bannockburn Earlshill Drive, Bannockburn Bannockburn Ladywell Bannockburn Bannockburn Sauchie Court, Bannockburn Bannockburn Hillpark Cres (enc), Bannockburn (kickabout only) Bannockburn Catherine Street, Bannockburn +(ballcourt) Blairlogie Blairlogie Park Braehead Afton Court, Braehead Braehead Broom Road Breahead+ (ballcourt) Bridge of Allan Westerlea, Bridge of Allan Bridge of Allan Fountain Park, Bridge of Allan Bridge of Allan Hillview, Bridge of Allan Bridge of Allan Avenue Park, Bridge of Allan Broomridge Lamberton (Upper), Broomridge Broomridge Lamberton (Lower) Broomridge Broomridge Archers Ave, Broomridge Broomridge Maurice Ave, Broomridge Broomridge Maurice.Keith/Archers Ave, Broomridge Broomridge Wallace Park, Broomridge Buchanan Smithy Buchanan Smithy Buchlyvie Station Road Callander Camp Place, Callander Callander Callander Meadows, Leny Road Cambusbarron Mill Park, Cambusbarron Cambusbarron King George V, Cambusbarron Cambusbarron Cambusbarron skatepark Cambuskenneth Cambuskenneth Causewayhead Causewayhead Cornton Easter Cornton Cornton Etive Place, Cornton Cowie Manse Park, Cowie Cowie Welfare Park, Cowie Cowie Chapelfield, Flint Cres Crianlarich Crianlarich Deanston Leny Road, Deanston


Deanston Teith Road,Deanston Doune Moray Park, Doune Drymen Ardmore Gardens, Drymen Drymen Charles Crescent, Drymen Dunblane George St, Dunblane Dunblane Braemar, Dunblane Dunblane Millrow, Dunblane Dunblane Laighills Park, Dunblane Dunblane Laighills Park Skatepark, Dunblane Dunblane Newton Crescent, Dunblane Dunblane Rylands (Whitecross), Dunblane Dunblane Kinbuck Fallin King Street, Fallin Fallin Dry Pow, Fallin +(ballcourt) Fallin Polmaise Park, Fallin Fallin Balure Crescent, Fallin Fallin Gracie Crescent, Fallin Fintry Culcreuch Avenue, Fintry Gargunnock Stark Street Gartmore The Square Killearn Crosshead Road Killearn Graham Road, Killearn + Ballcourt Killin Breadalbane Park Kinlochard Kinlochard Kippen Castlehill, Kippen Kippen Hay's Hill, Kippen Lochearnhead Vorlich Road Manor Powis Manor Powis Park Milton of Buchanan Creithall Road Plean Bruce St (enc), Plean Plean Bruce St, Plean Raploch Criagforth Raploch Raploch Raploch Riverwalk Play Area Riverside Waverley Crescent, Riverside St Ninians Maitland Crescent, St Ninians St Ninians Cultenhove Banking St Ninians Cultenhove Cres/Place St Ninians Cultenhove Cres. Toddlers St Ninians Thistle Park, St Ninians St Ninians Cultenhove Road (ballcourt) Stirling Town Centre Beechwood Park, Stirling Town Centre Kings Park, Stirling Stirling Town Centre Crofthead, Stirling Stirling Town Centre Darnley Street, Stirling Stirling Town Centre Borrowlea, Springkerse Stirling Town Centre Spittalmyre, Stirling Stirling Town Centre Kings Park Skatepark


Strathblane Drumbrock Road Strathyre Stronslaney Road Thornhill Kippen Road Throsk Kersie Road West, Throsk Throsk Kersie Road, East Tyndrum Tyndrum Whins of Milton Lademill, Whins of Milton


Appendix 2 PUBLIC PLAY AREAS STRATEGY - FAIR PLAY

Public Play Areas Strategy

Fair Play

• Background and introduction

What is Play? Why is play important? The case for public investment in play.

• A strategy for Stirling Extent, location and organisation of the public play areas service. Design approach and play space principles. Fair Play proposed rationalisation of provision 2007 – 2012.

Urban areas Rural areas Informal recreational space Major city play areas

The capital funding challenge Developers’ contributions Regeneration areas Community fundraising including current Big Lottery application Council capital funding

• Decisions required from the council

Approve the Play Space Principles.

Approve in principle the rationalisation of provision laid out in Fair Play. Commission a detailed council wide plan to be brought back to committee to finalise the

strategy.

Approve the proposed guidance to the allocation of housing developers’ contributions in line with Fair Play.

Recommend that regeneration areas follow the same principles as are being proposed for the general council area and that these are incorporated into the masterplans for such areas.

Support an application to the Big Lottery for a Play Areas Community Liaison programme.

Agrees in principle to establish a four year capital programme that in line with the proposed strategy allocates:

• Full, part or leverage funding for designated key urban and rural play areas that will not be eligible for developers’ contributions.

• Ongoing capital small replacements and refurbishments.


What is play? Play is freely chosen, personally directed, intrinsically motivated behaviour that actively engages the child…..Play can be fun or serious. Through play children explore social, material and imaginary worlds and their relationship with them, elaborating a flexible range of responses to the challenges they encounter. By playing, children learn and develop as individuals and as members of the community. (from Best Play 2000, commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport) Over time there have been many attempts to define and describe play. This definition is currently widely accepted within the field, and has been incorporated into the occupational standards for the vocational qualifications for playwork. Why is play important? The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child ratified by the UK government in 1991 and subsequently by many local authorities including Stirling Council recognises the importance of play for the child. Article 31 of the Convention says that: States parties recognise the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts This statement recognises play as an important part of the cultural life of childhood. From it a set of values and principles about children and play have been developed that emphasise the importance of: Equal entitlement of play opportunities for every child. Play for its own sake – play is intrinsically motivated and no task or product should be required of play by those not engaged in it. However, adults may need to support children in creating their own goals and outcomes. Children’s control of their own play activity is a crucial factor in enriching their experience and enhancing their learning and development. The importance of risk – play is a key element in children learning to appreciate, assess and take calculated risks and this is fundamental to the development of confidence and abilities in childhood. Children seek out opportunities for risk taking and need exciting and stimulating environments that balance risk appropriately. The adult role in play – whereas children may play without encouragement, adults can significantly enhance opportunities for children to play creatively through the provision of appropriate human and physical environments. The role of play in child development is a question that continues to be a matter of interest and debate. There is some consensus now that: • The occurrence of recognisable forms of play in all cultures, and the persistence

of play in even the most adverse circumstances suggests that a drive to play is innate.


• Play is a major route to learning for older as well as young children and the importance of learning through play lies particularly in the way that children learn how to learn.

• Play is central to the development of good physical and mental health. The case for public investment in play Providing good play opportunities is recognition of children’s entitlements as members of society, in the same way that adults’ entitlements in their free time are recognised through arts, sports and leisure provision. However, the consensus that now exists on the essential nature of the role of play in child development also implies that lack of good play opportunities will actually damage children. Apart from the benefits of good play opportunities to children themselves, there are also benefits to families, communities and neighbourhoods in terms of happier, more fulfilled and less frustrated children. Play settings, especially good public play spaces can provide valuable general community and social opportunities. There is currently particular concern about aspects of children’s lives today in the developed world, particularly the US and the UK. Concern revolves around children’s loss of freedom and independence, relative to even a generation ago; around the decreasing amount of time spent by children outside, and engaged in physical activity; around the increasing commercialisation of childhood and resultant perceived materialism of children; around the amount of time spent by children on computers and watching television; around children’s levels of physical and mental health and general sense of wellbeing. Obviously, many if not all of these areas of concern are interrelated and have been documented in research studies such as the authoritative UNICEF Report An overview of child wellbeing in rich countries published in 2007. Using a concept of child wellbeing explicitly based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of he Child ( see above), the UK scored least well of all 21 countries included in the study in terms of its average ranking on the six dimensions of child wellbeing employed. Significantly, there was no obvious relationship between levels of child wellbeing and GDP per capita. Another study, Sue Palmer’s Toxic Childhood, published in 2006 looked at the influence of contemporary culture on children’s development. She proposes that the huge technological and cultural changes that have transformed the lifestyle of people in the developed world may have had an adverse effect on children, and that a ‘toxic cocktail’ of the side effects of cultural change is now damaging the social, emotional and cognitive development of a growing number of children, with knock-on effects on their behaviour. Tim Gill’s No Fear: Growing Up in a Risk-averse Society, published in 2007 looks at many areas of contemporary childhood and suggests that by overprotecting children we stop them developing the skills and resilience they need to protect themselves. Public play areas are just one element in what should be a spectrum of opportunities and provision for children, young people and families. However, we would argue that good quality, well maintained public play areas can contribute greatly to their quality of life and actual wellbeing, providing opportunities for engaging, creative play


and physical activity outside. They can provide inclusive, accessible, free provision, and can be a valuable resource for a whole community, providing places where the many people (parents, grandparents, childminders, foster carers etc) now involved in childcare can meet and share the responsibilities of looking after children. Public parks and play areas were an important element in early municipal concern with quality of life and health and wellbeing. Challenged by shrinking budgets, de-skilled workforces and the increasing commercialisation of leisure, they remain largely the responsibility of local authorities and a resource which still has huge and often untapped potential. A Strategy for Stirling Extent, location and organisation of the public play areas service Stirling Council has 98 public play areas, including three skateparks and some informal multi sports areas. They are directly managed and developed by Play Services, which is part of Children’s Services, encouraging an approach that sees public play areas as part of a spectrum of provision for children and young people and families. Within Play Services a dedicated Playgrounds Team is responsible for all aspects of the care of play areas (other than litter picking). This means that individual maintenance regimes can be devised for specific sites, allowing for a range of mowing and planting schemes that can maximise the play interest and the bio- diversity on each site. The integration of public play areas within general Play Services results in constant cross working between the Playgrounds Team and the Play Programmes and Crèche and Co Team, resulting in programmes such as the extensive and varied Play in the Park programme and the involvement of children in aspects of the design, construction and continuing development of some play areas. Design approach and principles Play Services has pioneered innovative approaches to the design of play areas drawing directly on knowledge and observation of children’s play to inform the design. The design of new play areas and the redesign of existing ones is seen as a process involving a team of people that includes a play space designer and a landscape architect as well as Play Services staff. Local residents including children may also be involved at various points. Design is based on the following Play Space Principles. Play Spaces should: • Be designed with the needs and characteristics of the local community in mind in

identifying location and likely range of use and users and have a distinct local character in terms of the particular design, material and features included.

• Respect and exploit the natural features of the site, such as changes of level, existing trees etc, in recognition that the site and context as a whole is as important as individual play features in creating a successful play space.

• Include play materials and features that are non prescriptive and therefore encourage imagination and suggest many different ways of being played on, or with – such as planting, fallen trees, logs, boulders, ‘loose’ materials such as sand, water, pebbles etc.


• Not rely mainly on manufactured play equipment for the play opportunities offered and ensure that when play equipment is used it’s integrated into and complements other site features.

• Incorporate challenge and risk – essential for healthy child development- in a ‘safe enough’ context. The Play Safety Forum, a grouping of national agencies involved in play safety, has produced Managing Risk in Play Provision: A Position Statement. Its summary statement says:

Children need and want to take risks when they play. Play provision aims to respond to these needs and wishes by offering children stimulating, challenging environments for exploring and developing their abilities. In doing this, play provision aims to manage the level of risk so that children are not exposed to unacceptable risks of death or serious injury.

• In the case of older children and teenagers take on board their desire and need for outdoor space for meeting each other and for informal sports areas, but designed within the same set of principles.

• Include at the design stage thinking about the future maintenance and sustainability of the site.

This design approach and these principles result in characterful, individual and engaging play spaces that offer meaningful play opportunities for children and pleasant social spaces for carers. These principles have been built into the council’s Development Advice Note Play and Informal Recreation Areas in association with New Housing Developments and were also adopted in 2004 by the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park as part of their Play in the Park Initiative and for their own Development Advice Note. Rationalisation of provision 2007 – 2012 Fair Play This strategy proposes a rationalisation of provision to try and ensure that over the next five years, the council achieves as equitable distribution of high quality provision as possible. Monitoring and evaluation of our play areas suggests that the council has too many play areas. There are a number of play areas that are too small and lacking in intrinsic interest to be worth (in the long term) keeping. Urban areas Our observations suggest that a good quality play area that can offer a range of play, recreational and informal sports opportunities for all ages can serve a surrounding urban population of between 2500 – 3500 well. Two examples of where this is working in practice are the Riverside (population 2500) area of Stirling, served by Waverley Park, and Cambusbarron (population 3500) served by George V Park. Such play areas will also attract non local users as they’ll be considered ‘worth’ travelling to. Rural areas In rural areas, individual villages require their own provision on a scale appropriate to the population or ‘catchment area’ of the village following the above principles. This would rarely require more than one play area per village.


Informal recreational space In both urban and rural settings, existing unequipped informal recreational space should also be preserved. In new housing developments, the current review of the relevant Development Advice Note requires this, including (indeed particularly) where developers’ contributions will be enhancing existing provision rather than creating new provision. Major City Play Areas Kings Park Stirling has a play area that taken along with other park facilities such as the skate park, tennis courts, football pitches and putting, is on a scale, in a setting and in a location that attracts visitors from throughout and well beyond the Stirling area. A major refurbishment of the play area will be completed by summer 2008. Beechwood Park Stirling, in terms of setting, location and its unique bike facility has the potential to be a major neighbourhood wide attraction. A major refurbishment is at the planning stage and will be completed by Easter 2009. Laighills Park Dunblane , along with football pitches, skatepark and natural paddling pool attracts users from all over Dunblane and beyond. It’s in reasonably good condition, and resources are available through developers’ contributions to make further necessary improvements which will be completed by summer 2009. Further work is needed to develop an overall plan for the whole council area suggesting specific sites for development and removal. This piece of work would be conducted within the framework laid out below: • Approximately one good quality play area offering a range of play and informal

sports provision per 2500 – 3500 population in urban areas. These areas will not necessarily coincide with community council or ward areas, but will relate to where existing good or potentially good provision is and the surrounding residential patterns.

• One good quality play area offering an appropriate range of play and informal sports provision per rural settlement.

• Kings Park and Beechwood to be developed as Stirling City Centre, neighbourhood wide provision

• Laighills to be developed as Dunblane city centre neighbourhood wide provision. • Informal recreational space to be retained/created where necessary. The funding challenge The capital that is available comes in the main from developers’ contributions associated with new housing, from regeneration budgets and lastly from grant funding accessed by communities themselves and by Play Services. The lack of virtually any unrestricted capital means that there are real and growing problems in ensuring that provision is equitable and that ongoing essential small replacement and refurbishment programmes can be carried out. It also means that the task of accessing external grants without any funding to act as leverage is much less effective than it could be.


Developers’ contributions Under Policy C12 of the council’s Local Plan the council will normally require that all new housing developments should have adequate provision for open space for passive and active recreation. The Development Advice Note Play and Informal Recreation Areas in Association with new Housing Developments supplements the council’s Development Plan policies, providing detailed guidance on the standard of play and informal recreation areas to be provided in conjunction with new housing developments whether private or social. The guidance on the type and standard of play provision required is based on the Play Space Principles stated above. This is achieved by: • The developer building a new play area on a site agreed with planning officers

and Play Services within the new housing area to a design approved by Play Services.

Or • Play Services commissioning the design and building of a new play area on a site

agreed with planning officers and Play Services using the cash contributions from the developer.

Or • Play Services commissioning the design and building of enhancements to an

existing nearby play area. Cash contributions are reviewed every two years. They are currently £660.00 per 2 bed dwelling and £970.00 per 3-4 bed dwelling. Play contributions are secured by means of planning conditions unless an S75 planning agreement is already being drawn up for other matters, in which case play will be added. When new, or effectively new provision is created, a capitalised maintenance sum is also required. The Play/Planning Officers’ Group meets quarterly to review all outstanding and forthcoming planning applications for new housing, to agree details and monitor progress. This funding provides by far the most important source of capital funding for public play areas. However, because by definition all such funding is tied to specific areas it means that the funding at our disposal cannot necessarily be used in the way that’s most equitable for the council area as a whole, or targeted where it’s most needed. For example, in areas such as the National Park area where new housing development is very limited, very little such funding will be available. In order that the funding that’s available in association with new housing developments is used as equitable as possible, it is proposed that decisions regarding where it should be spent are made in the context of the proposed strategy, outlined above, so that: • There is an explicit presumption in favour of enhancing existing provision, rather

than creating new provision. • Once an overall plan has been devised and agreed naming the play areas that

will serve the various urban and rural areas, and identifying where (if any) new provision may be required, this plan will determine where developers’ contributions relating to particular areas will be spent.


Regeneration Areas Funding is available for new play provision in the regeneration areas (Raploch, Cultenhove and Cornton). In some cases, this may be combined with developers’ contributions. In some cases this is leading to a replication of unsatisfactory elements of the existing situation, with the piecemeal development of inadequate play areas that do not meet the standards that we demand of private housing developers and do not conform with the Council’s Play Space Principles. It is proposed that the planning and design of play provision in regeneration areas follows the same principles as are being proposed for the general council area and that the masterplans for such areas are reviewed to reflect this. Fundraising by communities Improving people’s quality of life within their local environment, including the creation and improvement of play areas are consistently flagged up as matters of importance and concern by local communities in the Stirling Council area.. In the absence of council funding local communities have often taken the initiative in seeking new or more often improved play provision, showing remarkable persistence and determination. If there is no new housing development planned for the area, the only option is for the community to engage in fundraising for the total amount. On occasion there may be some but not sufficient developers’ contributions available, in which case the community may decide to engage in additional fundraising – a much easier task than fundraising from scratch. Once a genuine need for improved or new provision is established, Play Services offers support by: • Contributing the staff and financial resources necessary for the whole design

development and costing process. This is an essential prerequisite both for making funding applications and for developing a shared community concept of what is possible and what is wanted.

• Contributing the staff and financial resources necessary for the preparation, submission and acceptance of tenders.

• Where communities are having to raise the whole cost, contributing the entire professional fee element of the completed project (usually around 15% of total project costs).

• Providing written guarantees that the council will adopt, inspect and maintain any new or improved provision. This is essential for most funding applications.

• Helping with funding applications. Depending on the resources available within the community and the availability and skills of Community Services and National Park colleagues, this may range from actual drafting of whole funding applications, to drafting sections, to providing information as requested.

• Helping communities manage the often complicated and conflicting accounting and programming requirements that occur when multiple funders are involved.

At the moment, Play Services does not have the resources to be proactive in initiating work with communities. Nor does it have the resources for follow up work once a project is technically completed. Play Services has therefore submitted an application to the Big Lottery Investing in Communities Programme for five years funding for a Play Areas Community Liaison Programme. An outline application has been successful in meeting the Big Lottery’s initial selection criteria and a full


application is now in preparation. This would operate within the framework of the proposed strategy and would enable the following: • Work with specified identified communities who have not themselves initiated

such activity, working with them throughout the process of creating a new play area or redesigning and refurbishing an existing one, from the site choice and design development stage through to project completion and long term stewardship and ongoing development.

• Work for specific periods with specified identified communities where a play area has been recently created or refurbished to lay the groundwork for the long term local stewardship and ongoing development of the site.

• Work with a specific number of communities that are initiating new or

refurbishment play area projects throughout the process, from the design development stage to project completion and long term stewardship and ongoing development.

• Build on and develop the existing ‘Roving Reporters’ community based method of monitoring and evaluating play areas, targeting a specific number of sites

Part of the process would include the active involvement of local residents in practical aspects of design and construction and the active use of play areas for a range of events and activities, building on and developing the work of this kind that’s already taking place. We are convinced that as well as excellent basic maintenance, systematic follow up work for as much as a year once a project is technically completed, and the active involvement of local residents are in some areas crucial to the success of play areas. An example of a play area where this approach has worked is Darnley Park, Stirling where an excellent basic maintenance regime was established and the active continuing involvement of local residents was made possible by working with the local community to access additional funding from Stirling Council’s City Growth Fund and the Big Lottery Awards for All scheme. Another and contrasting example is Balmaha Play Landscape, where the consistent ongoing support that the National Park Community Futures Programme could provide to the local development trust has been instrumental in its long term success. The proposed project costs are £350,000.00 over five years (2008/9 – 2012/13). An application is being made to the Big Lottery for £250,000.00. A commitment from Stirling Council of £20,000.00, should the application be successful is sought. Capital funding from the council Since 1996, public play areas capital funding from the council has been variable. Since 2005/6 the capital budget for play areas has stood at £25,000.00 a year. A bench marking exercise comparing capital budgets for play areas across Scotland has been carried out which shows that of the councils that allocated a capital budget for play areas Stirling’s allocation was the lowest, excluding the developers contributions which as already noted are for specific locations.


Continuing to rely totally on developers’ contributions and regeneration funds for virtually all new and refurbished play areas will result in increasingly inequitable provision, an inability ever to replace/refurbish certain play areas – including those that may be designated as potential key play areas for particular communities - and an inability even to fund the removals that are part of the strategy outlined above. In the previous section we discussed the role and involvement of communities who often fundraise for play area improvements or for new play areas. The sums needed are large – usually in the region of £100,000 per play area. This is exceedingly difficult to achieve from scratch, and means that projects take too long to complete, and may founder altogether. The availability of mainstream capital funding targeted at areas that do not attract developers’ contributions would act as effective leverage for grant funding. It is recommended that the council agrees in principle to establish a four year capital programme that, in line with the proposed strategy allocates funding for: • Designated key urban and rural play areas that will not be eligible for developers’

contributions. • Ongoing capital small replacements and refurbishment’s. • Funding to act as leverage for community fundraising.


Appendix 3 Play Services Awards, Visitors Exhibitions etc. 2005 -2007 Awards Stirling Council Play Services was awarded the prestigious RoSPA (Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents) Gold Play Quality Operator Award for the quality of the maintenance of the council’s children’s play areas in 2006. Darnley Park , Top of the Town, Stirling was runner up, and only Scottish award winner in the International Architecture and Design for Young Children Award, 2005. Visitors • Play England Design Guide group (see below) • Coventry City Council • Oldham Council • Fife Council x2 • West Lothian Council • Glasgow City Council • Highland Council • Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Dublin • Sunderland Council • Gateshead Council • Tyne and Wear Play Association • National Play Resource Council, Dublin • British Waterways • Forestry Commission- Scotland • Forestry Commission- England • National Playing Fields Association • Network of Play Equipment Manufacturers • Land Use Consultants, London • Community groups from Dumfries and Galloway and Perth and Kinross • Groundwork Trust, London • Falkirk Council Telephone and email advice has been requested from; • Groundwork Trust, Leeds • Scottish Woodland Trust • South Gloucestershire Council • Trafford Borough Council • Coventry City Council • Oxfordshire County Council • Newark and Sherwood district Council • Perth and Kinross Council • Worcester City council and Play Council • Mid Sussex District Council


• Children’s Links, Lincolnshire • N. Wales Play Association


Recent books and articles that feature Stirling Council Play Services approach to children’s play space include: No Fear: Growing Up in a Risk-averse Society, Tim Gill and Nils Norman, publ Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, November 2007 Worth the Risk, Corinne Hitching, in UK Landscape Today November 2007 Risky Business, Tim Gill, May 06 Green Places Brand new Play, Mike Hyatt, June 06 Landscape (Journal of Landscape Institute) Case Study of Darnley Park, Stirling in Making Space – award winning designs for young children 2006. This publication celebrates the Architecture and Design for Young Children, International Award 2005 Case Study of Balmaha Play Landscape in Growing Adventure, Report to the Forestry Commission publ by The Forestry Commission 2006. Pushing the Boundaries of Play, Sue Gutteridge in Playback (Play Equipment Manufacturers’ Journal) December 2006. Places for Play,Sandra Melville publ. Playlink 2005 Darnley Park Play Area is currently being featured in the exhibition Play: Experience the Adventure of our Cities being held at URBIS, the Manchester Exhibition Centre about city life Stirling’s play areas were the subject of two days of site visits for delegates at the national conference ‘Green Exercise, Reconnecting People with Outdoor Places’ jointly organised by the Forestry Commission and Health Scotland in October 2007. They also feature in the DVD being made to accompany the conference. An authoritative Play Space Design Guide being produced by Play England, designed to be the required and standard guide for all English local authorities and to be published in March 2008 will strongly feature Stirling Council’s approach.

public play areas review - stirling

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