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Decision Maker: Executive Councillor for Open Spaces and City Services
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: No
Setting policy on fixed play provision across the City.
Matter for
Decision
The proposed strategy detailed in appendix A of the
Officer’s report provided a strategic framework to steer future outdoor play
provision and associated investment decisions.
The strategy had been informed by a detailed audit of
outdoor play provision including an assessment of current quantity, quality and
accessibility against current and future population growth. The results of this assessment were used to
identify deficiencies in provision in terms of quantity, quality and
accessibility.
The strategy had been developed in consultation with both
internal and external stakeholders including senior officers of the Council
whose responsibilities relate to children’s and young people’s play provision.
The strategy made recommendations which aimed to maximise
the use of available resources and associated future investment opportunities
to deliver high quality, high value, well used outdoor play provision for
children and young people over the period 2016 to 2021.
Decision
of Executive Councillor for City Centre and Public
Places
i.
Approved the proposed outdoor play investment
strategy in appendix A of the Officer’s report.
ii.
Instructed Officers to:
a.
Prepare ward based profiles to inform the planning
and decision making around the allocation of Section 106, CIL and other such
investment opportunities on outdoor play provision.
b.
Use the ward profiles to inform reviews of
specific outdoor play spaces considered to be low value/ low use involving key
stakeholders, including children, young people and their families and local
Ward councillors.
c.
Prepare an investment plan for both local and
strategic play provision, informed by the strategy and ward profiles.
d.
Use the investment plan to make recommendations on
the allocation of funds for both local and strategic outdoor play provision,
such as S106, CIL, bids to the Council’s capital plan, and external investment
opportunities.
e.
Develop a design guide to aid future planning
and delivery of good quality/ high value children’s and young people’s outdoor
play provision.
Reason for the Decision
As set out in the Officer’s report.
Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected
Not applicable.
Scrutiny
Considerations
The Committee received a report from the Streets and Open Spaces Asset Manager.
The Committee asked the following questions in response to the report:
i.
Queried the approach to consultation on new play
spaces.
The Executive Councillor said the Outdoor
Play Strategy was an overarching strategy, operational details would be covered
in other ways eg through Area Committees.
Consultation would be undertaken to ascertain needs as it was important to
install appropriate equipment rather than having to respond to queries post
implementation.
The Streets and Open Spaces Asset Manager said the report looked at
equipment availability not usage. Ward profiles would be built up over time so
Area Committees could decide how to assign play equipment.
ii.
Queried how to address resident’s concerns about
fencing around play areas and a lack of seating.
The Executive Councillor said fencing was
put around play areas in response to parents’ concerns about dog fouling. This
was considered on a case by case basis, but generally done around children’s
facilities.
The Streets and Open Spaces Asset Manager said play areas would have various
public realm facilities such as benches and bins.
iii.
Sought clarification about Dundee Close facilities.
The Executive
Councillor said facilities were omitted for Dundee Close as it was assumed
there were some in place already, although there were not.
The Committee unanimously resolved to endorse the recommendations.
The Executive Councillor
approved the recommendations.
Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor
(and any Dispensations Granted)
No conflicts of interest
were declared by the Executive Councillor.
Publication date: 12/11/2015
Date of decision: 08/10/2015