As set out in Fair Play, an important part of the context is that opportunities for play are decreasing. This Government cites this is because of concerns about safety, the loss of open green space, the poor quality and inaccessibility of many existing play areas, including for disabled children and the increasingly structured use of children’s spare time are all barriers to play, particularly outdoors.
The consultation sets out the Government’s proposals for addressing these and other challenges through a £235m programme and wider proposal to promote outdoor play, particularly to 8 to 13 year olds. Therefore the purpose of the consultation is to:
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raise awareness of issues related to play,
- set out what is already being done and
- invite views on the new play proposals.
Undoubtedly children’s play is a significant issue for rural communities, not least because of its priority in community-led planning, the importance of playgrounds and playing fields as community assets and wider issues of sustainability and community cohesion. ACRE is not expert on play by any means but believe that any roll-out of new provision and investment must take account the needs and strengths of rural areas. It would therefore be beneficial to set down a marker in regarding the importance of play in rural areas.
Given the fast approaching deadline of 18th July we wish to make a succinct response to the consultation in association with the RCCs and I would like to hear from your local experts to help as soon as possible.