Will the Minister consider legislation to create a legal requirement for local authorities to provide and maintain playgrounds for communities?
Under section 11 of the Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010, every local authority must secure sufficient play opportunities in its area for children having regard to the 3 yearly sufficiency assessment which it must carry out.
Wales: A Play Friendly Country was published in July 2014 as the Statutory Guidance to Local Authorities on assessing and securing sufficient play opportunities for children in their areas. It places a duty on local authorities to ensure there is space available for children to play including playgrounds and play areas.
Every three years, local authorities provide Welsh Government with a Play Sufficiency Assessment, their next assessment is due in 2022. Local Authorities’ Play Action Plans are developed to maintain the strengths and address the shortcomings identified in the assessment. The Play Action Plans are reviewed each year to monitor progress and set out actions that need to be taken. .
The Planning Policy Wales also sets out a clear requirement that recreational and play spaces should be provided.
During the pandemic, guidance has been published for those who own and maintain playgrounds regarding risk assessment and key considerations for safely reopening playgrounds. During the pandemic, the Welsh Government has invested an additional £3,000,000 of capital in play projects.