FAIR PLAY PLAYBUILDER PROGRAMME

Councillor Paul Thompson, Executive Member for Streetscene

Ian Parker, Director of Environment

11 November 2008

PURPOSE OF THE REPORT

  1. The purpose of this report is to update the Executive on the recently awarded Government Playbuilder funding, and to seek approval of the process for the allocation of funding for the period April 2008 – March 2011.

BACKGROUND AND EXTERNAL CONSULTATION

National Context

  1. The Play Pathfinder and Playbuilder Programme flows from the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) consultation on the national play strategy, and is a key commitment in the Governments ‘Children’s Plan’, launched in December 2007.
  1. This programme invests £235m nationally in children’s play for three years from 2008 to 2011. A variety of freely accessible play facilities are to be developed targeting the 8-13 year age range specifically. The programme is intended to develop public play spaces close to where children live, make them safe, but also interesting, exciting and stimulating, whilst available to all.
  1. Promoting an increase in active, imaginative and adventurous play are important elements of the programme, as is the participation of children, their parents, and community members. Local MPs and elected members are also expected to be involved in the development process.
  1. Playbuilder play areas will need to meet criteria set out by the DCSF in five key areas:

Access/Inclusion
• Sites particularly focused on the needs of 8-13 year olds for challenging play
• Sites which provide an inclusive experience for disabled/sensory impaired children
• Sites that are attractive to girls and children from ethnic minorities
Community engagement
• Needs analysis and Community engagement in the selection and development of sites including sites in super output areas with significant deprivation
• Encouraging and funding Third Sector Projects
• Potential for volunteering infrastructure for play supervision
Creativity
• Innovative and stimulating equipment. Consideration of sustainable refurbishment and use of natural materials and landscaping
• Involvement of local business who might offer additional corporate support eg employee volunteering
Safety
• Safety standards which ensure parental confidence
• Links with local traffic calming/safer cycling measures
Embedding play in local authority planning
• Working effectively across relevant departments/agencies
• Alignment with other strategic funding opportunities e.g. BIG funding, District Council capital funding
• Sustainable provision particularly where maintenance is concerned. Strong link with other local capital assets e.g. children’s centres, school playgrounds.
  1. There is an expectation that various sites/elements of sites will provide "Natural Play". This entails the use of natural materials such as timber, stone, sand etc, and encouraging children to play/interact with the general landscape (trees, water, rocks, mounds etc).
  1. There are safety and maintenance factors with this concept, and providing safe natural play areas is down to the careful design and maintenance of each individual site. In addition to the planned consultation, adequate signage will be provided informing children and parents of the different safety/risk factors.

Local Context

  1. Middlesbrough Council was invited by DCSF to apply to become a Play Pathfinder earlier this year. If selected this would have resulted in a funding offer of £2.1m.
  1. Unfortunately, Middlesbrough was not chosen as a Play Pathfinder, but was awarded Playbuilder status, alongside 43 other authorities nationally, which include 4 others from the North East Region (Stockton, Gateshead, Newcastle, and Northumberland).
  1. The funding allocation offered to Middlesbrough Council under Playbuilder status is £1,156,375 capital and £45,503 revenue. No match funding is required.
  1. Over the three-year programme period, 2008/11, this funding is expected to support the development (or redevelopment) of 20-25 play areas across Middlesbrough.
  1. Revenue funding can be used at the discretion of the local authority for relevant activities to support the development of the scheme such as: project management costs, required consultancy, additional design costs, community action/consultation, and social marketing.
  1. The Council’s Play Strategy resolved to develop and maintain the Middlesbrough Play Partnership. This is a group of stakeholders with interests/involvement in Children’s Play. Organisations represented include:
  • Middlesbrough Council (Environment and CFL Services)
  • Erimus Housing
  • Groundwork South Tees
  • Middlesbrough Environment City
  • Tees Valley Wildlife Trust
  • Tees Forest
  • Play England (North East)
  1. The Middlesbrough Play Partnership informs and monitors the development of the Middlesbrough Play Strategy and the Playbuilder programme will be of great interest to this group.
  1. Play England has been appointed by DCSF to undertake a national support and challenge role to the programme. The Parks and Countryside Manager (Environment Services) and Play Strategy Manager (CFL), have regular contact with Play England through the Tees Valley Play regional forum.
PROPOSALS
  1. The programme requires that children, young people and families are consulted on an ongoing basis, and this will clearly need to be a significant element of the Playbuilder project. It is proposed to commission specialist consultants in order to fully implement the appropriate consultation. It is expected that the following methods will be used:
  • Local press articles and Middlesbrough News coverage
  • Appropriate questions within the Voice Over panel
  • Displays at local facilities eg Libraries, Community and Leisure Centres and Parks
  • Discussions with local people at Community Councils
  • Focus meetings with children seen as “hard to reach”
  • Site visits with interested groups
  1. The guidance suggests that the Project Plan should detail arrangements for encouraging bids from community and Third Sector groups, with the expectation that each Playbuilder authority will fund a number of appropriate Third Sector or community led projects.
  1. Applications from Third Sector and Community Groups will be sought in years 2 and 3 of the programme. It is proposed that specialist consultants will administer this aspect of the programme, the 'Playbuilder Community Fund', with final decisions regarding applications to the fund being made by the Middlesbrough Play Partnership.
  1. Officers are currently developing the Project Plan for this initiative. This Plan will be subject to extensive consultation. The Plan will explain how it is intended to comply with the key criteria and list the 20 to 25 proposed sites to be developed.
  1. It is proposed that the Project Plan be approved by the Executive Member for Streetscene, in consultation with the Executive Member for CFL, and that Environment and CFL Departments work in partnership to manage the Project.
  1. The design quality and future maintenance implications of each proposed site will be assessed by Environment Department design and maintenance staff, in order to ensure sustainability.

OPTION APPRAISAL/RISK ASSESSMENT

OPTION 1 Progress the grant funding allocation from DCSF

  1. This will ensure that the Council develops 20 to 25 Children’s Play Areas, which will vastly improve play opportunities for children. The initiative will raise the profile of children’s play and contribute significantly to the Council’s Strategic Plan. The quality of life of local families, children and young people will be improved through focusing on the ‘Every Child Matters’ outcomes.

OPTION 2 Reject the grant funding allocation from DCSF

  1. Existing play sites will remain unchanged and will either fall into further decline, or be a continued strain on existing Council resources. Children within the areas of “play deficiency” as highlighted within the Play Strategy, will continue to have limited access to play facilities, which could result in longer term social problems for the future.

FINANCIAL, LEGAL AND WARD IMPLICATIONS

Financial
  1. Middlesbrough has been allocated a Playbuilder Grant as follows:

Year / Playbuilder Capital Allocation / Playbuilder Revenue Allocation / Total
2008/9 / £308,367 / £12,741 / £321,108
2009/10 / £424,004 / £16,381 / £440,385
2010/11 / £424,004 / £16,381 / £440,385
Total / £1,156,375 / £45,503 / £1,201,878
  1. The work for 2008/9 largely entails replacing old/missing items of play equipment, and installing additional items where space permits. We are permitted to charge fees/professional services to the capital amount of £308,367 which are estimated to be 10% (£30,836).

26.The grant conditions include the requirement to submit a Project Plan, which will explain how we intend to comply with the key criteria and list the 20 to 25 proposed sites to be developed. Half yearly status reports need to be submitted by 30 September 2008 and 31March 2009. A Statement of Estimated Expenditure by 2 January 2009 and a Statement of Expenditure by 30 June 2009 are also required.

27.The Council is only permitted to carry forward a maximum of 5% of the £308,367 capital grant (£15,418) for 2008/09 into 2009/10 to meet imminent expenditure payable at the beginning of 2009/10. Any sums remaining after this period will become repayable to the DCSF.

28.Playbuilder authorities have to comply with HM Treasury guidelines in the procurement of goods and services for which it receives grant so as to secure best value for money. In particular, contracts of work, equipment, stores and services etc. awarded shall be placed on a competitive basis, unless there are good reasons to the contrary. Tendering procedures shall be in accordance with the EU Procurement Directive and UK Procurement Regulations, where applicable and any additional guidance issued by the DCSF.

29.For all sites, including those benefiting from Playbuilder funding, long-term sustainability needs to be considered. A revenue budget of £60,000 for managing and maintaining the existing play areas is held by Environment Service, and is considered to be under resourced. This has led to the removal of some sites, and a decline in standards on many other existing sites over a number of years.

30.Whilst the recent investment of £150,000 through the Reserves and Balances fund has improved many existing sites, this funding is no longer available, and there is little scope for increasing this revenue budget other than through service efficiencies.

31.Many of the sites targeted for funding from this project are aged and in poor condition, and therefore carry a high maintenance requirement. The influx of new and modern equipment from Playbuilder funding will initially reduce some of this maintenance burden and extend the life of these sites.

32.However as we are clearly required to show additionality in provision through new facilities within the Project Plan, there could be further pressures on this budget in the longer term. Any such additional expenditure will have to be funded from Environment Department revenue budgets.

33.In order to balance these future maintenance requirements, a review of existing provision will therefore be required, which could lead to the removal of some of the poorer facilities across the town. This review would be informed by the findings within the Play Strategy quality and value survey.

Ward
  1. Refurbished and newly created sites will need to comply with the Council’s Play Strategy, which will result in significant improvement to Children’s Play town wide. An extensive consultation exercise is planned as outlined within this report.
  1. However, the future removal of any existing sites could be considered to be detrimental to those wards affected and would therefore require accordance with the Play Strategy and full consultation in those ward areas affected.

Legal

  1. A standard agreement will be entered into between Middlesbrough Council and DCSF. Terms and conditions of the DCSF Fair Play Playbuilder Capital and Revenue Grant offer in the circular dated 5 June 2008 (LAC Ref: 0506080003), offering financial assistance towards the delivery of the initiative have already been accepted within the deadline of 23 June 2008.

RECOMMENDATIONS

  1. That the receipt of the £1,156,375 Playbuilder capital and £45,503 revenue funding from the Government bewelcomed, and spend approval be given for the use of the fundto create or refurbish play areas/facilities over the course of the nextthree years.
  1. That the Project Plan be approved by the Executive Member for Streetscene, in consultation with the Executive Member for CFL, and that Environment and CFL Departments work in partnership to manage the Project.
  1. That specialist consultants be procured and commissioned to implement the consultation/engagement process and administer the ‘Playbuilder Community Fund’ in order to comply with the criteria as set out by the guidance provided by DCSF. The final decisions for applications to ‘Playbuilder Community Fund’ to be agreed by the Middlesbrough Play Partnership.
  1. That the concept of "Natural Play" be adopted where appropriate, after consultation with the Councils safety and insurance advisors and completion of a Risk-benefit assessment for each site as supported by HSE and ROSPA.

REASONS

  1. The recommendations are supported by the following reasons:
  • This initiative is an opportunity to implement several of the agreed actions with in the Council’s Play Strategy.
  • Improving opportunities for children contributes to the Council’s Strategic Plan
  • Providing high-quality and safe places for children to play has many benefits eg:

-improves children's personal development, health and wellbeing

-gives children the freedom and independence to learn valuable lessons in life

-builds on imagination and social development skills

-helps children with emotional health and life skills

-advances physical/mental/learning development

BACKGROUND PAPERS

  1. The following background papers were used/referred to in the preparation of this report:

a)DCSF Children’s Services Local Authority Circular LAC Ref: 0506080003

b)Middlesbrough Council Play Strategy

c)DCSF The Children’s Plan - Building Brighter Futures

d) DCSF Every Child Matters - cross-government working with local partners.

AUTHORS: Jim Moody/Sally Danks

TEL NO: 01642 515600/232809

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Address: Website:

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