Safety fears have made playgrounds 'boring'
Local authorities have been accused of dull, unimaginative playgrounds because of an over-reliance on an identical 'KFC' approach ('kit, fence and carpet') to play, which has grown out of the pressure to minimise risk.
A new report by the body responsible for advising the Government on public space, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), urges councils to be 'creative and brave' in developing the Government's £235 million Play Strategy, which aims to develop 3,500 play areas over the next three years (News, 9 April).
In June, the Government chose 20 pathfinders and 43 'playbuilders' to be the first local authorities to receive their funding allocations (News, 19 June).
Sarah Gaventa, director of CABE Space, said, 'It's a huge investment and it is essential that local authorities use it to create exciting new spaces.'
She added, 'We must all stop obsessing about risk and trying to wrap our children in cotton wool, and instead create spaces that allow them to use their imaginations freely.'
The report said it was vital that local authorities planned for play provision and considered ways of making public spaces more child-friendly with a range of accessible play areas.
It recommends that play workers should consult with planners and park managers in designing play strategies locally. It also calls for children's views to be at the heart of the process.
The report highlights the importance of using the natural environment to create more imaginative play by including elements such as logs, sand, stones and mud. It said local authorities should take a more 'holistic, imaginative and collaborative approach' to play space to enable a radical shift from the 'KFC' approach.
Download Designing and planning for play: public space lessons at www.cabe.org.uk.
