Tim Gill, director of the Children's Play Council (CPC) at the National Children's Bureau, told a conference in London earlier this week that children around the country were suffering as a direct result of council underfunding.
Mr Gill said, 'Far too often the only thing on offer is a litter-strewn, windblown playground full of dog mess and rubbish. It's no wonder that some children turn to anti-social activities in their pursuit of fun, or that growing numbers of children are becoming clinically overweight.'
The CPC published a report, Making the Case for Play - Building Policies and Strategies for School-aged Children, which found that local councils in England spend less than eight pence per child per week on children's playgrounds. Children interviewed for the report said they wanted to spend more time outdoors but were concerned about the state of their local playgrounds. The report also found that fewer than four in ten councils have play policies or strategies in place to address these issues.
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