'Debate' at Brent Cabinet over Preston Park Improvments

 

 Presentations and Cabinet member response in full (Brent Council)

Monday's Cabinet was unusual in that there was almost a debate. Normal Cabinets usually rubber stamp decisions with a few remarks from members praising each other's proposals.

Members did not debate with each other on Monday but unusually permission was granted to a group of residents to respond to another group's petition presentation. Not a real debate as no interaction was allowed but there was at least presentation of differing points of view.

The focus was proposals for the improvement of Preston Park that arose as an NCIL  (Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy) initiative, It had been discussed for several months and discussions continued perhaps ill-advisedly over the local election period.

The initial proposal was for a MUGA (Multi-Use Games Area) on one of the tennis courts in the park (Red rectangle on map below).

 

The petitioners objected to the proposed site as it was close to nearby houses and gardens and would cause more noise than a tennis court. They proposed an alternative site (Yellow rectangle on map) next to the children's playground and away from back gardens and homes.

Angela Barrett, presenting the petition on behalf of residents, said the alternative site had the backing of Brent Parks Forum and the Preston Park Safer Neighbourhood team. The original site was in a secluded part of the park that attracts anti-social behaviour raising safety and inclusion issues. She said:

I can begin with good news: since our petition was submitted, the Head of Parks Kelly Eaton has confirmed that the tennis court site is no longer being considered

A new location adjacent to the children's playground in the centre of the park would create a unified, safer family activity hub. It was more visible and easier to overlook, making it safer and more welcoming. 

The meadow from the children's playground

The area was intended to be a meadow, but has not established successfully and remains grass of relatively low ecological value. There would be potential to incorporate a rain garden and pollinator planting.

Angela suggested that  rather than a caged tarmac MUGA, which research shows can often not feel welcoming for girls and younger users, LINK LINK, a flexible grass-based alternative area or natural adventure playground could be provided. Positive proposals for better engagement have been put to Brent Council LINK.

She concluded by asking the Cabinet to support a new location and thoughtful design that will enhance the park for everyone. A facility that works well for all young people, feels safe and inclusive, fits into its surroundings and could even include a net ecological gain.

Soulla Kwong then spoke on behalf of Friends of Preston Park that began as a litter-picking group and developed as a group to improve the park, particularly for young children.

They had spoken to local children who had supported the idea of a MUGA and a chess table and table tennis  table that have already been installed. However, I understand that the alternative ideas for youth provision outlined above by Angela have not been presented to local children yet.

Soulla  said that the 'disused' tennis courts had been suggested as a MUGA site by children. As the court already had a firm foundation it would be less costly install a MUGA there.  No floodlights would be installed that would disturb neighbours.

She said that building a MUGA on the meadow would amount to loss of green space that the Friends would oppose: 'We have a duty not to destroy what little we have. Should we leave behind a concrete jungle or something that future generations can enjoy?'

Soulla Kwong did not respond to Angela Barrett's suggestion of a lower impact grass football field and natural adventure playground instead of a MUGA. 

It was a pity that there were no questions allowed from Cabinet members or interaction between the two groups that might have established some common ground.

It was left to Cllr Promise Knight to respond. She said that the proposal had started as part of the NCIL process with support from school children for a place where they could be active. She recognised residents' concerns over noise levels and the enjoyment of their homes and gardens. 

Having considered the feedback received she could confirm that the Park Service would continue to review the improvement programme in more detail, weighing up all the options and what was possible: 

I hope this provides reassurance to residents and demonstrates the council is listening carefully to both sides. 

Cllr Knight did not say explicitly that the tennis court site was no longer being considered. 

Interestingly, in one of a series on access to play on BBC Radio 4, there was a discussion about another area of controversy, whether council tennis courts should be free and self-run or taken over on the council's behalf by the Lawn Tennis Association, with coded locks and charges. HEAR IT HERE

Soulla Kwong called the tennis courts 'disused', however I  understand the courts are used for tennis and remain available to book via the LTA, although there are question marks about how well the current arrangement with the LTA is working. Angela also mentioned that occasional ASB occurs at the site. This may be a separate issue for the Parks Service to review.

 

The existing children's playground has safety and maintenance issues.  What would be the maintenance programme for a  MUGA and how would it be funded.  LINK

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

    

Children's Play Area - including Quad Bike course, to open at Birchen Grove Garden Centre in Kingsbury at Easter

 

 

A Quad Bike course is to open at Birchen Grove Garden Centre, Kingsbury, on Friday March 29th in time for the Easter weekend. Rides will be £2.

The course is part of a revamp at the Centre which already provides play for toddlers at Jane's Cafe.

Swings and climbing frames are already open. (Shame about the plastic grass!)

 

 

Brent gives a little funding to family play project

Press release from Brent Council. (Given the closure of the Stonebridge Adventure Playground and all but one of Brent's youth centres,  as well as Brent's child obesity problem, this funding seems rather stingy.)

Place2Play, an inspirational project which hopes to transform underutilised parks as venues for inclusive and family play challenges, has received £1500 funding from Brent Council.

The pledge follows Brent's partnership with Spacehive, the UK's crowdfunding platform for projects that improve local places, to support local groups to get their great community project ideas funded.

Spacehive's project, Place2Play, will help local families get fitter and they will also have the chance to learn new lifelong skills together through access to qualifications.

Brent's pledge comes at a critical time for the campaign with only 19 days left for Place2Play to raise the remaining £7821 of their £22,361 target.

Cllr Krupesh Hirani, Cabinet Member for Community Wellbeing said: "I am thrilled to be supporting the Place2Play project which will create exciting opportunities for families to be active and enjoy physical activity together while learning new skills. I'm calling on everyone in Brent to help us make this project a success and make our parks even better."

London Sports Trust, the group running the Place2Play crowdfunding campaign have run an incredible campaign, attracting over 110 pledges from local individuals and organisations.

Ulick Tarabanov, CEO of London Sports Trust, said: ""London Sports Trust is delighted that Brent Council have pledged £1500 towards our new family play programme Place2Play. We are looking forward to using local parks and open spaces across Brent for inclusive and fun family play challenges bringing families together outside teaching healthy lifelong skills. If we can teach a parent or carer to play with their children then we will change a lifetime of behaviour."

If the campaign is successful, Place2Play activities will take place in the following parks in Brent: Roundwood Park, Gibbons Rec, King Edward VII Park.

For more information, visit www.spacehive.com/place2play

Grunwick performance at CNWL April 19th - 'We are the Lions, Mr Manager'

           "Powerful story, powerfully told" 🌟🌟🌟🌟 ️️(The Observer)

There will be a performance of "We are the lions, Mr Manager", the critically acclaimed Townsend Productions play about the Grunwick strike, on Thurs 19 April at the College of North West London in Willesden.

If you want to be sure of a place please book your ticket asap as it will probably sell out

https://lineupnow.com/event/we-are-the-lions-mr-manager-4

Before the play begins there will be a guided viewing of the murals - meet at 6.30pm at Dollis Hill station (Chapter Road exit).

There are other tour dates here 

http://www.townsendproductions.org.uk

UN report provides opportunity to campaign to restore children's right to play

Re-blogged with thanks from policyforplay.com

The campaign to save Stonebridge Adventure Playground

 The UN’s latest report on the UK government’s record on children’s rights includes some stringent conclusions about the abandonment of play policy. If play advocates can seize the moment, suggests Adrian Voce, it also provides the basis for a persuasive influencing campaign to restore children’s right to play as a national priority.

The concluding observations of last week’s report by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, on the UK’s recent record on children’s rights, has been welcomed by Theresa Casey, the President of the International Play Association (IPA) as ‘the strongest I’ve seen’ on children’s right to play.
This is perhaps no cause for celebration among play advocates. The CRC’s ‘concern about the withdrawal of a play policy in England and the under-funding of play’ across the UK, merely confirms what we know about the woefully inadequate, not to say destructive response of the UK government since 2010, to a human right for children that the CRC says ‘is fundamental to the quality of childhood, to children’s entitlement to optimum development, to the promotion of resilience and to the realisation of other rights’.

The Children’s Rights Alliance for England went on to observe that, since 2010, the government had in fact ‘undermined children’s rights under Article 31 …’

The dismissive approach of the Coalition and Conservative governments of David Cameron, to article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which commits states parties to support and provide for the fulfilment of the right to play, was highlighted by the independent NGO, the Children’s Rights Alliance for England (CRAE) last year. Its civil society report to the CRC on the UK government’s record on children’s rights pulled no punches when it came to play, saying: ‘Rest, leisure and play have been a casualty of the austerity drive. In the absence of a national play policy, many councils have disproportionately targeted play services for cuts with many long-standing services and projects closed and the land redeveloped’.

The CRAE report went on to observe that, since 2010, the government had in fact ‘undermined children’s rights under Article 31 by: abandoning a ten-year national play strategy for England with eight years still to run; cancelling all national play contracts … (and) withdrawing recognition of playwork in out-of-school care…’

Many observers of the work of the CRC over the years have been disappointed at its lack of rigour in holding governments to account for article 31, but the committee’s publication in 2013, of a general comment[1] on the ‘right to rest, leisure, play, recreational activities, cultural life and the arts’ appears to have raised the bar, further vindicating the work of Theresa and her colleagues at IPA in lobbying the UN to produce the document.

UN expects national governments to honour its obligations to ‘respect, protect and fulfil’ children’s right to play

The General Comment (GC17) on article 31 expands on government responsibilities for children’s play under the 1989 convention, urging them ‘to elaborate measures to ensure’ its full implementation. GC17 makes it clear that, in the face of increasing barriers, the UN expects national governments to honour their obligations to ‘respect, protect and fulfil’ children’s right to play by taking serious and concerted action on a range of fronts including, in particular, ‘legislation, planning and funding’. Last week’s report simply highlights what we already know: that the UK government, having been among the world leaders in national play policy before 2010, has since been in abject dereliction of this duty.

While we take no pleasure in this confirmation of the steep decline in the status and priority afforded to children’s play within national policy, we should, nevertheless, see the UNCRC’s report as both an opportunity and a reminder. The opportunity is to fashion an influencing campaign, aligned to the wider advocacy movement for children’s rights in the UK, to persuade future governments to recommit to children’s play. Unsurprisingly, the CRC is critical of the UK record on children’s rights in other areas than play. Its main recommendation is that a broad national children’s rights strategy, abandoned by the coalition government in 2010, should be ‘revised … to cover all areas of the convention and ensure its full implementation’. In England, this plan included a 10-year national play strategy. The play movement should be building links with other children’s rights advocates – who will now use the CRC’s report to put pressure on policymakers – to ensure that the right to play is properly considered in any such revision.

There has been a tendency, since the demise of the Play Strategy, in England at least, to lower our ambition for play policy

The reminder delivered by the CRC report is that children’s play is a serious, crosscutting policy issue, requiring a strategic response and high-level leadership. There has been a tendency, since the demise of the Play Strategy, in England at least, to lower our ambition for play policy. The Children’s Play Policy Forum, for example, has seemed to level its proposals at an agenda that disregards play for its own sake, relegating it to the level of an activity with only instrumental value to such existing policy areas as improving children’s health, reducing neighbourhood conflict or encouraging volunteering.

Good public play provision and playable public space can contribute to all these things of course, but the UN reminded us last week that our government has a duty to legislate, plan and budget for children’s play, first and foremost, because it is their human right. Such an approach will most likely fall on deaf ears, as does so much else with this government, committed as it is to relentlessly scaling back public services and privatising the public realm. Our duty in this case is to point out its failure, and to cultivate support from policymakers outside the government.

An All Party Parliamentary Group, the Children’s Rights Alliance for England, the Children’s Commissioner for England, the Leader of the Opposition and now the United Nations have all recently called for a higher priority to be afforded to children’s play by our local and national governments – many of them urging the UK government to emulate that of Wales in adopting a play sufficiency duty on local authorities.

The Play England board earlier this year sanctioned an open, independent debate about its future role and purpose. Sadly, it seems to no longer have the resources even to manage its own consultations; but if it only does one thing between now and the next general election, this must surely be to cultivate and capitalise on such support in high places and coordinate a cohesive, sustained influencing campaign for play to be once again afforded the status it needs within government policy.

Adrian Voce
[1] A UN General Comment is defined as ‘the interpretation of the provisions of (its) respective human rights treaty’ by its treaty bodies. In other words, it is the UN ’s own interpretation of how nation states should meet their obligations under international law.

Disabled children miss out on play opportunities - call for action

Last year Brent Council removed the funding from Stonebridge Adventure Playground and demolished it.  The playground had been the site of integrated play facilities for disabled and non-disabled children.

This report makes the case for play.

A report by the national deafblind charity, Sense, reveals the severe restrictions facing disabled children in accessing play. The report identifies failings at every level that result in disabled children missing out on play opportunities that are vital to their emotional, social and physical  development. A lack of attention by government, insufficient funding at a local level and negative attitudes towards disabled children and their families are all barriers highlighted in the report.

The report calls for urgent action to address these inequalities and to enable the Prime Minister to deliver on his recent call to improve the “life chances” of all children.
 
The report follows a three month public inquiry into the provision of play opportunities for disabled children aged 0-5 with multiple needs in England and Wales. Chaired by former Secretary of State for Education and Employment, Lord Blunkett, the inquiry was established in response to parents’ concern that they had fewer opportunities to access play services and settings than families with non-disabled children.

Chair of the Play Inquiry, Lord Blunkett, said:

We know that play is vitally important for children with multiple needs and their families, bringing a wide range of developmental and emotional benefits. However, our inquiry found that all too often the parents of children with multiple-needs point to barriers they face in accessing and enjoying play. It means that disabled children don’t have the same chance to form friendships, and parents are prevented from taking a break from caring. Both disabled children and their parents are excluded from their own communities.
 
I know that there is strong support across the political spectrum for addressing the findings of this report, and I look forward to working with colleagues from all parties to achieve real change for parents and families across the nation.

 Key findings from the report:

92% of parents felt that their child did not have the same opportunities to play as their non-disabled peers, and 81% of parents reported difficulties in accessing mainstream play groups and local play opportunities.

·         51% of children had been turned away from play settings by providers, failing to meet their legal duties under the Equality Act 2010.

·         95% of parents said that parents of children with multiple-needs require support to find ways to play with their children.

Majority of parents had experienced negative attitudes towards their child from other parents and most considered this to be the most significant barrier to accessing mainstream play.

·         40% of parents said that additional financial costs was a major barrier to accessing play opportunities

63% of parents said they didn’t have enough information on accessible play opportunities in their area, and word of mouth is commonly used in place of official sources of information.

Families feel there is a lack of specialist support that can be accessed locally, and many make long journeys to access play settings.

There is a lack of strategic approach to funding play for children with multiple needs at local and national levels across England, with no notional funding for special educational needs and provision in the early years


Key recommendations from the report:

National policy:

·         Greater investment in play as part of early years funding to support play in the home and in mainstream services.

·         Developmental play services such as Portage should become a statutory service for disabled children under the age of two, with an increased emphasis on children with multiple needs.

·         Play should be a key strand of the Government’s policy on parenting and should be an explicit part of government-funded parenting classes.

·         The Equality and Human Rights Commission should investigate the exclusion of children with multiple needs from mainstream play settings, and take action to enforce the Equality Act 2010.


Local policy:

·         Local authorities should be required to take action, as necessary, against settings which intentionally exclude disabled children and fail to meet their legal duties under the Equality Act 2010.

·         Local authorities should take a lead on increasing awareness and understanding of the general public and other parents about disabled children. This could be centrally funded but locally delivered.

·         Local authorities should consider whether there could be a modest retraining of existing health professionals to enable them to provide the support needed to help families of children with multiple needs to play.

·         Local authorities should provide easily-accessible information for parents to help them to find out about existing play and support services.

Play settings:

Settings should ensure that play staff have received training on disability to help improve the way they support children and families.  This should include responding to medical needs and communicating with children with specialist communication needs.  The training should also enable them to create an environment and ethos which is inclusive and developmentally appropriate.

·         Every play setting should have a play policy statement which stresses the inclusion of every child.

·         Settings should plan carefully prior to the admission of every child in order to ensure their needs are met and that they will be welcomed and understood by other parents and their children.

·         Voluntary sector organisations should do more to share their significant experience of supporting children with specific impairments and multiple needs with public and private play settings.  This could include offering training and toolkits on inclusive play.


Sense Deputy CEO, Richard Kramer, said:

Play is critical in giving children the best start in life and improving outcomes for children and their families. The report makes clear, however, that where a child has multiple needs, the barriers they face to accessing play settings and activities are also multiplied. We hope that local and national policymakers, as well as play professionals, reflect on today’s recommendations, and make the necessary changes that will make access to play a reality for all children.

Sense will use the inquiry findings to campaign for changes to the way play services are designed and delivered. They plan to produce a series of toolkits for parents, providers and commissioners of play.

The full report can be downloaded at: www.sense.org.uk/play

Daniel's Den 20th Anniversary invite to 'Share our Story'

Child's Play? Investing in the young despite austerity

This guest blog by Andrew Ross, which he has adapted from his LGiU briefing to local authority members and officers, succinctly sets out some of the arguments for maintaining play provision in the face of pressure for further cuts. Wembley Matters publishes it with permission from the author and Policy for Play LINK.  It is of particular interest following the decision of Brent Council to close Stonebridge Adventure Playground.

Readers of this blog will be acutely aware of the threats to playgrounds and to play services. The London Play & Youth Work Campaign has come out fighting, warning the new government that it must:

‘recognise the profound value of play and youth work to society. If not, then be warned: cutting us will not be an easy ride.’

It’s not as if this ‘profound value’ is a secret. I recently wrote a briefing for local authority members of the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU), an organisation that aims to improve local democracy. I pulled together the findings from two recent reviews that caution local councils against cutting money for play because of the many wider benefits that play services bring. The first was by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on a Fit and Healthy Childhood. Adrian Voce has written about the APPG approach, set out in its first paper, Healthy Patterns for Healthy Families; and about its forthcoming play review, expected later this summer.

The other – The Play Return – was commissioned by the Children’s Play Policy Forum and written by Tim Gill. Tim cites the many developmental benefits for children of play. But he also points out that play could be a prudent investment for other reasons too. Play initiatives:

• encourage volunteering and community cohesion: the review illustrates a number of examples of where this has happened, including Playing Out schemes
• reduce antisocial behaviour and vandalism: Thames Valley Police have reported that installing youth facilities in Banbury led to a 25 per cent drop in the cost of repairs to children’s play equipment
• reduce obesity: one study has found that children with a playground in a local park are ‘almost five times more likely to be classified as being of a healthy weight rather than at risk of being overweight’ than those without playgrounds in their nearby park
• create healthier places: providing enticing outdoor play spaces can make a trip to the local park more inviting for children and their carers, and is one way of making it easier for people to maintain good health
• reduce inequalities: public parks are – or should be – free to use, and are places where any child can play regardless of their family’s income.
•  

It’s tempting to think that the arguments speak for themselves. But local authorities are under enormous pressure to cut budgets. For example, government figures show that council spending on open spaces (excluding national parks) fell by 14 per cent, or almost £15.5 million between 2009-10 and 2013-14. In practice, that means councils have already reduced funding on maintaining parks, adventure playgrounds, sports fields and a whole range of services that go on in them.

How can they be persuaded to keep spending on play? I think elected members need to be reminded constantly of how increasing the opportunities for play can help create the sorts of communities that councils are elected to deliver, even as budgets continue to decline: places that are attractive to live in, safe, connected and where everyone feels like they have a stake in the local area.

This means making spending on play part of something bigger. One example is Knowsley Council’s Green Space Strategy (2015-2020). It acknowledges the many benefits of providing outdoor play spaces, but recognises that funding to maintain and develop these is under threat. The strategy focuses on what the council can influence:

• Leadership: this starts with the council and elected members but should draw in people from public, private and social enterprise sectors (which could include representatives from the play sector)
• Achieving more with partners: including local communities, but also working with other stakeholders to create new management partnerships (again, the play sector could have an influential role here)
• Establishing a compelling business case for investing in green space assets: Knowsley believes that its future economic resilience and competitiveness ‘will be strongly influenced’ by the overall quality of its parks and green spaces
• Securing funding and investment: Knowsley is developing a needs-based approach that will allow it to assess how best to continue to invest in green spaces and services
• Identifying alternative delivery models: these are likely to include private funding, support from the community and voluntary sectors, generating more income from uses of the green spaces, and fund-raising/sponsorship.

As for what limited spending there will be on play specifically, what might be the biggest wins for any investment? The former director of Play England Cath Prisk writes that:

 ‘The onus will be on local providers, schools and councils to make the case that is right for them to increase or sustain investment in most provision.’

She suggests three possibilities:

• Street Play (championed by the Bristol-based Playing Out), where streets are closed regularly so children can play – this achieves multiple objectives of play, physical activity, and community cohesion – ‘not free, but certainly not a huge expense’
• Encouraging head teachers to use some of the pupil premium and protected school funding to invest in spaces to play because of the evidence that play and outdoor activity improves attainment (most particularly for this funding in reading and maths)
• More outdoor nurseries utilising existing quality outdoor spaces following the government’s commitment to double the free childcare allowance for three- and four-year-olds in England.
•  

I’d be really interested to know how well the local authority in your area understands how play connects to some of the wider arguments about creating decent places to live, and whether that is reflected in their spending plans! Feel free to leave me a comment below, or tweet me at @andrew_ross_uk.

This blog was written by Andrew Ross, a freelance writer, researcher and facilitator specialising in urban places, andrew@fdconsult.co.uk. It is an abridged version of an LGiU briefing, available to members only. For more information, or to subscribe, visit www.lgiu.org.uk/briefings

Cllr Butt urged to 'be a real inspiration and turn the tide' following Stonebridge decision

Letter to Councillor Butt posted on Malcom Boyle's Facebook Page and shared on Brent Fightback

Dear Cllr Butt

I am writing to register my dismay at Brent Council's appalling decision to close Stonebridge adventure playground. I don't even need to enunciate the harm you and your fellow councillors have done to the childhood prospects of every child growing up in that area. Play is what builds childhood intelligence in the early years above all else, and it helps build communities. To choose the easy temptation of more money from development over preserving the quality of life of local children demonstrates that Brent Labour Councillors have abandoned both the principles of the Labour Party and the responsibility of local government.

I shall not be voting Labour at the next council election and will be advising all my friends and colleagues to vote Green. I have always traditionally voted Labour and should you and your fellows decide to support the community over this after all I will happily vote for you.

I was also dismayed at the state of the flower garden in Gladstone Park this weekend. It appears to be neglected and growing wild. The next step will be it becoming a venue for those with substance issues and could well even see the linked issue of teenage prostitution. I can only assume a cut has been made to gardening services.

I entreat you to resist these government cuts as Labour Councils nobly did in the 80s. You have an opportunity to be a real inspiration here and turn the tide. Don't waste it.

Regards

Malcolm Boyle

Stonebridge speaks Truth to Power over Adventure Playground closure

'THIS IS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR COMMUNITY'

Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt meets local people from the Stonebridge Estate who are fighting to keep their Adventure Playground open.

Children's activities at Wembley's LDO summer weekends

There will be play opportunities for children at the London Designer Outlet during the summer holidays.

Activity Timetable:

Date	What’s On?
19th July	Capeoria Workshop & Steel Pan Band, Bungy Trampoline*
20th July	Jazz Duo
25th July	imPULSE Youth Dance
26th July	Stilt walker with balloons
27th July	First Impressions dance group, Face Painting
2nd August	Dance Workshop
3rd August	Storytime, Mini Football
9th August	Surf Simulator
10th August	Mini Football
16th August	Bungy Trampoline
17th August	Bungy Trampoline
22nd August	Hillside Dance Group performance
23rd August	Bungy Trampoline
24th August	Bungy Trampoline, Face Painting
25th August	Bungy Trampoline, Face Painting
30th August	First Impressions dance group, Spanish Classes
31st August	First Impressions dance group, Storytime
6th September	Football trickster
7th September	Fitsteps dancelikenow