Open Space Strategies and Play Sufficiency Assessments Regulations

The request was partially successful.

Dear Highland Council,

Following on from my previous request regarding the most recent evidence of Play sufficiency assessments and early years reports, I would like to thank you for providing such a thorough and informative response.

It is great to hear that Highland Council will be carrying out inspections of play parks in the coming months and that you understand the importance of providing play opportunities to Children as an essential part of their development.

Under the freedom of information (Scotland) act 2002, I’d like to make a request on the progress of the Open Space strategies and Play Sufficiency Assessment regulations now the consultation date of 31/03/2022 has passed and the next steps you as a Local Authority will take to ensure you upcoming assessments fall in line with the new legislation and how this new guidance will impact how you approach conducting this.

Yours faithfully,

Oliver Smith

Customer Resolution & Improvement Team, Highland Council

Thank you for your email to the Highland Council's Customer Resolution &
Improvement Team.  The team are currently experiencing a very high level
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Unless related to the business of The Highland Council, the views or
opinions expressed within this e-mail are those of the sender and do not
necessarily reflect those of The Highland Council, or associated bodies,
nor does this e-mail form part of any contract unless so stated.
Mura h-eil na beachdan a tha air an cur an cèill sa phost-d seo a'
buntainn ri gnothachas Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd, 's ann leis an neach
fhèin a chuir air falbh e a tha iad, is chan eil iad an-còmhnaidh a'
riochdachadh beachdan na Comhairle, no buidhnean buntainneach, agus chan
eil am post-d seo na phàirt de chunnradh sam bith mura h-eil sin air
innse.

The Highland Council, Highland Council

Your Freedom of Information request has been submitted.

Request summary

Subject of request: Open Space Strategies and Play Sufficiency Assessments
Regulations
Details of your request: Dear Highland Council,

Following on from my previous request regarding the most recent evidence
of Play sufficiency assessments and early years reports, I would like to
thank you for providing such a thorough and informative response.

It is great to hear that Highland Council will be carrying out inspections
of play parks in the coming months and that you understand the importance
of providing play opportunities to Children as an essential part of their
development.

Under the freedom of information (Scotland) act 2002, I’d like to make a
request on the progress of the Open Space strategies and Play Sufficiency
Assessment regulations now the consultation date of 31/03/2022 has passed
and the next steps you as a Local Authority will take to ensure you
upcoming assessments fall in line with the new legislation and how this
new guidance will impact how you approach conducting this.

Yours faithfully,

Oliver Smith

Your reference is FS-Case-413498435. Please quote this if you need to
[1]contact us.

We aim to handle your case within 20 working days of the date we received
your correspondence, which was 2022-04-05.

Yours sincerely,
Customer Resolution & Improvement Team

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Get in touch - [2]Our contact details

Please do not respond to this email, as it has been sent from an
unmonitored mailbox.

Unless related to the business of The Highland Council, the views or
opinions expressed within this e-mail are those of the sender and do not
necessarily reflect those of The Highland Council, or associated bodies,
nor does this e-mail form part of any contract unless so stated.
Mura h-eil na beachdan a tha air an cur an cèill sa phost-d seo a'
buntainn ri gnothachas Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd, 's ann leis an neach
fhèin a chuir air falbh e a tha iad, is chan eil iad an-còmhnaidh a'
riochdachadh beachdan na Comhairle, no buidhnean buntainneach, agus chan
eil am post-d seo na phàirt de chunnradh sam bith mura h-eil sin air
innse.

References

Visible links
1. https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/591/cou...
2. https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/591/cou...

Customer Resolution & Improvement Team, Highland Council

Dear Mr Smith,

I refer you to your request for information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

The Highland Council provided a detailed response to both the Open Space strategies and Play Sufficiency Assessment regulations Consultation. The Council now awaits the Scottish Government consideration of all the consultation responses, the laying of the final regulations before Parliament and then them subsequently coming into force. At that time, we will review the opportunity to commence both the Open Space Strategy and Play Sufficiency Assessment, utilising the support of the newly created Community Support Co-ordinator Play Development post, whom in the short terms will be preparing the Council Play Strategy.

Additionally, it should be noted that one of the purpose of the Open Space Strategy and Play Sufficiency Assessment, is to inform the preparation of the Council Local Development Plan and again the Council awaits the adoption of the National Planning Framework 4 (the consultation of which has also just closed, with the Council Response available here(1)) and the enactment of the Secondary Legislation of the Planning Scotland Act 2019, before commencing a review of the Highland-wide Local Development Plan – to keep up to date with the Council timeframe for this review, you can view the Development Plans Newsletter(2), which is published annually.

The Council has also just published the Inner Moray Firth Proposed Local Development Plan(3) for consultation and you can submit comments on the content of the proposed plan until 17th June 2022. As part of the preparation of this proposed plan, the Council undertook a ‘Greenspace Audit’(4) of the City and main towns and villages across the Moray Firth Area (the plan area) and is proposing at Policy 4 of the proposed plan to safeguard identified greenspace. This audit, whilst not as comprehensive as the forthcoming Open Space strategy requirements, fulfils the current Local Development Plan requirements.

(1) https://www.highland.gov.uk/npf
(2) https://www.highland.gov.uk/downloads/fi...
(3) https://www.highland.gov.uk/imf
(4) https://highland.maps.arcgis.com/apps/in...

Under Section 20 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 you have the right to request that the Highland Council reviews any aspect of how it has dealt with your request. This requirement for review should be put in writing to the Freedom of Information Officer, Chief Executive’s Office, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness IV3 5NX, within 40 working days of receipt of this letter. The request should include details of the information requested and the aspects of the Highland Council’s response which you are not satisfied with.

If you are subsequently dissatisfied with the outcome of the Council's review, you have the right to appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner under Section 47 of the Act (Regulation 17 of the EIRS), within six months of receiving the Council's review response.

Kind Regards,

Sean Campbell
Assistant FOI Officer
The Highland Council
[email address]

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