ASSOCIATION OF PLAY INDUSTRIES - Public Play Facilities

The request was successful.

Dear Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council,

2 years ago, we were hearing from our members that installations of new playground equipment were falling in England and that this was due directly to a lack of funding within local authorities. This worried us and our members at a time when Childhood obesity is increasing and there are more instances of divided communities. In order to quantify what was happening we commissioned a report which resulted in our #nowheretoplay campaign highlighting the extent of the problem. We believe it is now time to refresh our information and to once again highlight to government the problems resulting from a reduction in children’s play facilities. We would therefore urge you to support us in the FOI request.

1. How many public play facilities (including playgrounds, adventure playgrounds, skate parks, etc.) do you currently have available to the public in your LA area?

2. What was your total budget for public play facilities (including playgrounds, adventure playgrounds, skate parks, etc.) in each of the following years?

• 2016-17
• 2017-18

3. What is your expected total budget for public play facilities (including playgrounds, adventure playgrounds, skate parks, etc.) in each of the following years?

• 2018-19
• 2019-20
• 2020-21

4. How many public playgrounds and play facilities were closed in your LA area and what proportion of your total play facilities did this represent, in each of the following years?

• 2016-17
• 2017-18

5. How many public playgrounds and play facilities do you expect will close and what proportion of your total play facilities will this represent, in each of the following years?

• 2018-19
• 2019-20
• 2020-21

Data to be collated into excel spreadsheet.

Yours faithfully,

Samuel Lubrano

InfoMgr, FinDMT, Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Lubrano

 

Further to your recent Freedom of Information request, please see Wirral
Council’s response below.

 

1.            How many public play facilities (including playgrounds,
adventure playgrounds, skate parks, etc.) do you currently have available
to the public in your LA area?

 

               We have 69 play areas, 1 adventure playground, 5
skateparks, and approximately 15 MUGA’s plus Multi use goal ends and kick
about areas

 

2.            What was your total budget for public play facilities
(including playgrounds, adventure playgrounds, skate parks, etc.) in each
of the following years?

The Parks & Countryside Revenue budget (excluding Leasowe AP) has not
altered for some time and equates to 4 members of staff that carry out
weekly inspections and carry out repairs and also include an element of
another to oversee these staff, vehicles and parts etc. approx. £200,000
per annum, (Approx. £35,000 of this budget is for parts and other
specialist repairs). 

For Leasowe AP (Childrens services - youth support), this Revenue budget
funds mainly 3 members of staff with some budget for utilities, repairs
and maintenance.

Capital Spend:-

2016-17: £50,000 New Site (Play Area)

2017-18: £80,000 New Site  (Skatepark)

2016-17 – £102,500 (Leasowe AP)

2017-18 –  £114, 100  (Leasowe AP)

3.            What is your expected total budget for public play
facilities (including playgrounds, adventure playgrounds, skate parks,
etc.) in each of the following years?

 

•             2018-19 Revenue as per question 2: Capital and 106 funding
£200k / Leasowe AP £114,700

•             2019-20 Too soon to predict revenue budgets or Capital

•             2020-21 Too soon to predict revenue budgets or Capital

 

4.            How many public playgrounds and play facilities were closed
in your LA area and what proportion of your total play facilities did this
represent, in each of the following years?

 

•             2016-17 : 0

•             2017-18 : 0

 

5.            How many public playgrounds and play facilities do you
expect will close and what proportion of your total play facilities will
this represent, in each of the following years?

 

Parks & Countryside

•             2018-19 : 1 = 1.12% of total play facilities managed by
Wirral Councils Parks & Countryside Service

•             2019-20 : Not Known at this time

•             2020-21 : Not Known at this time

 

Leasowe Adventure Playground

•             2018-19 : Not Known at this time

•             2019-20 : Not Known at this time

•             2020-21 : Not Known at this time

 

We trust this information is of use to you.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Lynette Paterson

Principal Information Management Officer

Business Management

 

Treasury Building

Argyle Street
Birkenhead
Wirral
CH41 1AH

 

[1]Tel: 0151 691 8201

[2][Wirral Borough Council request email]

 

 

[3]LGC Awards15_Winner_MIP

 

 

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