That this House has considered playgrounds in Bournemouth East constituency.
Eight months ago, I stood just a few seats away from this spot to lead the first debate on playgrounds in eight years—the longest in 17 years. The previous debate, 17 years ago, saw the last Labour Government launch the first and only national play strategy, backed by £235 million of investment in children’s right to play. On behalf of my constituents, it is an honour to open this debate, my second, and to turn a spotlight specifically on my constituency, focusing exclusively on playgrounds in Bournemouth East.
When Parliament has effectively ignored playgrounds in Bournemouth for 17 years, is it any wonder that they are rotting? Is it any wonder that people feel pushed away from politics when Parliament did not speak to their priorities to any meaningful extent for nearly two decades? Is it any wonder that people feel disaffected with democracy when the last Government did not care enough about children to invest in their playgrounds? Children who sat GCSEs this year were not even alive the last time that Parliament seriously considered playground provision. We are talking about near adults whose formative years went unexamined at the very highest levels of the last Conservative Government.
Children make up 20% of our population and 100% of our future, but we are not treating them that way as a country. As Play England’s Eugene Minogue says, “Let’s start with play.” This really matters. In 1925, Lloyd George called play “nature’s training for life”. Frank Dobson later described it as,
“what children and young people do—when they follow their own ideas, in their own way, and for their own reasons.”
Play is instinctive and natural; it is how children learn, grow and take responsibility. In Gaza, where children are hungry, exhausted and emotionally wounded, the instinct to play still endures. Just two weeks ago, Palestinian children were filmed playing with a parachute used to drop aid.
Play is natural, essential and deeply personal. It nurtures emotional development, builds confidence and fosters creativity, collaboration and resilience. Those are the skills that renew our democracy and reinvigorate our liberal values, but right now, in Bournemouth East and across England, that right is being eroded. Lloyd George warned how infringing the right to play can cause
“deep and enduring harm to the minds and bodies of its citizens.”
Lloyd George was right.
Today, 2 million children in England live more than 10 minutes from a playground, and one in eight have no garden—in London, it is one in five. Nearly 800 playgrounds have closed in the past decade, casualties of austerity. In Bournemouth East, only 35% of children live within reach of a play area.
What are the deep and enduring harms that result when children cannot play outdoors? First, they retreat indoors, glued to screens. As my constituent Helen from Southbourne says,
“We must provide exciting, enjoyable and affordable alternatives to screen time.”
Secondly, as Baroness Longfield, the former Children’s Commissioner reminds us,
“Play is a social justice issue—it’s about who gets to thrive and who gets left behind.”
Among those children being left behind the most are wheelchair users and neurodivergent children. As Terri from Muscliff says:
“If a child uses a wheelchair, there is nothing they can do.”
Teens for whom traditional spaces such as multi-use games areas and skate parks just do not work are excluded too. In particular, teenage girls who mostly want social spaces near, but not within, family zones are not being catered for. If inclusive design is to be the baseline, not a bonus, we must listen to my constituent Jennie Savage, a community place-making designer, who, at our surgery on Saturday, spoke about the importance of listening to the very people who use playgrounds.
In my time on the council in a previous life, we always encouraged playgrounds, and it was the same in the Assembly; now, we are here in Parliament. New playgrounds are really important, and they need to include wheelchair-accessible swings and roundabouts, sensory play areas, nature zones and family facilities such as toilets and baby rooms. Are those the things that the hon. Gentleman is pushing for?
I entirely agree; the hon. Gentleman pre-empts some of what I am about to say. Community infrastructure and accessible infrastructure are absolutely critical alongside playgrounds.
The public voted for change last year, and we now happily have a different Government. The question is whether this Government will restore playgrounds for future generations. My first year as an MP has taught me how difficult it is to bring together Departments around the cross-cutting issue of play. We have a fantastic Minister, Baroness Taylor, who holds responsibility for play. To support her, this Parliament needs to agitate for a strategy with objectives and deadlines. That is my first request.
Seventeen years ago, Ed Balls and Andy Burnham, as Secretaries of State, published England’s first national play strategy, and much of it still stands. It is time to dust it off. This is unfinished business for Labour, and momentum is building now, as it was before the last play strategy and the multimillion-pound budget were announced. In June, I hosted the launch of Play England’s 10-year strategy, “It All Starts with Play!”, here in Parliament, and I also welcomed the Raising the Nation Play Commission’s final report, “Everything to Play For”, which called for a new national strategy, a statutory duty for councils and a cultural shift that places play at the heart of public life. Last week, a new all-party parliamentary group on play launched with a Minister in attendance. I am honoured to chair it. That followed, on the same day, a session on play by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
Yesterday, I was pleased to sponsor and speak at a LEGO reception in Parliament. The LEGO group, supported by the LEGO Foundation, launched “The Power of Play”, a report that looked into its project in Tower Hamlets, where poverty limits and denies access to play, as it does around the country.
In my constituency, many children have no playgrounds. The population is very young—over 69% are under the age of 45—and play equipment in the playgrounds is of very low quality. Does my hon. Friend believe that funding must be set aside to ensure our playgrounds are brought up to the correct standard?
My hon. Friend makes a valid and important point about funding our playgrounds so that they are accessible, safe and fun. I commend the work that she does on behalf of her constituents, particularly children.
A strategy alone will not be enough. That is why I tabled an amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to introduce a play sufficiency duty in England, mirroring legislation in Wales and Scotland. It was backed by 70-plus MPs from across parties, although unfortunately there were no signatories from Reform. It sought to correct the wrong that England does not have the same statutory duty as Wales and Scotland. It is wrong that Scottish and Welsh councils regularly assess and support play provision, while this Parliament does not regard that as essential for English councils.
We saw what happened when the previous Labour Government announced a strategy and a budget. The coalition quietly dropped the strategy and drew a thick red line through the budget. Without a statutory duty, Parliament cannot protect playgrounds for childhoods in this country, so a statutory duty is my second request.
We can and should extend Sport England-style duties to play, making it a statutory consideration, like sports facilities, not a discretionary extra that gets ignored. That is my third request.
My fourth and final request, which goes to the point that my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Erdington (Paulette Hamilton) made, is that we need to talk about funding. Put simply, this will require financial investment from the Government. I care deeply about giving children their right to play, which is why I am shining a light on Bournemouth East in Parliament to help bring money to our town. In Bournemouth, we are embracing the challenge of improving our play areas. Thanks to council officers such as Martin Whitchurch and Rebecca Whelan-Edmonds, all 171 play sites in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and all 1,175 pieces of play equipment have been mapped, audited and costed. A consultation has closed, and I have represented constituents’ views on proposals into it. The consultation included events, and I joined two to hear from constituents. I want to balance my admiration for the good work done by those officers with my constituents’ need to represent their concerns for the council’s plans.
It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mr Stringer. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Tom Hayes) on securing this important debate. I commend him for the eloquence with which he stated his case and how he always speaks on behalf of those he represents. I thank him for the tenacity and dedication with which he has continued since his election to promote playground and play space provision. I note and recognise his ongoing efforts to maintain and improve playground provision in his Bournemouth East seat. His council will have heard that message, too, as it has on other occasions. I thank him for his ongoing engagement with the Department on this matter. I should also welcome him to his role as the chair of the new all-party parliamentary group on play, which, as he mentioned, met for the first time last week. I am delighted that, through that avenue, he will continue to champion this work, and I look forward to the continuing discussions in this area.
The Government recognise that access to playgrounds is vital for the health and wellbeing of communities and in supporting physical activity, social cohesion and opportunities for young and old people. My hon. Friend made an important point about the benefits that playgrounds bring for parents and grandparents, who find others in their community to speak to when they are with their children or grandchildren in those settings. As the Minister for Housing and Planning, I will speak in what remains of my time in large part to the planning system and how it supports play, but I will touch on other areas.
Our planning system plays an important role in securing and protecting playgrounds, but this is not the reserve of planning alone. As a whole, the Government are considering how to improve both the availability and quality of play spaces across England. Following my meeting with my hon. Friend after our debate on Report of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, I wrote, as promised, to my ministerial colleagues in the Department for Education and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to ensure that we do all we can across Government to support better outcomes for children and communities. We are considering how to bolster further the provision of sufficient opportunities for play, and although I cannot speak for those Departments and their thinking in policy terms, I assure my hon. Friend that the Government as a whole have heard his call to explore a national strategy in the area.
4:26 pm
Sitting suspended.
While every playground matters in Bournemouth East, some raise particular concerns, such as Kings Park and its two play areas. At the Ashley Road site, security fencing dominated until I got it removed. The zipwire is missing, the bandstand and bins are rusty, and offensive graffiti scarred a bench until I lobbied the council to scrub it clean. The sudden removal of equipment without warning or explanation has deepened frustration. It struck such a chord with year 6 students from King’s Park academy that they staged a protest in their final day of school. Many of their placards remain in my office and are a daily reminder to campaign harder. It was an honour to stand with those children as they voiced their hopes and called on the council to act in their very first protest. If the Minister would like to green-light funding for a trampoline to go into the refurbished Kings Park playground in Bournemouth, I am sure the students of King’s Park academy would be most grateful.
Last week I met with Kirsty, Kate and David, Rebecca, Shelley, Robyn, Jonathan, Charlotte and their children at Harewood junior school. They were clear that these spaces are vital for children’s health, wellbeing and social development. Yet they have been overlooked for too long. I have met Rio and his mum Amanda at Mallard Road play area, just steps from their home. Rio organised a protest at 9 am on 6 August and rallied 30 people to stand up for their park—an incredible achievement. Some brought home-made posters to voice their concerns. Dave, who lives nearby with his two children, says,
“We do not have a garden so the play space is very needed as parents do not have the money sometimes to take their children out.”
For Dave and others, that park is a lifeline. Kayleigh, a mother of three, says,
“With the cost of living being what it is right now, families are relying more than ever on free local spaces like this one.”
She reminds us that play areas are not just for children; they bring people together. Parents chat, children make friends and local bonds are formed. Without those spaces, we lose more than just swings; we lose connection. Kayleigh ended with a powerful plea,
“I understand budgets are tight, but I’d ask you to think of this not as a cost, but as an investment in our children, our neighbourhood, and in our community’s future. Please do not take this away from them.
Let’s find a way to protect this space for the children who use it now, and for those who will in the years to come.”
The proposed closure of 13 playgrounds across Muscliff, Strouden Park and Townsend in my constituency is sparking serious concern. Residents fear longer journeys, fewer spontaneous visits and exclusion for those without transport, which will inevitably hit the disadvantaged families of those communities hardest. The promise of a new playground at Landford Way is being understood as a trade-off for the loss of those 13 doorstep play areas, and it is not reassuring people. It is seen as a reduction in equity, not as an enhancement in access. Muscliff Park, a high-use site, has seen strong demands for reopening the toilet facilities, reviving the café and launching a full refurbishment programme, which again goes to the point that the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) was making, which is that there is a deeper truth here that parks are not just patches of grass and playgrounds, not just swings and slides; they are outdoor community centres. Reframing them as essential community infrastructure is essential.
Elsewhere, constituents have raised concerns about proposals to consider and relocate Tuckton tea gardens and Riverlands play park. Others have voiced concerns about Beaufort Park, Knowlton Gardens, Clarence Road, Shelley Road, Churchill Gardens, Moordown rec and Epiphany play areas. The Minister will be pleased to hear that there is not a test on these playgrounds. I name them because they are so important to my constituents. Above all, residents are asking for a strategic approach: yes to investing in busy destination play spaces, but not to the detriment of smaller playgrounds on people’s doorsteps. The message is simple: play matters and our communities are ready to help shape its future.
For my constituents, play matters for very distinct reasons. Children’s development, their mental health and emotional support is key. Sarah in Strouden Park, whose family uses Mallard Road play area, says that play
“lays down positive habits for life.”
Rachel in Townsend, who uses Moordown rec, says,
“It is vital for children to be outside and free resources are a lifeline for many. Our children spend so much time learning or on screens that play is desperately needed”.
Danielle in Boscombe West, who uses Kings Park at the Ashley Road site, says that playgrounds
“help children learn through play. They are a free activity that helps low-income families who otherwise would have no outdoor space access. They keep the older children occupied rather than committing anti-social behaviour.”
At the other play area in Kings Park, Clarence Road, Thomas, who lives in Boscombe East, says,
“It is an essential part of our day that gives the girls a chance for physical play and to decompress after school. It’s really important for our eldest, who is dyslexic and often finds the school day mentally exhausting.”
Playgrounds are also great for community and social connection. Chris in Muscliff, who uses Knowlton Gardens play area with his family, says,
“Micro communities within Muscliff use these green spaces/play parks (what’s left of them) and rely on them for their own wellbeing as well as their families.”
Charlotte in Littledown, whose family uses Kings Park, Clarence Road, says:
“They are one of the few remaining things that parents and children can do together as a community outside in nature for free.”
And Judith in Southbourne says about Riverlands play area:
“Grandparents who take their children there also have an increased social circle—not only with other elderly people but with young people who might be using it. I often find myself in conversation with people I don’t know of all different ages.”
There are clearly significant benefits to having playgrounds.
Play is not just about playgrounds; it is a mindset, a culture, a lifeline, and it deserves to be woven into every part of community life. For children who have known trauma or injury, health play services are critical. They help children to cope, connect and heal, both emotionally and psychologically, yet for too long health play services have been treated as optional. That must change. Play specialists should be embedded in paediatric care, supporting children from waiting rooms to treatment rooms, and even in operating theatres. I saw this in action in Poole hospital, with Lego used to explain MRI scans, playful syringe demonstrations and outdoor play woven into physiotherapy.
In June, NHS England and Starlight launched “play well”, a new toolkit co-produced by over 60 professionals with support from the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Care Quality Commission and Sophie’s Legacy. It is backed by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance and research showing that therapeutic play reduces anxiety, loneliness and the risk of medical trauma, so I fully endorse it.
Play also happened in Sure Start centres, so I am thrilled that the Government are bringing back a revamped Sure Start programme. Recent reports by University College London, the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Centre for Young Lives all proved the benefits of Sure Starts and their play provision. Sure Starts prevented over 5,000 hospital admissions annually and halved inequality gaps, and children living near centres scored higher in GCSEs. The experience of Bournemouth East’s Sure Starts, delivered so excellently by the YMCA in Townsend and Springbourne, was that safe, joyful play helps children to develop socially and emotionally. I cannot wait to see a revamped, reinvigorated Sure Start in my constituency.
Play is good for our economy. The Association of Play Industries has 60 members contributing around £250 million to the economy. The association represents 70% of the industry, so if we extrapolate, it has been estimated that the industry is worth approximately £357 million. Many of those businesses are small, British and family-owned.
I will close where I started, which is to say that the people of Bournemouth East have felt they have not been heard for too long. They know that a child’s right to play is important. They know the importance of playgrounds to a child’s right to play. We must protect these spaces and improve them. We must stand up for play everywhere, not just in Bournemouth East. After 14 long years of austerity, with the benefit of a Labour Government, we should stand up for play across the country.
With local authorities and industry specialists, the Government have established the parks working group to find solutions to the issues facing parks and green spaces across the country, including in Bournemouth East. The work includes increasing the number of playgrounds more generally. Our £1.5 billion plan for neighbourhoods will deliver funding to enable neighbourhood boards in 75 communities across the country to develop local regeneration plans in conjunction with local authorities. The boards can choose to use that funding for a wide range of activities, including to upgrade play areas.
My hon. Friend knows—we have a difference of opinion on this point—that it is not the Government’s intention to place new statutory responsibilities on local authorities in relation to play. We are instead giving them the freedom and flexibility they need to meet local needs, including looking after treasured green spaces. The spending review provided more than £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities can rely on. That includes £3.4 billion of new grant funding to be delivered through the local government finance settlement in financial years 2026-27 to 2028-29. The Government have also committed to simplifying the wider local funding landscape, reducing the number of grants and consolidating them into the local government finance settlement, so that local authorities are able to plan more effectively for infrastructure, amenities and services.
As my hon. Friend also knows, because we have had many a discussion on this point, the national planning policy framework includes a number of safeguards for play spaces. It makes it clear that local planning policies should be based on robust and up-to-date assessments of the need for open space, sport and recreation facilities and opportunities for new provision. That includes places for children’s play, both formal and informal. Information gained from those assessments should be used to determine what recreational provision is needed, which development plans should then seek to accommodate.
The framework also includes strong protections for these spaces, where they may be threatened by development. It sets out clear and robust tests that must be met before any development affecting such spaces can be approved. It means that these facilities can be lost only where the facility is no longer needed or where there is a justified and appropriate alternative, such as equivalent or better provision elsewhere. My hon. Friend welcomed the further strengthening of that policy in our update to the NPPF in December last year, through the explicit safeguarding of formal play spaces.
My hon. Friend knows—we have had this discussion, and I will continue to engage with him on the subject—that in recognition of the importance of play space provision, we are actively considering what more we can say about this important matter, including on the vital role of communities in ensuring that play spaces are fit for purpose. The debate today has, as have other discussions I have had with my hon. Friend, provided invaluable feedback and experience on play spaces and the issues affecting them in his part of England, and he has spoken about others more generally.
We are, as my hon. Friend knows, intending to launch a consultation on what are termed new national policies for decision making—that is, the rules by which development management is managed and taken forward. That currently sits within the national planning policy framework, but he knows we are looking at how we make reforms in that area. I have taken on board his points about what more that suite of national policies might do in relation to the provision of play space. I know that he will contribute, as a constituency MP, to that consultation when it goes live.
A couple of other points are worth mentioning. The national planning policy framework is supplemented by national design guidance, which encourages the provision of open space and play space, including guidance on types of play space and how this can be integrated into new development in an accessible, inclusive and secure way. We are in the process of updating that suite of national design guidance and we are reviewing existing guidance on play space as part of that effort.
My hon. Friend mentioned the role of Sport England. With regard to that role, and potentially, as he put it, extending its duties to play, he will know that the Government have a moratorium on new statutory consultees. However, we want to improve and streamline statutory consultee arrangements in England more generally and empower local areas to make those important decisions. We remain committed to ensuring that our playing field capacity is protected and extended, and the NPPF ensures that those interests are maintained in the planning system, as I have set out.
Again, I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East on securing this debate. I thank him for outlining, with his customary clarity and force, the issues affecting playgrounds in his constituency and around the country. Parks and playgrounds provide places for social connection, support health and wellbeing, increase community engagement and volunteering, help people to connect with nature, and can be a foundation for social capital that underpins local opportunity and prosperity.
We will continue to do all we can to bring together key stakeholders, as well as local and central Government officials, across the parks and green space sector to identify effective and deliverable solutions to improve the quality and sustainability of those spaces. More widely, this Government remain committed to creating a planning system that delivers the play space opportunities that my hon. Friend’s constituency and other parts of the country need. I look forward in particular to sharing our updated planning policies and designing guidance with him and other hon. Members in the months to come.