Update play strategy for Cheshire West and Chester Council
April 2021 |Cheshire West and Chester Council|Cheshire
Introduction
Ethos were commissioned to complete 3 Environmental Management Strategies for Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC), one of which was a play strategy to update the previous 2016 strategy. Also undertaken by Ethos, the 2016 strategy was used to secure external funding for play and youth facilities of £1.67 million and enabled the implementation of 64 improvement schemes over the period of 2016 - 2020. The strategy aims to encompass the roles and contributions of all partners involved in developing and managing Play spaces across the Borough.
Our role
The strategy was comprised of two “tiers” of reports:
- Tier 1
∟ A borough-wide strategy that provides guidance on policy and best practice in outdoor public play provision. The Tier 1 strategy makes the case for play and demonstrates its alignment with and contribution to corporate policy such as the Council Plan - Play your part to thrive and the Health and Wellbeing Strategy. - Tier 2
∟ Four Locality Play Improvement frameworks. These supply detailed analysis of play spaces and outdoor youth facilities at the locality level.
It recognises that consultation and engagement with children and young people in particular are essential in the planning and delivery of play and youth facility improvement projects, and that future provision will be planned in line with co-production principles to help break down barriers between people who use services, people who provide services, and people who design services.
For the 2020 Strategy update partners and stakeholders were consulted to review the aims, objectives and principles of the new play strategy; to gain views on recent developments in play and potential new policy positions; and to enable input into priorities for the 4- year strategic action plan.