Prioritising children’s play is one of six key recommendations to emerge from the evidence submitted to the government inquiry into Children and the Built Environment.
The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee inquiry received more than 130 submissions, including from London Play before being prematurely dissolved when the general election was called. A group led by the TCPA stepped up to ensure that the wealth of evidence and ideas contained would not be lost. The “Raising the healthiest generation in history” report was launched at the House of Lords in December. Its title comes directly from the Labour Party Manifesto:
“Arguably nothing says more about the state of a nation than the wellbeing of its children. So right at the core of our mission will be a bold new ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children in our history.”
Labour Party Manifesto, 2024
The report summarises the evidence submitted to the inquiry and makes recommendations to ministers across government including the Secretaries of State for housing, transport, education, health and social care, environment and culture as well as to the Human Rights Commission.
- Its five recommendations are:
- Establish national leadership for children and young people’s wellbeing (and fully incorporate the UNCRC into domestic law)
- Prioritise opportunities for play (including developing a national play strategy for England)
- Enhance access to nature and green spaces where children and young people feel welcome (including delivering on the 15 minute standard of access to greenspace in the Environment Act)
- Change policy and practice to prioritise the creation of child-friendly places, spaces and communities (and revising national planning policy to ensure this)
- Commit to a spatial justice approach to transport and mobility (including national guidance on doorstep play, play and school streets)
- Provide all children with a secure, high-quality home.
It is dedicated to the late Nicky Gavron, a great friend of London Play and former Deputy Mayor of London who was unrelenting in her commitment to improving children’s lives in the capital. In particular she was responsible for guidance on children and young people’s play and informal recreation being included in the London Plan.
The report was written by the TCPA in collaboration with the group who initially called for the inquiry: Playing Out, Fields in Trust, childhood expert Tim Gill and architect Dinah Bornat. Click here to view the report on the TCPA website.
View London Play’s evidence to the committee here.