Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to allocate additional funding to improve accessibility at (a) playgrounds, (b) parks and (c) recreational facilities.

Parks and recreational facilities are an essential part of local social infrastructure. They provide places for social connection, support health and wellbeing and increase community engagement. At Budget, the Chancellor announced £18 million of investment over two years to refurbish up to 200 playgrounds across England, helping to renew communities and advance the government’s Pride in Place commitment. We will announce how this funding will be allocated in due course.

Local authorities support adults and children to lead more active lives through access to public leisure services, green space, parks and playground spaces. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced, recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities and that procurement is up to the discretion of Local authorities rather than the government

In addition to this, the National Model Design Code provides a toolkit for planners in councils to produce local design codes that pay particular attention to inclusive design when developing places. This includes a specific reference to making play areas accessible and inclusive for all.