Agenda item

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Children and Young People which updated Members on the progress made in developing the Playbuilder programme and which sought consideration of the proposals for its delivery. In addition it sought to give Members the chance to consider the opportunity and implications of a bid for Wave 2 Play Pathfinder Status.

Members received a report on the 21^st May 2008 informing them of the success of the authority in achieving Playbuilder status. Halton had received formal confirmation of this status on 31^st May 2008 and confirmation of the funding awarded, as detailed within the report.

From the guidance received, it had been identified that Halton must deliver a minimum of 6 new/transformed playgrounds in 2008/09 and a further 18 in 2009/10 and 2010/11 making a total of 24 over the 3 years.

It was noted that Halton Play Partnership had been asked to consider appropriate models for the consideration, commissioning and management of play area development proposals.  At it’s meeting in May 2008 the Play Partnership agreed the formation of a Playbuilder Implementation Project team and the Membership details were outlined in the report.

The Project Team had met twice to date and progress had been made to develop a ‘Playbuilder Project Plan’ and a ‘Draft Plan’.  The draft plan would include proposals for the identification of and timetable for year 1 2008/09 projects.

As a result of the challenging timeframe (all yr1 capital allocation must be spent by 31^st March 2009) the project team had, based on the consultation carried out to develop the Halton Play Plan 2007-2011 and the Big Lottery Funded Children’s Play Initiative, identified a number of projects which could meet the challenge of delivering within the timeframe and that it met the criteria proposed for year 1 projects.

The Board was advised that only £15,000 of the year one allocation could be carried over into the following year. Year one projects must therefore be deliverable by March 31^st 2009.

It was noted that projects in years two and three would be invited for submission to the Council. This would afford time for a formal application process to be developed where projects would be subject to strict eligibility criteria developed by the Play Partnership.

Members were advised on the Wave 2 Play Pathfinder Status. Existing Playbuilders had been asked if they would like to be considered for play pathfinder status in Wave two and were given until 19^th September 2008 to advise DCSF that they wished to be considered.

            The final date for the submission of full pathfinder bids was 12noon on Friday 24^th October 2008 and there would be 10 Play Pathfinders awarded funding from all applications.

            In addition to the £1.1 million capital already approved for playbuilder the 10 Pathfinders would each deliver at least one large adventure playground or play park, costing around £800k.

Pathfinders would also receive revenue funding to cover activity such as generating learning on innovative ways of improving local play offers; appointing a senior project manager to link to high-level decision-making; and any other required infrastructure to ensure the Pathfinder programme runs effectively.

            RESOLVED: That

(1)            progress to date be noted and the schemes identified in Appendix 5 to the report be agreed; and

(2)       Wave 2 Pathfinder status application be progressed.