The government is consulting on a major set of policies for planning in England, which will have huge impact on children’s lives, including their ability to play out near home.
These policies are set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the single most important national government planning policy document. The consultation questions are highly varied; some are high-level and general, while others focus on very specific, often technical issues. Overall, the government’s goals are to stimulate more housebuilding, and improve strategic planning (for example of major infrastructure). Hot topics include housebuilding targets for local authorities and changing the approach to development on designated green belt land.
Playing Out’s response, written with Tim Gill, is available to view/download here: Playing Out response to NPPF consultation
This paper sets out some suggested responses to this online consultation that, taken together, build the case for child-friendly planning policies. You can find the online consultation here:
Our responses aim to raise the profile of children and young people as a group that have historically been ignored in planning policy and are not considered a statutory equality group, even though they are arguably the group most affected by planning decisions. The responses also reflect (and in some places quote) the Labour Party’s 2024 manifesto commitment that “at the core of its mission” is “a bold new ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children in our history.” We strongly believe that creating a built/outdoor environment where all children regardless of other inequalities can safely and freely play out, move, travel and socialise is absolutely essential to achieving this goal. It is vital that the revised NPPF, alongside other cross-departmental government policy, holds this as a priority.
Our responses address some – but not all – of the topics covered by the consultation in its 106 questions. Inevitably, some of our suggested responses fit these questions more neatly than others.
We strongly encourage anyone with an interest in children’s wellbeing to respond to the consultation by the 24th September deadline. The more responses that mention children, the more likely this issue will be taken seriously. If you support our views and responses, feel free to make use of, adapt or add your own perspective/expertise/evidence to the answers in our response.
You do not need to answer every question. If you are very short of time, we suggest you prioritise the following questions:
- Q14 (where you can call for a strategic focus on children and young people in government planning policy).
- Q36 (about specific planning and design features that make neighbourhoods child-friendly)
- Q70 (about child obesity, where you can make exactly the same points as Q36) – we have also drawn on the TCPA’s response on health and homes.
If you have a little more time, you could also answer Q61 (another place to call for specific child-friendly planning and design approaches, repeating the content of Q36 and Q70), Q69 (where we give strong support to the proposal to shift the approach to transport planning, and point out the difference this could make to children.), Q86 and Q106 (another place to call for a strategic focus on children and young people, repeating the content of Q14).
As you will see, there is a lot of repetition across our suggested responses to different questions. This is deliberate. We are assuming that responses will be analysed question-by-question. Hence by reiterating points – and repeating the child wellbeing reason behind them – we think we will increase the likelihood that they will be noticed. Our response to this consultation assumes that some changes to national planning policy will be implemented quite quickly whilst others may take longer.
Ultimately, we want to see children’s needs being prioritised within Government policy across departments and there is a huge opportunity right now to start this process of change. As well as the NPPF consultation, we are currently working with the TCPA and others to pick up the halted inquiry on Children, YP and the built environment and we are also part of the Play Commission being led by Anne Longfield (submissions to this also open until 30th September but you can email to request an extension).
We thank you for anything you are already doing or can do to help us restore children’s freedom, health and happiness.
Tim Gill, Alice Ferguson and Ingrid Skeels, 10 Sept 2024
The post National Planning Policy Consultation: Playing Out’s response appeared first on Playing Out.