The Environment, Community Safety and Engagement Scrutiny Commission met to discuss community safety, play spaces, and the Streets for People strategy. The commission heard from representatives from Make Space for Girls and London Play regarding inclusive design in play areas, and the cabinet member for Leisure, Parks & Young People, Councillor Portia Mwangangye, was interviewed. The commission also noted a report on active travel and access to nature, and reviewed their work programme.

Play Space Scrutiny Review

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the Play Space Scrutiny Review, with discussions spanning planning and regeneration, as well as housing, environment, sustainability, and leisure. The review included presentations from Nadine Peters, Trustee of Make Space for Girls, and Fiona Sutherland from London Play.

Make Space for Girls

Nadine Peters from Make Space for Girls, a charity campaigning for better public spaces for teenage girls and young women, presented the charity's key principles, highlighting that play is not limited to under-12s and often involves socialising and informal interaction. She noted the gender imbalance in current facilities, with skate parks and MUGAs¹ being predominantly used by boys and young men.

Research (Yorkshire, 2022): 59% of girls feel unwelcome in parks dominated by boys.

She raised safety concerns, citing a University of Leeds study where 89% of park professionals thought parks were safe for women and girls, but only 22% of teenage girls agreed. Peters recommended inclusive design, such as sociable seating, shelters, swings for older children, reading nooks, stages, and decompression spaces. She also suggested using design signals like lighting, colour, and clear signage, as well as providing clean toilets and affordable food options. Peters highlighted international examples such as Rosens Rodda Matta in Malmo, Sweden, and Gaukel Street Parkette in Canada, as well as local engagement projects in Chelmsford and Maldon.

London Play

Fiona Sutherland from London Play, a charity advocating for children's right to play, discussed the importance of play for healthy childhoods and communities. She outlined the challenges of obesity, mental health issues, overcrowding, and limited play provision in London. Sutherland referenced Southwark's Play Audit, which identified over 260 play areas, with 70% having had no major investment in over 12 years and 53% not being accessible. She recommended developing a borough-wide Play Strategy, addressing gaps and quality issues, ensuring inclusivity, and linking play to council priorities.

Questions and Answers

During a question and answer session, Councillor Esme Hicks, Chair of the Environment, Community Safety and Engagement Scrutiny Commission, invited the commission to ask questions of London Play and Make Space for Girls.

When asked about the top priority for a Play Strategy, Make Space for Girls emphasised the need for inclusion of girls and young women, recommending co-design and active engagement with diverse groups. London Play stressed that the strategy must address play needs beyond traditional playgrounds, incorporating streets and estates, and highlighted the importance of revenue funding for ongoing maintenance.

In response to a question about best practice examples, Make Space for Girls commended Sweden for its commitment to gender equality and highlighted the Gaukel Street Parkette in Canada for its Deconstructed Heart design.

Regarding the biggest barriers aside from financial constraints, London Play observed that play provision often falls between service areas, recommending clear governance and cross-departmental involvement. Make Space for Girls noted a lack of awareness within councils regarding how design can unintentionally exclude girls and advocated for post-occupancy evaluations.

Make Space for Girls explained that their engagement originated through community safety teams, leading to research that captured girls' perspectives on public space and identified a negative cycle whereby girls' absence from parks reinforces feelings of insecurity.

Interview with Councillor Portia Mwangangye

The commission interviewed Councillor Portia Mwangangye, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Parks & Young People. Themes that emerged included:

• Equity of Investment: Ensuring estates receive equivalent investment to traditional parks.
• Funding: Exploring sustainable approaches to maintain investment.
• Co-Design Examples: Goose Green was cited as a successful engagement and delivery model.
• Gendered Approach: Highlighting projects such as Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park targeting young girls.
• Consultation: Engagement with school children and local residents in design processes.
• Play Working Group: Includes 11 departments.
• Advocacy: Integration with planning policy at London level and collaboration with developers to secure investment in play.
• Accountability: Clear accountability and sufficient buy-in across departments.
• Community Safety: Initiatives in Burgess Park: improved lighting and safe routes.
• Prioritisation: Use of deprivation indices and youth input to prioritise interventions.
• Upkeep: Importance of ongoing revenue funding for upkeep.
• Collaboration: With contractors to address maintenance concerns.

Streets for People - Zoning Consultation

Nicolina Cooper, Interim Head of Controlled Parking, Environment, Sustainability & Leisure, presented the Streets for People strategy, launched in July 2023. The strategy aims to make streets cleaner, greener, and safer, with a focus on reducing traffic, improving road safety, and tackling the climate emergency. The programme is based on the council's largest-ever consultation, with over 9,000 responses.

The delivery approach includes borough-wide interventions, strategic corridors, and local zones with measures such as footway widening, crossings, trees, and places for rest and play. Zones are prioritised using criteria such as road safety, deprivation, public transport access, and existing projects.

During the question and answer session, the following themes were discussed:

• Cross-Borough Working: Concerns were raised about Lambeth-led plans affecting St George's Ward. Officers confirmed Southwark signs off plans, outlined engagement to date, and offered to meet councillors to ensure feedback influences the final designs.
• Consultation Process: Officers outlined early engagement methods and stressed co-design before designs are developed.
• Traffic Displacement Concerns: Members queried whether low-traffic schemes push traffic onto main roads near deprived communities. Officers acknowledged initial displacement but explained overall traffic usually reduces within six months.
• Integration and Collaboration: Streets for People is cross-cutting, linking with various departments and teams. It was suggested adding Make Space for Girls and London Play as consultees.

The chair summarised the discussion, emphasising the need for diverse and inclusive engagement, consultation with Make Space for Girls and London Play, and strengthened collaboration with neighbouring boroughs.

Scrutiny Review Report: Active Travel and Access to Nature

The commission noted the Scrutiny Review Report: Exploring the Physical and Mental Health and Wellbeing Impacts of Active Travel and Access to Nature.