Members to consider place-based approach to play areas for community recovery
Highland Councillors will be asked this week to devolve budget and decision-making to Area Committees to enable a more sustainable place-based approach for the safe delivery the Council’s play areas. The proposed approach would use local knowledge, community effort and resources with Member views and staff advice to solve problems and identify possibilities to bring the council’s play areas back into safe use to help communities and families in the recovery from COVID-19.
These proposals follow on from Members’ previous discussions at the Council’s Communities and Place committee on 25 November 2020 when Councillors agreed that officers present further detailed proposals to a meeting of The Highland Council for all Members’ consideration to help improve the play area estate across the Highlands as the region recovers from the pandemic.
Councillor Allan Henderson, Chair of the Communities and Place Committee said:
“I realise that all communities have different needs, so the proposal is to augment the funds and allow communities to use Covid humanitarian funds in innovative ways. The aim of these proposals is to help ease parents and children back into community life while still supporting the humanitarian needs of the whole of the Highlands.
“I realise communities have more opportunities to secure outside funding from different sources such as the Lottery, community benefit schemes, Ward Discretionary budget and Highland Coastal Communities funding. Some members believe it is possible through this method to commence to refresh playparks and go some way to closing the estimated gap of £3.46 for maintenance and repairs.
“This I believe is a positive move towards localism, with Ward Members and Ward managers involved in devolved decision making and answerable to their communities.”
Councillors will be asked on Thursday 17 December at a meeting of The Highland Council to consider a report detailing proposals for Covid Ward funds and investing in play areas.
The report is on the council’s website at this link and the meeting will be available to watch via live webcast at: https://highland.public-i.tv/core/portal/home