Road closures don’t always mean misery. Samantha Laurie on a streetwise scheme that is bringing communities together.
It all started with two Bristol mums having a chat over the garden fence. How nice it would be, mused Alice Ferguson and Amy Rose, if kids could play freely on their own doorstep and parents could have a break from the endless ferrying to and from organised activities.
Seven years on, Playing Out – the scheme that helps communities temporarily pedestrianise their road to enable kids to play and neighbours to chat – is a roaring national success. So far more than 600 streets have put out ‘road closed’ signs for a few hours on a Sunday or after school.
Guildford Borough Council is the latest local authority to embrace the concept, waiving fees and putting in place an official street play policy with an easy-to-follow set of guidelines. It even provides residents with a loan kit of high-vis jackets, traffic cones and street closure signs.
“Guildford has a lot of parks, but they can be a long walk away for families,” says Amanda Pick, the council’s Play and Youth Development Officer. “We want to make it easier for children to play in their communities, and we’re finding that adults – even those without children – are joining in with things too. It’s a great chance to chat to your neighbours and find out who’s on your street.”
Nick Turner
Playing Out - Bartletts Road
Playing Out - Bartletts Road
Nick Turner
Hapgood street, Playing Out
Hapgood street, Playing Out
Eight roads have so far applied. One of the first to put the new policy to the test was Wodeland Avenue, where the first street closure in April proved so popular that the vehicular shutdown is set to become a monthly event.
Volunteer ‘marshals’ keep the children in and the cars out, explains chief organiser Clare Gossage, and if residents need their cars during the two hours, the marshals can escort them in and out at walking pace.
“Residents’ only concern was access. Once we’d reassured them on that, they were all on board. Everyone said how much they’d enjoyed the day – the kids were out on their bikes and scooters, or with skipping ropes and street chalks, meeting other children of all ages and from different schools. The older kids looked out for the younger ones and many people came out to see what was going on.”
As a low-cost, sustainable initiative to get kids active, street play is hard to beat – a recent study from the University of Bristol showed that youngsters were three to five times more active than they would be on a normal day. In the longer term, it creates a ‘calling for you’ culture as local children get to know each other, making streets more liveable and communities stronger. Not surprisingly, more than 50 councils have already put in place a policy to make the process smoother, with Sutton the most recent convert.
If your council has no official street policy, don’t be deterred: contact your councillor and find out whom to approach. Point him or her to guildford.gov.uk/article/21594/set-up-a-street-play-session. In addition, playingout.net has lots of advice on its website to get you started.
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