Play Sufficiency Assessment
Playing or hanging out outdoors offers many benefits to children and young people, helping them develop their imagination, creativity, social skills, physical and emotional wellbeing and also their appreciation of the environment. Above all, playing or hanging out is a fun and cherished part of being a child or teenager.
Falkirk Council is preparing a play sufficiency assessment to inform the Evidence Report for the new Falkirk Local Development Plan 3 (LDP3). The assessment will look at the availability, accessibility and quality of your community's open spaces (such as parks, woodlands, equipped play areas and sports pitches) for children and young people to play or hang-out. It will help devise policies and proposals to improve opportunities for outdoor play in the future.
Phases
Publication of Evidence Report
The Play Sufficiency Assessment is an accompanying document to the Evidence Report. This report is an important stage in preparing the new Falkirk Local Development Plan 3 (LDP3), bringing together the evidence gathered so far for the plan and highlighting areas of agreement/dispute with the evidence among stakeholders. Falkirk Council submitted the Evidence Report to Scottish Ministers in October 2024 for the gatecheck, which involved a Scottish Government appointed reporter assessing whether the evidence is sufficient enough to prepare the Proposed LDP3. On 17 January 2025, the reporter determined that the Evidence Report is sufficient. This outcome means that the Council can now proceed with the preparation of the LDP3's Proposed Plan. This page has more information on the future opportunities to have your say on the Proposed Plan.
The Play Sufficiency Assessment will have a role in informing future proposals and strategies for outdoor play in the Falkirk Council area.