Local authorities are bypassing the voluntary sector in the delivery of new play services, play providers have claimed.
A number of play associations - local voluntary organisations that promote children's play - have told CYP Now that councils have not consulted with them sufficiently on how to use millions of pounds of cash allocated by The Children's Plan for new play areas.
In the recently published play strategy, the government stated that supporting community-led projects is a specific condition of the funding, instructing authorities to put play partnerships in place to ensure consultation across all agencies.
However, Luke Kirton, development worker at Hounslow's play association Westplay, said: "We are being bypassed, which is a shame because the knowledge of the community is with the play associations."
Sarah Grand, director of Lambeth Play Association, said she felt excluded despite being part of Lambeth's play partnership. "There always seems to be decisions taken that we are not party to. It's almost as if involving us is just a tokenistic gesture."
Brian Cheeseman, a director of Yorkshire Play, said: "Play associations have always flown the flag for play within communities and now authorities are jumping on the bandwagon and bypassing them because they have the money," he said.
A spokesman for Lambeth Council in south London insisted that Lambeth Play Association has been "fully involved" on the borough's programme to build new playgrounds. Hounslow council was unable to comment as CYP Now went to press.
The Children's Plan allocated 20 authorities £2.5m each over three years as the first wave of play pathfinders, required to develop a minimum of 28 play spaces and a new staffed adventure playground. Also announced were 43 playbuilder authorities, each receiving £1.1m to build at least 22 new play areas. These authorities were given until March 2009 to complete their one-year targets of 12 new areas for pathfinders and six new sites for playbuilders.
Children's play consultant Tim Gill said the deadline for year one has come too soon, leaving authorities short on time to fully engage with the community and get the new areas built. "It was inevitable that once the government got interested in play everything would go up a gear and some processes would get stretched or missed out," he added.
A spokeswoman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said: "We have made it clear that we expect play associations to be heavily involved, but it is a local decision how councils do this."
