Norwich City Council approves year-long street play application

Parents who applied for a one-off traffic order to close the road were told that they had been granted the 12-month permission yesterday, following the city’s first playing out event that attracted about 70 children.

The council charged local residents £36 to cover costs of the closure of Sandringham Road – the sum charged for applications to host jubilee and royal wedding street parties.

But it later agreed that the one-off fee could cover regular two-and-a-half-hour play sessions on dates agreed in advance between residents and the authority for a whole year.

Freya Dearden, a parent and resident who initiated the application with a neighbour, said locals were inspired by the Playing Out movement that began in Bristol.

Members of the local Green Party backed the application, as well as older residents. “We were joined by parents of older children and retired people,” said Dearden. “They were interested through nostalgia and remembering when they played out as kids. The elderly residents said it was lovely seeing the children playing outside.”

Dearden, who is a teacher at a local secondary school and has two children, said the event provided children with the opportunity to make new friends, and for parents to get to know their neighbours. 

Norwich City Council said it was happy to receive applications from other residents for similar road-closure plans.

“We’re happy to hear from people who want to propose similar schemes,” said a council spokeswoman. “In some roads closure might not be appropriate and we will have to look at applications on a case-by-case basis. But if we can facilitate it, we will.”

Catherine Prisk, chief executive of Play England, applauded the council’s decision.
“It’s amazing the first street in Norwich has chosen to do this and persuaded the council,” she said. “Well done to Norwich City Council for having the vision to do it.”

However, she warned that despite the fee being low, asking residents to pay for street closures could create a barrier for other locals who might like to replicate the Sandringham Road example.

“We recognise there is a cost to councils in terms of time, but if they want communities who are not so engaged to replicate this scheme, they are going to have to invest in somebody locally to support them,” said Prisk.

“I get nervous this might become the prerogative only of the streets with sharp elbows. In terms of cost-effectiveness, most councils that are looking to introduce this want to do it for free.”

A pilot playing out scheme began in the London Borough of Hackney earlier this month and Swansea Council also recently announced proposals to close roads for street play.