COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Thursday, June 17, 2021

MOTION NO.

MOTION: Councillor Carly Bailey

To amend: COS 5 Objective 19: To support the provision within new residential developments and parks and public open spaces, of formal and informal play areas with appropriate equipment and facilities, incorporating nature-based play opportunities where appropriate, ensuring that the needs of differing age groups including young children, older children and teenagers are catered for and that different abilities and needs are accommodated to be able to access and participate in play, and to take account of all kinds of disability including those that are physical, intellectual and sensory in nature.

REPORT:

The motion seeks to amend COS 5 Objective 19 as follows (additional text in bold):

‘To support the provision within new residential developments and parks and public open spaces, of formal and informal play areas with appropriate equipment and facilities, incorporating nature-based play opportunities where appropriate, ensuring that the needs of differing age groups including young children, older children and teenagers are catered for and that different abilities and needs are accommodated to be able to access and participate in play, and to take account of all kinds of disability including those that are physical, intellectual and sensory in nature’.

SDCC aims to have inclusive equipment rather than special provision.

South Dublin County Council has been committed to access and equality since the Council was established in 1995. SDCC adopted the Barcelona Declaration in June 2002. This EU-wide Declaration advocates the right of disabled people to equal opportunities, inclusiveness and integration.

Prior to the commencement of the Playspace programme, SDCC consulted with the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design on our design approach and on developing design guidelines for play areas and continues to engage with stakeholders throughout the delivery of the Playspace programme, developing designs to accommodate requirements.  A universal design approach has been taken which recognises the diversity of the population and ensures that our playgrounds can be used by everyone.

Universal design places human diversity at the heart of the design process so that environments can be designed to meet the needs of all users. It therefore covers all persons regardless of their age or size and those who have any particular physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual ability or disability. It is about achieving good design so that people can access, use and understand the environment to the greatest extent and in the most independent and natural manner possible, without the need for adaptations or specialised solutions.

Much of the universal design is invisible to users and concerns things like siting the playgrounds in easy to reach places, having level entry points, having clear well-placed signage and having easy to use equipment. We consider distance from car parking, access to the playground from surrounding areas and are aware that it may be the carer and not just the child who may have reduced mobility or any other disability.

Part of the tender brief for every playspace includes meeting the 7 principles of universal design: Equitable Use, Flexibility in Use, Simple and Intuitive Use, Perceptible Information, Tolerance for Error, Low Physical Effort, and Size and Space for Approach and Use.

Considering the above, it is considered that the wording ‘and to ensure playspaces and play facilities comply with universal design principles’ should be added to COS 5 Objective 19 instead of the wording suggested by the motion (‘and to take account of all kinds of disability including those that are physical, intellectual and sensory in nature’), so that it reads as follows:

COS 5 Objective 19: ‘To support the provision within new residential developments and parks and public open spaces, of formal and informal play areas with appropriate equipment and facilities, incorporating nature-based play opportunities where appropriate, ensuring that the needs of differing age groups including young children, older children and teenagers are catered for and that different abilities and needs are accommodated to be able to access and participate in play, and to ensure playspaces and play facilities comply with universal design principles’.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the motion is adopted with amendments to include additional wording in COS 5 Objective 19 to satisfy the intent of the motion, so that the objective reads as follows:

COS 5 Objective 19: ‘To support the provision within new residential developments and parks and public open spaces, of formal and informal play areas with appropriate equipment and facilities, incorporating nature-based play opportunities where appropriate, ensuring that the needs of differing age groups including young children, older children and teenagers are catered for and that different abilities and needs are accommodated to be able to access and participate in play, and to ensure playspaces and play facilities comply with universal design principles’.