21 July 2020On 17th July 2020, the Government issued updated guidance on the safe reopening of playgrounds in England. Separate guidance was issued by the Welsh Government on 20th July setting out the requirements in Wales.
Helen Ball, Town Clerk to Shrewsbury Town Council and SLCC Director, has been working closely with the Association of Play Industries (API) to communicate the challenges presented by the Government’s guidelines on the re-opening of play areas and has also represented the SLCC in the discussions with MHCLG. Helen commented ‘I think this will give comfort to many clerks who struggled with the tone and language of the original guidelines. It focuses on the emphasis being to undertake a risk assessment and mitigate in line with current guidelines’.
The guidance on the safe reopening of playgrounds in England can be viewed here.
The guidance on the safe reopening of playgrounds in Wales (published 20th July) can be viewed here.
There are some substantive changes in the guidance around face coverings and disposal of them (section 4 – key principals) and face coverings for staff (section 6). These are linked to the wider guidance on wearing of face coverings when out in public in England.
Helen will be representing the SLCC in a roundtable discussion with MHCLG and other key stakeholders from the play industry on 10th August and we invite members to take part in our short (4 question) survey which will be used to support this discussion.
