Play Strategy

I am delighted to introduce Cheshire West and Chester’s first comprehensive Play Strategy, which shows how good play provision supports the priorities of children and young people in our borough.

Play is a vital part of every child’s growth and development. Active play promotes a healthy lifestyle and enables children to develop their learning and social skills. It teaches sharing, respect for others, tolerance, patience, as well as the importance of rules and fairness, and it is often through play where we develop our imagination and creativity.

We want to provide a variety of safe and stimulating play environments, in which children are not only given opportunities to learn but also to have fun and enjoy themselves. Play lets children be children.

The Strategy closely links with the Council Plan especially in the delivery of the Public Health, and the Health and Well-being agendas. Council Services and stakeholders are working closely together to encourage and support active play to become part of everyday life and promoting activities such as the Daily Mile.

The Council and partners will undertake an annual review of the Play Strategy which will involve the logging of any improvement plans and ensuring that we keep up to speed with emerging policy and best practice. We will also seek case studies from partners on any play improvement schemes undertaken to showcase successes.

This Strategy provides the Council and its partners with an agreed approach and will inform the shape and direction of priorities and developments for play and outdoor youth facilities from 2016 to 2020.

I believe that the Cheshire West and Chester Play Strategy will ensure that the future play provision in our borough is exciting, challenging and, above all, fun.

Councillor Louise Gittins