Would like your kids to able to play out in the street just as you probably did as a child? The good news is that in many parts of London, starting a play street is fairly easy. Councils have simplified the bureaucracy involved – in some cases you can even apply online – and their growing popularity means your neighbours are likely to be supportive. You'll be surprised how much kids enjoy playing in the street even if there is a park nearby.
I set up a regular road closure for the kids to play out near my home in Walthamstow. It's not a street party and requires no special facilities or catering. It only needs setting up once and you can them roll on with regular closures for play. Below are the simple steps I went through:
- The council provided me with a template letter to put through the door of each resident on the street in question by way of a consultation.
- The council provided me with a template form to fill out indicating where I had consulted and when I wanted the event to run. I chose 3pm until 6pm on every last Sunday of the month.
- I then contacted Chris Harrison at Low Hall depot to confirm he had received the details and had put the closure on record.
That's it!
On the day the kids bring scooters, balls and skipping ropes. I generally bring a big box of pavement chalks as it's great to see the colours remain on the road for a couple of days afterwards.
Please feel free to ask me any questions as one of my aims with these events to encourage others to do the same on streets near their own homes.
Kind regards
Dan Kelly
E17