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Case Study – The Methleys Home Zone
In 1999, the Government recognised the value of designating residential areas as different
from normal roads, and chose the Methleys as one of nine national pilot Home Zone
schemes. Home Zones are residential areas which have been designed to encourage very low
vehicle speeds. The aim is to reduce the dominance of motor vehicles and, in doing so, create
environments more suited to the needs of pedestrians and cyclists (including children).
Methleys Neighbourhood Action (MNA) is the residents group which came together to make
the Home Zone a reality. MNA member Paul Doney said:
“It has been a very successful partnership with the Highways Department, with both sides learning
from each other. We could not have achieved what we have today without their support, but
equally they could not have done a scheme like this without a co-operative community.”
Cross professional training for people who design and manage public space
5.18
It is critically important that we raise awareness of the implications of children’s need for
unstructured play on the design of local public spaces among those who are responsible for
planning and design decisions. The traditional children’s workforce also needs to understand
the importance of unstructured play for children
5.19 We will negotiate, develop, pilot and roll out a programme of training that will bring
together professionals who design public space with children’s delivery partners, including the
play sector. We will offer this programme to every local authority and will pilot it with the
pathfinders in 2008-09. The involvement of expert organisations will ensure a strong emphasis
on creating natural play environments and the training will also explore how to involve children,
families and communities in planning, designing and managing public space. It will
complement DH’s plans for training planners, trailed in Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives, as part of
wider efforts to focus attention on the importance of using the built environment to encourage
physical activity.
5.20 During the Play Strategy consultation we will work across government and with
Government Offices, CABE, Play England and other organisations to communicate with
relevant professional audiences.
Play a focus of flagship developments
5.21 The Town and Country Planning Association32 will publish a worksheet on sustainable
communities as part of their work on the development of eco-towns. This will highlight the
importance of creating open spaces for children to play, making them accessible and safe, and
ensuring they can be enjoyed by all children, including those with disabilities.
5.22 Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives includes a commitment to work with a number of interested local
authorities to sign up to a £30m healthy community challenge fund. The fund will test and
validate holistic approaches to promoting physical activity and could include increased
32 TCPA website – www.tcpa.org.uk
Fair Play: A consultation on the play strategy
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