DfT ‘Play Street’ guidance

This new DfT guidance is designed to simplify the process of creating Play Streets – an initiative that allows residents to temporarily close their roads to enable children to play safely outside, by issuing new guidance.Play Streets, where roads are closed to allow for small events and sports, are designed to reduce air pollution, improve children’s health and develop community cohesion.

Their popularity has risen in recent years, with a number of cities using them to promote active travel and road safety.

The DfT hopes the move will break down some of the barriers that prevent children from having the freedom to play out where they live – as their parents or grandparents did in times gone by.

At present, the process of organising a Play Street involves obtaining a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), which the DfT describes as costly – due to a requirement to advertise them.

However, the new guidance enables councils to grant ‘special event’ orders, which mean roads can be temporarily closed to enable children’s play – and these do not need to be advertised.

While consent is needed for multiple closures, councils can also use a single consent application to close several roads repeatedly for children’s play over any 12 month period – rather than submitting individual applications for each closure.