You can apply to close the road on your street, for up to three hours at a time, to make it safer for children to play out.
You need to do everything in the 'What you need to do before you apply' section, before you apply.
What you need to do before you apply
Check the route
You cannot apply to close a main road or bus route
Consult with neighbours
It is important to discuss the idea with the other residents on your street to see what the level of interest is. You must contact all residents in the area you want to close in writing. There are resources and letter templates that we can provide to help with this.
You must complete a full consultation or your application will not be accepted. There are letters and documents to help you with this below
Play Streets are resident-led initiatives. It is helpful to have a group of people who live on your street to support you. You may need help speaking to neighbours and stewarding during the street closure.
Decide when you want to start
You need to choose the first day you want to close your street. We will need 6 weeks notice (from when you complete the application) to make sure everything is in place.
Apply to close your street
When you have completed everything you need to do before you apply, You can complete the online application
Useful resources
You can find handy templates for letters, signs posters risk assessments etc on the Playing Out website
Frequently asked questions
We know that during the consultation and when the play street session is happening, some residents will have queries.
We've put together this list of the questions we know are asked the most.
No, to avoid confusion the Department of Transport withdrew their guidance on this requirement on 7 February 2011.
Most local authorities do not ask for a risk plan for small street parties, but you may wish to think about how you can minimise things going wrong and have a back up plan, for example - what would you do if there was bad weather? Can you use plastic plates and cups rather than glass? Have you made sure an adult is in charge of the barbeque etc.
No - if your street party is a private party for residents and the music is not advertised in advance to attract people, and you’re not making money then there is no need for a licence for your music, whether it’s live or recorded.
Recent research suggests that on streets that play out children had learned a range of physical and social skills, including riding a bike and interacting with other children and that, as a result of playing out, many feel they belong more in their neighbourhood. Street play is part of a national movement to enable occasional street closures, which responds to a growing desire to engage communities and promote child health, in particular. Over 700 streets in more than 70 towns and cities across the UK regularly close their streets for play. See also http://playingout.net/why/10-good-reasons/
Once the Road Closed signs are set up (usually attached to wheelie bins), everyone can play. Some streets organise games – often those the adults used to play as children such as kerby or stuck in the mud – but most just let the kids get on with cycling, scooting, football, hide and seek, and so on. We give each new street bubbles, pavement chalk and a skipping rope. Adults must be present to supervise their children (see below) and most organisers make a real effort to encourage neighbours without small children to join in too. Most streets bring out some snacks and drinks but that’s not compulsory!
Street play is organised by residents. The initiative comes from a group of residents, not from the council. They must door-knock and/or deliver letters to all homes directly affected by the planned closure, giving them the opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns. We very much want this to be a positive experience, but recognise that not all residents will be as keen on the idea. We have to demonstrate that most residents have agreed to the planned closure, so that if the majority of residents are supportive, then these events will go ahead. If you do have concerns, we ask that you see how the closure goes – you may be pleasantly surprised.
Even though there are sometimes other local spaces to play, the idea of street play is for children to be able to play on their own streets, outside their homes, and to meet other local children, like many adults used to do when they were young. Street play is also about community building and neighbours getting to know each other. Children playing together on their street helps to build a sense of community and belonging, which in turn makes your street a safer and friendlier place.
All of the evidence from the streets that organise street play sessions is that disruption is minimal. They only last for a short period (2-3 hours) and noise levels are not especially high. These are public streets and we cannot prevent noise during reasonable daytime hours. Indeed, during the closure there will be less traffic noise than on a normal day and our experience is that streets are quieter during playing out sessions than when open to traffic, to the extent you are more likely to hear birdsong!
A street play session will not stop you from having car access to your home. The only real difference is that through traffic will be diverted and residents will be asked to drive in and out at walking speed behind a steward (one of your neighbours) in a hi-vis vest. Access will always be ensured for emergency vehicles. Stewards will make sure that children are safely off the road temporarily if vehicle access is needed. If you usually park on the road, you may want to consider parking elsewhere, but you do not have to. Through traffic will be diverted, usually onto neighbouring streets or back alleys, with clear signage and stewards to explain the situation. Although this may have a small impact on neighbouring streets, it is only for a few hours and often at a time (e.g. Sunday afternoons) when traffic is reduced anyway.
Some people worry that their cars or front gardens will be damaged by children playing in the street. There is no reason to believe that your property is at any more risk of being damaged than normal and the experience of hundreds of streets playing out across the UK suggests this happens extremely rarely. During street play sessions, children are supervised by their parents or other carers. Those adults are responsible for their children at all times. If any damage does occur, the relevant parents would resolve the situation, as they would in any other case of accidental damage.
Most local authorities do not ask for public liability insurance cover for a small residential street party. But where you or your council think insurance would be a good idea you might find it helpful to go on Streets Alive (www.streetparty.org.uk) and The Big Lunch website (www.thebiglunch.com) for further advice. Quotes for insurance start from as little as £50. The costs can always be split between residents, or you could hold a raffle or ask for donations to cover the costs.
Once you have set up your play street you will receive an email telling you which dates you have permission to operate your playstreet. Once those dates run out, its time to renew the license, using the online application.