19th August, 10:00-11:00: Play England on Understanding the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) for Play
This webinar, Eugene Minogue, Executive Director of Play England, will explain what the current and emerging NPPF means for parks, playgrounds and the wider public realm. It will examine the protection of formal play spaces, the limitations of overlooking informal play, and how Play Sufficiency Assessments and spatial evidence can help local authorities identify inequalities, strengthen local plans and target infrastructure investment. The content will be updated if the final revised NPPF is published before the webinar.
Key topics covered:
- Current (2024) NPPF policy, including protection of formal play spaces.
- The December 2025 draft and changes relevant to children, healthy communities and local plans.
- Formal and informal play across parks, streets, green spaces and the public realm.
- Play Sufficiency, developer contributions and infrastructure planning.
- Playces: mapping access, child population, deprivation and inequalities.
Eugene Minogue is Executive Director of Play England, England’s national charity for play. He has more than 25 years’ experience in local government and national policy, with expertise in children’s play, parks, planning, public space, leisure and active wellbeing. He led Play England’s 10-year strategy and serves as Secretariat to the APPG on Play.
