AS PROVIDED FOR UNDER SECTION 100B(4)(b) OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT

1972, THE CHAIRMAN IS OF THE OPINION THAT THIS BUSINESS SHOULD BE

CONSIDERED AT THE MEETING AS A MATTER OF URGENCY, BY REASON OF
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THESE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE THAT A DECISION ON
THE USE OF PLAYBUILDER GRANT IS REQUIRED URGENTLY TO GIVE EFFECT TO IN-
YEAR FUNDING CHANGES RESULTING FROM THE RECENTLY-ANNOUNCED
CHANGES TO GOVERNMENT RING-FENCED GRANTS .

PAPER NO. 10-568

WANDSWORTH BOROUGH COUNCIL

EDUCATION AND CHILDREN’S SERVICES OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE -

1ST JULY 2010

EXECUTIVE 5TH 2010

Report by the Director of Children's Services on changes to the terms and conditions applying to
the Playbuilder playground development capital grant

SUMMARY

Background: On 23rd June2008 (Paper 08-541) The Executive agreed to formally accept the then
Department for Children Schools and Families’ offer of Playbuilder status. This entailed a
commitment to develop 24 play areas over the funding period 2008-2011. A ring-fenced capital
grant of £1,135,017 was made available by the DCSF to support the programme in Wandsworth
The grant was further supported by an additional £1,125,000 of capital funding from the Council’s
single capital pot. A three year programme of refurbishment of 27 of the Borough’s playgrounds
and the development of 4 new facilities was subsequently agreed by the Executive on 29th
September 2008 (Paper 08-734). Two years of this programme have now been completed resulting
in the development of 1 new playground and the refurbishment of 23 others. Funded through a
combination of Playbuilder grant of £680,979, Council capital of £302,000 and other grants of
£236,056 this represents a total expenditure of £1,219,035.

On 16th June 2010 the Department for Education (DFE) advised that, for the period 2010-2011 and
with immediate effect, ring fencing was removed from the Playbuilder capital grants and that
expectations as to how many playgrounds needed to be developed with the grant had been dropped.
This change was to give councils more flexibility in use of grant to ameliorate the effects of grant
reductions in other areas and to enable councils to meet statutory requirements more effectively.

This change of conditions affects only the Playbuilder capital grant of £440,976 available during
2010/2011, all previous years funding being fully utilised and programmes completed.

Policy:
N/A

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Issues/Proposals: As a consequence of this change it is proposed that whilst the refurbishment of

existing playground equipment proceeds to completion, three new playgrounds planned for
2010/2011 are not developed. This will free up both Playbuilder capital grant and council capital to
the value of £322,824 to support the council’s statutory duties in other areas, in the face of overall
grant reductions.

Director of Finance comments:

The Director of Finance confirms the costs of the schemes in Table 2. A negative capital budget
variation of £322,824 in 2010/11 is therefore requested and an equivalent revenue budget variation
of £4,680 in 2010/11 and a full year. This is equivalent to a reduction of £0.04 per annum on Band
D Council Tax. Now that the grant conditions have been amended there is no longer the
requirement to have all Playbuilder funding spent by the end of 2010/11 as was previously the case.

Conclusions:
In order to secure the financial flexibility offered by the change of grant conditions to compensate
for loss of grant in these areas of the Council’s work it is necessary to remove three new
playgrounds scheme from the 2010-2011 programme of work.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. The Education Overview and Scrutiny Committee are recommended to support the
recommendations in paragraph 3.

2. If the Overview and Scrutiny Committee approve any views, comments or additional
recommendations on the report, these will be reported to the Executive for their
consideration.

3. The Executive are recommended to approve:-

i. That the playground refurbishments supported by Playbuilder capital grant and council
capital planned for 2010 – 2011 and detailed in Paragraph 6, Table 2 below, proceed
to completion. This will be achieved at a cost to Playbuilder grant of £278,000 and
council capital of £275,000, a total spend of £553,000.

ii. That the planned new developments as detailed in Paragraph 6 Table 2 are removed
from the 2010-2011 programme to provide a saving of £370,000, which once design
costs of £22,200 and unallocated Playbuilder grant of £24,976 are taken into account
will provide a total negative capital budget variation of £322,824 in 2010/11 and an
equivalent revenue budget variation of £4,680 in 2010/11 and a full year. This can be
used to support the council’s statutory duties and priorities in the face of overall
reduction in grant.

INTRODUCTION

4. On 23rd June 2008 (Paper 08-541) The Executive agreed to formally accept the Department
for Children Schools and Families’ offer of Playbuilder status. This entailed a commitment
to develop 20 -25 play areas over the funding period 2008-2011. A ring-fenced capital grant
of £1,135,017 was made available by the DCSF to support the programme in Wandsworth.
The annual allocation of grant funding is given below in Table 1: -

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 Playbuilder Playground Development Capital Grant

Table 1

2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 Total

£302,671 £391,307 £440,976 £113,4954
5. On September 29th 2008 (Paper 08-734) the Executive approved a 3 year development
programme for 24 playgrounds across the borough using a combination of Playbuilder grant
and the Council’s capital budget previously allocated for repair, renewal and
decommissioning of play spaces and other grants.

6. On 16th June 2010 as part of the Coalition Government’s drive to reduce the financial
deficit, the Department for Education (DFE) removed the ring fencing from all play capital
grants along with the obligation to develop or refurbish a specified number of playgrounds.
This is intended to provide the council with financial flexibility in the face of reducing
grants in other areas and to support and enable the Council to better meet its statutory duties
and commitments.

7. This change affects the Playbuilder capital grant of £440,976 and council capital of
£507,000 available during 2010/2011, all previous years funding being fully utilised and
works completed at a total cost of £1,219,035 comprising Playbuilder grant of £680,979,
council capital of £302,000 and other grants amounting to £236,056. The plan for use of
grant and Council capital funding for the final year of the playground development
programme, 2010/2011, is given below in Table 2.
Table 2

Playground Ward Play WBC Existing/New

builder Capital
Garratt Park Earlsfield £80,000 £60,000 Existing
Windmill One O'clock Wandsworth £0 £60,000 Existing
Common
Swaby Junior Earlsfield £10,000 £45,000 Existing
Tooting Triangle natural Bedford £188,000 £110,000 Existing
play area
The Pleasance natural West Putney £138,000 £0 New
play area
Fish Ponds Tooting £0 £140,000 New
Battersea Adventure Queenstown £0 £92,000 New
Playground
Total £416,000 £507,000

8. In order for the Council to secure the financial flexibility intended by removal of grant
conditions it is proposed that not all the schemes detailed in Paragraph 6 Table 2 are
progressed. Unless the existing playgrounds identified in Paragraph 6 Table 2 above are
refurbished they will need at some point to be decommissioned which will incur cost. It is
therefore proposed that the refurbishment of existing playgrounds proceeds at a cost of
£278,000 to Playbuilder grant and of £275,000 to the Council’s capital budget.

9. It is proposed, however, that the development of the 3 new playgrounds detailed in Paragraph
6 Table 2 do not proceed as they will tie the council into future revenue costs associated with
maintenance and repair. Removal of these projects will release funding of £138,000 in
respect of Playbuilder grant and £232,000 in respect of the Council’s capital budget, a
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Playbuilder Playground Development Grant Capital

combined total of £370,000. Once design costs of 6 % (£22,200) and unallocated Playbuilder
grant are taken into account this will provide a negative budget variation of £322,824 in
2010/11.

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE COMMENTS

10. The Director of Finance confirms the costs of the schemes in Table 2. A negative capital
budget variation of £322,824 in 2010/11 is therefore requested and an equivalent revenue
budget variation of £4,680 in 2010/11 and a full year. This is equivalent to a reduction of
£0.04 per annum on Band D Council Tax. Now that the grant conditions have been amended
there is no longer the requirement to have all Playbuilder funding spent by the end of 2010/11
as was previously the case.

CONCLUSION

11. Whilst the removal of the proposed new playground developments from the 2010-2011
Playbuilder programme is a difficult decision, it must be noted that the Council has already
met the number of playgrounds required by the original terms and conditions of grant in the
first two years of the programme at a total cost of £1,219,035.

12. As grant funding decreases in other area against a background of continuing pressure on
statutory functions, it is sensible to secure the financial flexibility for the Council intended by
the change of conditions of grant and release the funding to support other necessary council
activity.

____________________________________________

The Town Hall, PAUL ROBINSON

Wandsworth, DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES
SW18 2PU

25th June 2010

BACKGROUND PAPERS

All reports to Overview and Scrutiny Committees, regulatory and other committees, the Executive
and the full Council can be viewed on the Council’s website www.wandsworth.gov.uk/moderngov)
unless the report was published before May 2001, in which case the committee secretary can supply
if required (contact Frankie Belloli on Tel. 020 8871 6005 or at fbelloli@wandsworth.gov.uk)..

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