Play Sufficiency Assessment

A new report capturing voices from across Dundee to help shape the future of outdoor play will be considered by councillors on Monday September 22. 

Carried out as part of the preparation for the next Dundee Local Development Plan, the Play Sufficiency Assessment (PSA) considers the quantity, quality and accessibility of play provision across the city. 

It reflects the views of children, young people and communities about where they like to play and spend time, how often they use these spaces, and how they rate their quality. 

The PSA will help to devise future strategies and proposals to improve opportunities for outdoor play and inform decisions on relevant planning applications. 

The assessment reviews 89 play parks within Dundee, 69 of which are publicly owned and 20 privately managed.  There are 295 children and young people per play park on average, and 1.27 play parks per 1,000 households.

The PSA also identifies a wide range of other places for play including open spaces, agility trails, and Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs).

The Play Sufficiency Assessment is a legal requirement of Dundee's planning process and is separate from the Council's capital works programme.

However, it ties in with ongoing improvements to play areas across the city, and the report highlights many of these upgrades. Since 2021, Dundee City Council has received £1.46 million from the Scottish Government to help renew playparks.

Several parks that were previously rated as "low quality" have already been improved this year—including Kinpurnie Place, Spey Drive and Lochee Park — with more upgrades planned later in 2025.

The report will be considered by the meeting of the Fair Work, Economic Growth and Infrastructure Committee on Monday September 22.

Committee convener Cllr Steven Rome said: "This document outlines the efforts to improve facilities to encourage families get outside and be active across our communities.

"This will have real benefits for people's physical and mental health.

"This assessment also shows how the council has listened carefully to what people in these areas had to say. Local feedback has been used to develop our plans, including the provision of more inclusive play equipment.

Climate, Environment and Biodiversity convener Councillor Heather Anderson added: "Play parks are at the heart of our communities and we are working hard to make them as high quality as possible.

"We were keen to gain insights from children and young people,  parents/carers and those who work with them about where they like to play and hang out and why.

"The information we received will be used to improve the quality and accessibility of outdoor play across Dundee."