'A simple thing we can do for children': Dozens of MPs back campaign to revive playgrounds

More than 70 MPs are backing a run to revive England's playgrounds arsenic unit grows connected the authorities to bash much to tackle assemblage diminution to combat Reform UK.

Labour MP Tom Hayes has tabled an amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill that would guarantee playgrounds mislaid to improvement are replaced.

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Mr Hayes told Sky News it is simply a idiosyncratic taxable arsenic helium grew up successful poverty, caring for 2 disabled parents, and without his section playground "they wouldn't person been capable to spend immoderate benignant of leisure enactment for me".

"Talking to parents these days, with the outgo of surviving situation going on, they conscionable don't person play areas connected their doorstep similar they utilized to. What they person alternatively is rusting swings oregon boarded-up playgrounds."

The Bournemouth East MP said this speaks to a "wider hopelessness" that radical are feeling astir "littering successful their streets, graffiti connected their walls, potholes successful their roads".

"It conscionable makes radical consciousness similar cipher truly cares astir their area. That's astatine a clip erstwhile radical are feeling hopeless astir the anticipation of alteration and Reform, obviously, are trying to capitalise connected that."

Under the past Labour government, Ed Balls and Andy Burnham launched England's archetypal and lone play strategy, which aimed to make 3,500 caller play spaces crossed each section authorization - backed by £235m of funding.

It was abandoned by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat conjugation 2 years aboriginal and facilities person been successful crisp diminution since then, according to Play England which has developed the amendment Mr Hayes is tabling.

The amendment would necessitate councils successful England to measure play proviso and integrate "play sufficiency" into section plans and readying decisions - akin to a instrumentality that already exists successful Scotland and Wales.

It would besides necessitate developers to present and money capable play infrastructure, with a absorption connected inclusive play instrumentality for children with peculiar acquisition needs and disabilities.

Mr Hayes said this would not outgo the Treasury thing and "is specified a elemental thing" the authorities tin bash rapidly for children and young radical "who person been shafted for truthful long".

It is backed by 71 MPs from crossed Labour, the Conservatives, the Lib Dems and the Greens, with galore supporters hopeful it could besides trim surface clip amid mounting concerns astir online safety.

Pressure connected authorities implicit left-behind areas

Amendments by backbench MPs are not usually agreed to but tin beryllium utilized to enactment unit connected the government, with the contented to beryllium debated successful the House of Commons this week arsenic the readying bills participate the study stage.

Mr Hayes said his playground run was conscionable the commencement arsenic helium backed the resurrection of Sure Start centres, pursuing calls from Rother Valley MP Jake Richards past week.

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There is increasing momentum among Labour backbenchers who privation to spot the authorities springiness much of a precedence to societal infrastructure to present tangible alteration to communities and fend disconnected the menace of Reform UK.

MPs and argumentation insiders person told Sky News they are acrophobic Downing Street's ambition to turn GDP with semipermanent transport and infrastructure projects volition not marque a quality successful places that look and consciousness forgotten, adjacent if achieved.

As Sky News has antecedently reported, respective Red Wall MPs have backed the enactment of the Independent Commission On Neighbourhoods (ICON), which has identified 613 "mission-critical" neighbourhoods successful request of a currency boost to guarantee radical successful left-behind areas tin payment from growth.

The commission, chaired by Labour adjacent Hilary Armstrong, highlights the request to regenerate neighbourhoods with facilities similar libraries, parks and assemblage centres for voters to consciousness a difference.

Any wealth for specified a task volition beryllium acceptable retired successful Chancellor Rachel Reeves's spending reappraisal connected Wednesday, erstwhile she volition allocate funds for each section implicit the coming years.

One of ICON's supporters is Blackpool South MP Chris Webb, who has besides signed Mr Hayes's amendment.

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He told Sky News playgrounds "will marque a existent quality to families successful Blackpool, which has the astir mission-critical neighbourhoods successful the country".

"I'm committed to warring for policies that payment our community, and I'm thrilled to beryllium moving with Tom Hayes MP, the play assemblage and Play England to marque this imaginativeness a reality."

Sky News has contacted the authorities for comment.