Children at play / Department of the Environment.

  • Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions
Date:
1973
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: Children at play / Department of the Environment. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    139. Totally* or partly? restricting traffic through pressure from residents or the efforts of community workers and planners is becoming more common as a means of creating play space that is at least safe from traffic. Already it is usual for children to play in such areas. In the older area of Oldham, over half of all activities took place on roads and pavements (Figures 138, 139, 143 and 144) —even more than the proportion on roads on the estates of new houses (Figure 142). They were by far the most important location for nearly all activities. As with the new areas of housing, the roads and pavements with the doorstep were the places for play closest to the dwellings. When adults were observed with children it was most likely to be on the doorstep. 140. Play streets should only be considered where there is no through traffic as it is almost impossible to prevent vehicles from taking short cuts while the children are playing. Care also needs to be taken that in diverting traffic away from the play street other areas and other children are not exposed to more traffic. A run-down area with low car ownership such as the area we studied in Oldham, where the roads were often steep and cobbled, is unlikely to expose children to many dangers. Traffic in Oldham was on the whole slight and slow-moving. *The Town and Country Planning Act 19713° gives powers for closure of streets to vehicular traffic. +In the Road Traffic Regulation Act 196737 (as amended by Part IX of Transport Act 19687), highway authorities are empowered to make an order prohibiting vehicles from using a road to be used as a chil- dren’s playground. A play street in Notting Hill, London — part of a summer play scheme 141 142 Percentage of children seen playing on roads and pavements % No, eee Older area, Oldham Pow este tate: . 10,806 Medium-rise estates 11 ees 21,206 Mixed-rise estates Zz 13,498
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