Have Your Say on Play Spaces Across the Highlands
Garve and District Community Council
Added at 02:45 on 18 January 2026
The Highland Council has opened a Highland-wide public consultation on its draft Play Sufficiency Assessment (PSA), and local communities are encouraged to take part.
The assessment looks at how well outdoor play opportunities are provided across the Highland Council area. This includes both formal play parks and informal spaces where children can play, as well as how accessible and usable these places are for families.
The draft PSA identifies 451 formal play spaces across the Highlands, spread over the Council’s ten Local Committee Areas. Within recognised Settlement Development Areas, the assessment records 351 formal play spaces, covering almost 30 hectares, alongside more than 2,200 hectares of informal play space. As with any snapshot in time, the condition or quality of individual play spaces may have changed since the survey work was carried out.
Alongside the written report, the Council has also published an interactive Play Sufficiency Assessment Map. This allows residents to view individual play spaces and see how play provision fits within their wider community.
Why does this matter?
The PSA builds on the Council’s Play Park Strategy and Action Plan, adopted in 2023, which highlighted the importance of play for children and young people. This new assessment forms part of the evidence base for the next Highland Local Development Plan, helping to shape how land use and community facilities are planned in future.
How will it be used?
The information gathered will help guide decisions on the location, improvement and long-term management of play spaces. It is also intended to support communities and play space users by providing clearer evidence of what provision exists and where gaps may remain.
How to take part
Comments on the draft PSA should be submitted through the Council’s consultation portal using the online form provided.
You can access the consultation via: www.highland.gov.uk/playsufficiency
Consultation dates
The consultation opened on Friday 16th January 2026 and closes on Friday 27th February 2026.
What happens next?
Once the consultation closes, feedback will be reviewed and a summary of responses will be considered as part of the final Play Sufficiency Assessment. The completed report will then be presented to the relevant Council Committee and published on the Highland Council website.
If you have any questions or if you would like to request an alternative format for responding please get in touch at hldp@highland.gov.uk