HebPlay Play Sufficiency Assessment

Children and Young People

1. In the Outer Hebrides 15% of the population are children under 16. The mid-2023 population estimates showed that the Outer Hebrides had the 3rd lowest percentage of children aged 0-15 at 15%, along with the City of Edinburgh, and Dumfries & Galloway.

2. The chart above shows that over the 20-year period from 2003 to 2023 the percentage of children aged 0-15 years has decreased from 19% to 15%. This decrease is projected to continue. Over the 10-year period from 2018 to 2028, population projections show a decrease of 13% in children aged 0-15 in the Outer Hebrides. The Outer Hebrides continues to see high net migration loss in those aged 15-19 and 20-24. Net migration of females continues to be higher than that of males with 100 females and 45 males in the 15-19 age group and 4 females and 37 males in the 20-24 age group. Historically, young people have always left the islands to go to university, and the percentage tends to be higher in island areas.

3. The percentage of those aged under 18 varied between the various ward areas, with the highest percentage at 23% in the Barra and Vatersay ward and the lowest percentage at 13.7% in the Harris ward. The table below outlines the percentage of those aged under 18 in all the ward areas.

   Table 1 Percentage of children under 18 in the Outer Hebrides

4. The percentage decrease in population of Island children clearly demonstrates the need to retain population in the Islands, and in areas such as the Uists, efforts are being made to encourage economically active families to relocate to these Islands. For example, the Uist Repopulation Action Zone aims to reverse population decline in the area through community consultation and research to understand the needs and priorities of the local population.
5. Council nurseries across the islands are under significant pressure, with workforce recruitment and retention difficulties as well as capacity challenges. The Uist and Barra Childcare Forum has been set up to address the lack of suitable childcare available for working parents and carers.
6. Provision of affordable quality housing, adapted to climate change; sustainable job and business opportunities; reliable ferry and transport infrastructure; access to education and childcare are critical to retaining families and young people in all Island communities. A proportionate approach to play sufficiency is required in view of the broader societal and environmental challenges facing the Islands, however, the provision of good quality, well maintained play facilities as part of wider place-making efforts to meet children and young people’s needs will contribute to making the Outer Hebrides a more attractive place for families to visit, migrate or return to.
7. Summary Statistics for Schools 2024 show that 37% of children in the Outer Hebrides have an additional support need recorded. School pupil attendance rates in the Outer Hebrides remain high with a 91.5% attendance rate for 2023-24, although, as with all local authority areas, this has decreased slightly since 2016-17 when attendance was at 95.2%. Mental Health is identified as a priority issue for this population group, the importance of play in supporting children and young people’s mental health is acknowledged in the policy principles of NPF4 Policy 21 “Physical and mental health are improved through the provision of, and access to, outdoor recreation, play and sport facilities”.
8. As part of the Local Development Plan, the Comhairle will support the development of and access to good quality outdoor play opportunities, aligning with NPF4 Policy 21, facilitating spaces and opportunities for play, recreation and sport in our natural and built environments for children and people of all ages. NPF4 promotes a clear commitment to the promotion of outdoor play, stating that access to quality green space and nature-based solutions can help to mitigate health inequalities and improve physical and mental health, by providing opportunities for play, socialising, relaxation and physical activity.

Why do we need it?

1. The type of environment for play is important, having an impact on children and young people's experiences, choices and relationships, both with other people and with the environment itself. Outdoor play especially in natural spaces is beneficial and provides experiences which cannot be replicated indoors.
2. Scotland’s outdoors, extending from the parks and open spaces in our towns to the remote and wild areas of land and water in the Highlands, provides great opportunities for open-air recreation and education. Open-air recreation provides people, including children, with great benefits for their health and well-being and contributes to the good of society in many other ways. Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 gives everyone statutory access rights to most land and inland water provided these rights are exercised responsibly.
3. The outdoor environment of the Outer Hebrides is mostly easily accessible to parents, carers, children and young people. Only the main settlements of Stornoway in Lewis and Balivanich in Benbecula share an urban or peri-urban character. In the rural areas there is an abundance of accessible open space, croft land, machair grassland, core paths and wider path network including high quality green and blue space. There is room to play and roam freely, the population density (8 people per square kilometre) is the lowest in Scotland.
4. Our PSA will help identify places where additional play space is required, or flag up which playgrounds need improvement, and which are rarely used so that planners and the community can collaborate to make better places where children and young people can enjoy hanging out in a safe space, being active, creative or contemplative near their homes.