Highland Play Sufficiency Assessment

Highland-wide public consultation for feedback on a draft Highland Play Sufficiency Assessment (PSA) report. 

The consultation is available via www.highland.gov.uk/playsufficiency.

The PSA assesses the provision and quality of outdoor play spaces, as well as the accessibility of play opportunities.

This is to ensure there is a good understanding of the sufficiency of both formal and informal play spaces for children across the area. A total of 451 formal play spaces were identified and surveyed across Highland Council area. These play spaces are spread across the 10 Local Committee Areas. The assessment has focused on Settlement Development Areas within those areas, within which 351 formal play spaces (29.9ha) and 2,263ha of informal play space have been identified. The quality or condition of a play space may have changed since the time of assessment.

Alongside the report, the Council has published the Highland Play Sufficiency Assessment Map. You can use the map to view our assessment of each play space and to see them in the context of play space provision across a community’s area.

Note: The Cairngorms National Park Authority prepares its own LDP and recently consulted on its own PSA, informed by the Council’s assessment.

Why have we prepared it? – The Council’s Play Park Strategy and Action Plan, following some engagement with play space users and other interested parties, was adopted in 2023 and acknowledged the importance of play. The PSA that we have now prepared builds on that earlier work and is part of the evidence base to inform preparation of our new Local Development Plan.

How will the assessment be used? – The evidence gathered in the PSA will be used to inform how we plan for play provision as part of the new LDP that we will be preparing. The PSA will also benefit Highland communities, including play space users, and will be used by the Council to inform decision-making around the provision, improvement, and long-term management of play spaces.

Where to Find Out More & Comment – You can view the PSA report and map on our consultation portal, where comments should be made using the form provided there. The portal can be accessed via: www.highland.gov.uk/playsufficiency. If you prefer to go directly to the consultation, use this link.

Consultation Period – The consultation will run from Friday 16 January 2026 to Friday 27 February 2026.

Next Steps – A summary of insights from this consultation on the draft PSA report will be considered and added to the final PSA report following the consultation period. The final document will then be presented to the Council’s Committee and will be published on our 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.