The findings follow the launch of the API’s Equal Play campaign based on new research which showed that access to public play spaces in the UK is unfair and unequal. A Freedom of Information survey revealed that some UK regions have almost five times the free-to-access play provision of others.

“Our UK-wide map revealed that, on average, children in Scotland enjoy the best free-to-access play provision in the UK, with almost five times fewer children per playground than the worst area in the UK, the West Midlands,” said API chair Mark Hardy.

“However, averaging out statistics across large regions inevitably means sacrificing some of the crucial local data. A deeper dive reveals that although children in Scotland appear well-served overall, this is not the case for all Scottish children. Analysing the data local authority by local authority we see that, within Scotland, access to public play spaces is as much of a ‘postcode lottery’ as anywhere else in the UK, with some areas well-served and others severely lacking.

“The variation is so extreme that areas range from 575 children per playground to just 63. Whilst the First Minister of Scotland’s £60m fund to renew every play park in Scotland is hugely welcome, this data clearly shows that much more needs to be done to provide equal play opportunities for all.”

The API is asking Westminster for ring-fenced funding for play, to enable local authorities to provide every child in the UK with a safe, local and high-quality playground nearby.

“Play provision in Scotland is extremely patchy and so we are lobbying the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to provide all local authorities with access to a national funding stream for public playgrounds,” says Hardy.

“The government’s Levelling Up agenda must include children’s access to outdoor play in all the four nations. Play is fundamental for childhood development and millions of children are being disadvantaged by this postcode lottery.”