Dr. Michael Martin and Dr. Paul Brindley have been confirmed as speakers at the National Play Conference in October.
Martin (Lecturer in Urban Design and Planning) and Brindley (Senior Lecturer in Landscape Architecture) are based at the University of Sheffield. Over the past 18 months, they have worked together with Play England and the APPG on Play to demonstrate the stark inequalities that exist in play space provision nationally, lobbying government and policymakers to recognise these challenges and implement positive changes for children and young people, including the establishment of the £18m Playground Fund.
Earlier this year, Martin and Brindley led Play England’s technical response to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the Design Placemaking Planning Practice Guidance (DPPPG) consultations. The research and evidence provided by Martin and Brindley on the critical importance of formal and informal play spaces – as well as technical expertise in planning and urban design – informed Play England’s response to the Government’s consultation on planning reform. The work has led to the first inclusion of both ‘formal and informal play’ in national planning policy in England.
Together with Play England and SAPCA member, Passport365, Martin and Brindley have developed the first national digital dashboard for play provision planning: Playces (due to launch in the coming weeks). At the National Play Conference, they will showcase the Playces Platform, discuss how this evidence shaped the methodology, allocation and implementation of the £18m Playground Fund, and highlight the importance of why spatial data and evidence are needed to help address the stark play deficiencies that exist nationally.
The announcement of Martin as a speaker follows the confirmation that both the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and Dr. Naomi Lott will take part in the National Play Conference, which will place on Friday 9 October 2026. To book your place, click on the banner below.
For more information on the National Play Conference and to book your place, click here.