Thank you to everyone who took part in our Survey to share your views on the proposed playground extension at the Glenfield Millennium Green. Your feedback has been incredibly valuable, and we wanted to share a short summary of the consultation results along with an update on where things currently stand.
The feedback was very positive and showed strong support for improving the playground. Most respondents use the Green regularly, really value the peaceful setting, and would like to see more equipment for a wider range of ages. Many of you also shared brilliant ideas for fundraising and community events, which was great to see.
Project Update – Where Things Stand Now
We are currently in the planning permission phase, and progress has been slowed by the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements introduced nationally.
What is BNG?
For those unfamiliar, BNG is a government policy requiring developments to demonstrate a measurable increase in biodiversity. While the principle is positive, the way it is being applied to small community projects like ours has created significant challenges that feel disproportionate to the scale of what we are proposing.
Why this affects us disproportionately?
- The assessment must be completed by a “competent person,” which the planning authority appears to interpret as a professional ecologist.
- This would likely cost somewhere in the region of £1,000–£3,000 — a substantial sum for a small charitable trust, and money that could be far better spent on the playground itself.
- We submitted a pre‑application BNG plan ourselves, but it would likely be rejected solely because it wasn’t completed by a “competent person.” Producing the required mapping and technical detail without specialist software has also been extremely difficult.
- Under the current rules, this makes the project financially unviable. We cannot begin applying for grants until planning permission is in place and the Trust does not have the financial reserves to justify this outlay, when there is no guarantee of success with grant applications.
Possible changes in 2026
The government has recently announced that BNG requirements for small sites may be amended in 2026. If this happens, our project would likely become exempt, allowing us to move forward without the disproportionate cost burden.
What we are doing in the meantime
We are awaiting an updated design from Playdale that:
- removes any equipment requiring safety surfacing (the previous design included around 116sqm of grassloc surfacing, which triggered the need for BNG), and
- may allow the project to qualify for exemption under the current rules.
This would be a more limited first phase, but it would allow us to make meaningful improvements now, with the option of a second phase once legislation evolves.
We have also contacted Peter Bedford (local MP) for advice and guidance.
Next Steps
- We will share the revised design as soon as it is available.
- If BNG rules change in 2026, we will be in a strong position to progress the full proposal.
- If you expressed interest in helping with fundraising or community events, please get in touch — several of the ideas suggested were fantastic and would make great local activities.
Thank you again for your time, your ideas, and your support. The strength of the community response shows just how important the Millennium Green is to local families, and we remain committed to delivering improvements that reflect your priorities while protecting the character of the Green.