The UK’s top 15 worst locations for outdoor play:
| Rank | Location | Population 11 years old and under(%) | Crime score(out of 100) | Safety score(out of 100) | Pollution score(out of 100) | Avg. distance to nearest park or playing field(meters) | Avg. parks or playing fields within 1km | Avg. Google rating of nearby playgrounds(out of 5) |
| 1 | Southend-on-Sea | 13.87% | 62.29 | 37.71 | 63.48 | 496 | 2.6 | 4.63 |
| 2 | Llanelli | 11.95% | 45.33 | 54.67 | 30.57 | 518 | 2.73 | 4.3 |
| 3 | Barry | 12.96% | 62.43 | 37.57 | 38.76 | 366 | 4.18 | 4.37 |
| 4 | Shrewsbury | 11.26% | 48.99 | 51.01 | 44.83 | 497 | 3.11 | 4.6 |
| 5 | Grimsby | 13.43% | 56.23 | 43.77 | 44.43 | 385 | 3.16 | 4.47 |
| 6 | Perth | 11.00% | 29.87 | 70.13 | 57.59 | 1083 | 2.31 | 4.4 |
| 7 | Doncaster | 13.94% | 63.11 | 36.89 | 83 | 408 | 3.71 | 4.52 |
| 8 | Northampton | 14.24% | 54.56 | 45.44 | 50.69 | 367 | 3.33 | 4.44 |
| 9 | Paisley | 11.87% | 44.88 | 55.12 | 33.43 | 394 | 3.66 | 4.36 |
| 10 | Southampton | 12.99% | 53.29 | 46.71 | 48.6 | 350 | 4.31 | 4.38 |
| 11 | Birmingham | 16.12% | 63.96 | 36.04 | 51.01 | 371 | 4.1 | 4.43 |
| 12 | Manchester | 14.65% | 55.72 | 44.28 | 52.15 | 321 | 4.75 | 4.07 |
| 13 | Darlington | 12.83% | 44.82 | 55.18 | 22.08 | 419 | 3.44 | 4.16 |
| 14 | Inverness | 11.01% | 38.04 | 61.96 | 31.09 | 1769 | 2.97 | 4.45 |
| 15 | Blackpool | 13.11% | 48.5 | 51.5 | 43.82 | 387 | 3.82 | 4.5 |
Key findings:
Southend-on-Sea: Southend-on-Sea ranks as the UK’s worst location for outdoor play due to its high crime score (62.29) and low safety score (37.71). Children also have limited access to green spaces, with the nearest park or playing field an average of 496 metres away and just 2.6 parks within 1km, the lowest availability in the top five. Despite nearby playgrounds being highly rated (4.63/5), the area’s crime, safety, and pollution levels place it at the top of the list.
Llanelli: Llanelli ranks second, largely due to limited access to outdoor play spaces rather than crime. While it has a lower crime score (45.33) and a higher safety score (54.67) than many locations in the rankings, children live an average of 518 metres from the nearest park or playing field, the furthest distance in the top five, and have access to just 2.73 parks within 1km.
Barry: Barry rounds out the top three, with one of the highest crime scores in the rankings (62.43) and a low safety score (37.57). Despite better access to green spaces than the two locations above it, with the nearest park 366 metres away and 4.18 parks within 1km, its high crime levels make it one of the UK’s worst locations for outdoor play.
Other key findings:
- Telford is the UK’s best location for outdoor play in the UK, scoring high on accessibility. Residents have access to an average of more than six parks or playing fields within 1 km, and the nearest is just 283 metres away on average.
- Three in four parents (74%) say they would visit playgrounds more often if they felt safer.
- Nearly three in 10 parents of children with disabilities or additional needs (29%) describe their local playgrounds as inaccessible.
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