Council to review "no ball games" policy to tackle childhood obesity

In a bid to fight the childhood obesity crisis in the UK, a local council is to review the use of its “no ball games” signs locally to encourage children to play street games.

Haringey council in north London has pledged to review its “no ball games” signs to combat child obesity, saying it would look at all of the signs across the borough and remove them “where they are impeding children’s play”.

With more than a third of children aged 10 and 11 and a fifth of children in school reception years overweight or obese, getting them physically active in and out of school is a priority.

Last week’s report from the Youth Sport Trust found that over 40% of young people would like to do more exercise. Removing unnecessary barriers to exercise, like Haringey council are proposing, would enable more children to get active in their local environments.

The council’s move aligns it with public health guidance recently issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NIHCE). The NIHCE says local authorities should “assess all proposals for signs restricting physical activity in public spaces to judge the effect on physical activity levels”. It also urges them to audit bylaws and change those banning ball games in public spaces.