Agenda item

Joint report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services and the Director of Open Spaces.

The Sub Committee considered the report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services regarding the proposal to implement voluntary no smoking codes within children’s playgrounds, for a trial period of six months, in four identified areas in the City: Middlesex Street Estate, Tower Hill Gardens, Portsoken Street and West Smithfield Rotunda Garden.

Officers informed Members that the key aim of smokefree children’s playgrounds was to deter children and young people from smoking, but would also reduce child exposure to smoking, decrease cigarette litter, and reduce the risk of children putting toxic cigarette ends into their mouths. Members noted that this report had been approved by the Health and Wellbeing Board, Open Spaces and City Gardens Committee and the Community & Children’s Services Committee, and that a consultation exercise had been carried out with the public and Friends of City Gardens, which evidenced support for this initiative.

In response to a query regarding the ‘voluntary no smoking zones’, Members were informed that there would be no legal enforcement, though through raising awareness and helping to facilitate conversations about the appropriateness of smoking in certain areas, it was hoped attitudes would change over time. Penalties for littering could be enforced, and officers undertook to bring this to the attention of Port Health. The Deputy Chairman advised that smoking was officially in decline, according to the recent Public Health England conference, and particular progress had been seen in reducing the level of smoking for under 15 years olds.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted, and officers speak with Port Health concerning penalties for littering.