Issue - meetings
Parks Strategy for Brent 2010-2015
Meeting: 12/04/2010 - Executive (Item 6)
6 Parks Strategy for Brent 2010-2015 PDF 154 KB
This report provides Members with an overview of Brent’s Parks Strategy 2010 - 2015. This Strategy feeds down from the Cultural strategy. The scope of the strategy includes the following types of urban green space within the borough: public parks (including sports amenities within parks), public open spaces, children’s play areas in parks and allotments. The Strategy has been informed by both local survey data and consultation with relevant local groups including the Brent Allotments Forum and Friends of Parks Groups. A twelve-week public consultation on the draft Strategy took place between October 2009 and January 2010. More detail on these findings is outlined in Section 3 of the report.
Additional documents:
Decision:
(i) that the findings of the background research used to inform the development of the Parks Strategy be noted;
(ii) that approval be given to the seven key themes as set out in paragraphs 3.10-3.18 of the Director of Environment and Culture’s report;
(iii) that approval be given to the action plan detailed within the Parks Strategy (attached as Appendix 1 to the Director’s report) and that the Council will lead on those actions identified as such
(iv) that the Parks Service consult the recently established consultative forum 1Voice to ensure that the needs of children with disabilities are taken into account.
Minutes:
The Executive had before them a report from the Director of Environment and Culture on an overview of Brent’s parks strategy 2010-2015. The strategy had been informed by local survey data and consultation with local groups.
With the consent of the Executive, Mr Dilwyn Chambers, on behalf of Gladstone Park Consultative Committee, raised concerns over the consultation process and the extent to which suggestions put forward by the public had been included, the protection of parks for development and the registration of Gladstone Park as a Town Green. He also raised safety concerns over the use of the park by cyclists and the enforcement of bylaws by park wardens.
Councillor Van Colle (Lead Member, Environment, Planning and Culture) welcomed the report which he felt provided a sound basis from which a new council administration could work and which would also help attract external funding. In response to the concerns raised earlier in the meeting, he pointed out that while officers took into account suggestions from interested parties there was no obligation to adopt them all furthermore, parks were protected under the local development framework. Councillor Van Colle stated that he was not aware of any serious park cycling accidents to date hoped that riders would use the park sensibly.
The Head of Parks, Sean Faulkner, contributed that a draft of the report had been circulated to independent groups and also left in libraries and One Stop Shops. A number of changes had been made to the document as a result of the consultation but these were not significant. Sean Faulkner outlined the extensive consultation that was regularly carried out for the parks service including survey feedback and independent audits. Parks were protected in a number of ways including as metropolitan open land and under the Unitary Development Plan and the parks strategy was designed to be complementary. On the request for Gladstone Park to be a Town Green, legal advice had been sought and decision had been made not to register. In any event, the park was already well protected. Regarding cycling, Shaun Faulkner advised that new bylaws were being drafted and cycling was being reviewed with the aim of promoting safe cycling. The Parks Manager praised the work of park wardens and reminded members that monitoring had indicated that park with wardens helped reduce fear of crime levels.
Councillor Lorber (Leader of the Council) commended the work of the Parks Service and welcomed the increase in usage and the record number that have achieved Green Flag recognition for the high standard of planting and facilities. Councillor Wharton (Lead Member, Children and Families) moved an additional recommendation that would ensure that 1voice, a consultative forum for children with disabilities, was included in future consultation and this was agreed.
RESOLVED:-
(i) that the findings of the background research used to inform the development of the Parks Strategy be noted;
(ii) that approval be given to the seven key themes as set out in paragraphs 3.10-3.18 of the Director of ... view the full minutes text for item 6