Leading Parks Professionals pave the way for Parks Excellence

The world’s population is becoming increasingly more urbanised and as a result, the demand on green spaces has become greater, both in terms of areas for new development and equally as opportunities for public recreation.

Parks and the wider green infrastructure is now acknowledged as having a critical role in improving the nation’s health and general wellbeing. By providing places for exercise, cultural events, and for everyday contact with the environment, parks show themselves to be a vital part of our lives especially as many of us are now increasingly confined to home, commuting and our places of work.

Despite their value, parks and greenspaces are facing unprecedented budgetary cuts which are threatening their future existence. The APSE 2016 State of the Market Survey on Parks, revealed that over 90% of parks managers expected revenue for parks to decrease in 2016/17 and 69% expect reductions in capital investment.

It is against this backdrop of ongoing budget reductions, APSE’s 2017 Annual Parks Seminar brought together several leading Parks managers to share their experiences of how they are dealing with these exceptional circumstances.

The line-up of speakers was impressive and covered many aspects of the issues Parks managers now face, budget reductions, lack of resources, engaging community groups, understanding funding opportunities, revaluing assets, changing working practices.

With an audience of over 100 parks managers, the day proved to be very engaging with plenty of debate between them during the day.

There was something for everyone, however a four of presentations caught my attention, These where Tony Duncan’s, Paul Rabbits, Chris Worman’s and Bernard Sheridan’s

With Tony’s being one of the most contentious of the day, demonstrating how Newcastle City Council was dealing with the current restraints, was in itself revolutionary, the setting up of a new National Charity Trust for Newcastle to manage key Parks services is a brave move.

Faced with the following issues :-

Ongoing significant budget reductions since 2010/11 – a reduction of 91%.

All of the council’s budgets are under great pressure, with a further £70m to find 2017/18-2019/20.

Even before the cuts dug deeply, it was clear that we needed a new delivery model if we were to protect parks and green spaces for future generations.

Elected Members were also looking for new delivery models which would support its Cooperative Council ambitions.

Newcastle’s parks team, under the leadership of Tony decided on investigating the opportunity of setting up a new National Trust Model. Their transformation journey so far, from 2014 has been:- .

•2014 budget ideas - a ‘national trust for Newcastle' – a crackpot idea? Perhaps, but members keen to find out.

•Research into models, partner/expert advice, partner opportunities.

•Making sense of what they have – estate; restrictions and opportunities; budgets and other resources.

•Project team and options appraisal, and identifying scope (in all senses).

•Open conversations, nothing secret, but no wide ranging consultation and engagement as yet.

•A quick realisation that ‘something must be done’

To date Newcastle have managed to:-

•Review the estate, legal documents and titles, restrictions etc. and how the parks are operated now.

•Carry out structural surveys.

•Receive input from staff, councillors, parks groups.

•Work with National Trust, Social Finance, Sheffield and Liverpool Councils.

•Consider various options with specialist support.

•Develop a preferred solution….

Newcastle City Council have also enlisted help and support from the National Trust which is acting as an advisor to the Council, helping them to look at the future from a third sector perspective.

They are also sharing their expertise across a range of development areas. As we proceed, the National Trust will become an advisor to the new Parks Charitable Trust.

I am sure there will many Local Authorities interested to see how this new model progresses and await the final outcome of their brave decision to review Parks Services.

Paul Rabbitts Head of Parks, Open Spaces & Projects Watford Borough Council delivered an interesting presentation about the future of our parks managers asking if they were, indeed the last of a Dying Breed; is the role virtually extinct? Has the leopard had to change its spots? What’s in store for the 21st century park manager and beyond?

After a passionate presentation of the issues now facing parks mangers he finally came up with a ten-point plan on what ‘spots’ do we need to change? 10 points to consider :-

1. We are parks people – ensure we have parks in our job title – it’s what we do!

2. We need a career pathway – the old traditional route is defunct - we should be targeting schools of landscape architecture, ecology, environmental science – its not just about horticulture

3. We need to identify the ‘stars’ –Who are they? And where are they?

4. A government champion – not necessarily a politician but an inside champion

5. A body that champions our cause – a new ILAM is vital to ensure the survival of the profession. Paid subscriptions perhaps?

6. We must be VISIBLE and BE HEARD – enter Green Flag – be seen to be being seen and if you aren’t heard, no one will know you are there and you will continue to be ignored

7. Be STRATEGIC – maximum impact

8. Embrace the Health Agenda – find out who is responsible for public health in your area / authority – they could be the key to your survival

9. Spend what we have wisely – maximum impact

10.Take risks – we outsourced in Watford – a brave decision for a Lib Dem Council

We then heard from Chris Worman MBE, Parks & Grounds Manager Rugby Borough Council who gave a talk about Centenary Park, the most improved Fields In Trust Protected Park in the UK.

One of the Council’s key aims and objectives was to bring around 9 acres of land back into a Green Flag Award standard quality green space, improve biodiversity along a green corridor, regenerate an area of deprivation in Rugby and encourage enjoyment of green space for all the proven benefits it brings, and then protect this Green Space for future generations.

The project began in 2014 and after consultations, extensive planning approval, seeking relevant partners the new Centenary park was officially opened in March 2016.

The last presentation of the day by Bernard Sheridan was on increasing biodiversity whilst reducing green space maintenance costs –possibilities and problems.

His presentation purpose was to encourage managers to re-think current management /maintenance practice in order to focus on the duty to promote biodiversity safeguard habitats and protect pollinators. He suggested that managers put biodiversity and biophilia at the core of management practice and develop a fully integrated approach to grassland management.

Bernard asked if in the light of the recent National Pollinator Strategy should we change our management of grassland and green space. There must always be a place for good horticulture and there will always be a need for grass lawns for sports, ball games, picnics, sun bathing and relaxation but should we apply horticultural standards to all our green space? He suggested that wildlife is the most dependent stakeholder in our service, but is usually the most ignored. The majority of wildlife in the UK is declining, especially the economically vital pollinators Is it time now for a paradigm-shift away from the ‘cleansing’ and tidiness approach based on 1980’s-based maintenance specifications? At least a 25% of most green space has no recreational purpose and there are very good financial, sustainability and biodiversity reasons why we need to re-think how we manage land especially hedges and grass. He explained that Council’s and contractors need to change their equipment mix to cope with long grass and gave two successful case studies, Wokingham and Burnley where substantial savings were made at the same time as improving biodiversity.

Seminars like this are a must-attend event for those officers and members who want to look at new ways of dealing with parks and greenspace issues, whether they be financial, environmental or social. It is intended that there will be particular emphasis on the future funding of parks, looking at the different alternatives.

One such example is the development of partnerships with like-minded bodies that not only can help finance new developments, but can also bring a new perspective on the future role and value of parks and green spaces. Income generation, as always, will be considered with case studies of successful council-generated schemes which could be transferable to other authorities. There will also be feedback on the results of APSE State of the Market report which highlights responses to many of the questions currently being considered by parks and green space managers tasked with sustaining their parks and green spaces.

A further consideration is how parks managers roles will need to become more generic, with the need to be multi-functional rather than horticultural specialists and therefore there will be discussions on how this transition may be managed. True to its role of promoting best practice and innovation, APSE has ensured that there will be information on both UK and international approaches to parks and their management.

APSE will continue to argue that public parks must be funded by public money, because many believe that income generation and different funding sources will only help the future sustainability of parks, and should not be seen as the total solution. However, through providing a range of diverse and interesting speakers, APSE hopes to show there is still light at the end of the tunnel for our parks and greenspaces and hopes that the information provided will help colleagues to be able to make that journey. APSE must be congratulated for continuing the tradition of learning and development talks for parks professionals when all other such organisations have faded away. Why they have not been asked to join the Parks Alliance is a major oversight.

Below is a list of the speakers with links to their presentations :-

Newcastle's parks and green spaces - the worst of times and the best of times
Tony Durcan, OBE, Assistant Director Transformation, Newcastle City Council

How are we dealing with austerity? Results of the APSE State of the Market Survey for Parks and Open Spaces 2017
Paul O'Brien, Chief Executive, APSE

Generating income using in-house services
Paul Naylor, Direct Services Manager, Eastleigh District Council

The City of Glasgow International Rose Trials' the Past, the Present and the Future
Derek Wells, Natural Environment Officer (Horticulture), Glasgow City Council

The Park Manager - Last of a dying breed?
Paul Rabbitts, Head of Parks, Watford Borough Council

UK Public Parks 2016/ Learning to Re-Think Parks 2016
Shaun Kiddell, Parks Policy Advisor, Heritage Lottery Fund

Centenary Park - The Most Improved Fields in Trust Protected Park in the UK
Chris Worman, MBE, Parks & Grounds Manager, Rugby Borough Council

Increasing biodiversity whilst reducing green space maintenance costs - possibilities and problems
Bernard Sheridan, APSE Associate, APSE Solutions

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