Through the Neighbourhood Partnerships, a consultation is taking place that is intended to help residents and local groups, to influence Bristol City Council’s new Grounds Maintenance specification when the work is brought in-house in February 2015.
This is a separate process to the discussions that have been held between Park Groups and Bristol Parks at recent BPF meetings.
The new consultation has no closing date – the intention is for a continual dialogue with the Neighbourhood Partnerships so that influencing and contract changes can take place throughout the year.
Neighbourhood Officers will be consulting with local park groups, users and other interested bodies to understand their priorities so that the new specification can reflect this as best as possible.
Things that can be influenced include: areas to be weed sprayed, grass cutting regimes, litter collections / litter picking, a site presence (park keeper) or not, which shrubs to maintain, what ornamental planting should take place, frequency of hard surface sweeping, toilet opening / closing.
Once information has been gathered through this initial consultation, the Environment Subgroups / Neighbourhood Partnerships will be asked to establish themes for the whole NP area, e.g. littering, ornamental planting etc. This will become the base in which the Parks Service will build the new specification around for launching in February 2015. Thereafter, the Parks service will want to allow local communities to influence and introduce local park aspirations, e.g number of bins, different types of grass cutting regimes, introduction of bulb planting etc.
You can take part in the consultation via the link below either as an individual or by completing the form on behalf of your group. You will need to make separate submissions for each green space you are interested in. Park Groups should also be contacted by their Neighbourhood Officer to discuss this consultation.
Management Plans set out how the space is managed now and plans for the future. Having a Park Management Plan in place will help your group in putting together applications for funding and will also ensure that any projects make allowance for other planned improvements.
Alison gave a presentation on this issue to the BPF meeting in January 2011. At Redland Green steps have been rebuilt to ‘DDA standards’ but without any consideration for the visual impact and without proper consideration as to whether they were needed. Since the work (as with most work in parks by the council) did not need planning permission there had been no opportunity for residents to have a say in the design.