Areas Green Space Plans Consultation 14 June to 29 October 2010
A key element of the Parks & Green Spaces Strategy as proposed is the production of 'Area Green Space Plans'. It is these plans that are intended to determine where the capital to be invested in parks is to be spent to improve the local environment. They will also determine which areas of green space the community think are 'low recreational value' and could therefore be sold and put to better use.
Richard Fletcher has been leading the work to produce the Area Green Space Plans. As Community Development Officer Richard has led the development of the Parks Forum over the past few years and his involvement in the Area Green Space Plans means that park groups can have a high level trust that the process has been carried out as intended by the strategy. There is an Area Green Space Plan for each of the 14 Neighbourhood Partnership areas.
The Strategy
The strategy and some of the background documents can be downloaded from the Bristol Parks website.
Bristol Parks Forum issued the following statement to the 21 February Cabinet meeting:
The Bristol Parks Forum welcomes the revised Parks and Green Spaces Strategy.
The strategy will be the basis on which the city can improve the many low quality parks and open spaces to create a network of recreation and wildlife spaces that a city of Bristol's size and standing should have. This being done without the loss of any valuable spaces.
We support the revised financial template for funding the improvements and maintaining the parks at a good standard after the initial improvements are completed.
We look forward to engaging with Bristol Parks to create the Area Green Space Plans. These plans will identify the way in which open space will be improved, which low amenity value areas may be available for disposal for other uses, and where certain types of park space are missing or overprovided. This will help to form parks and open spaces that the local communities can value and appreciate and that the city can be proud of.
Press Reports on the P&GSS
P&GSS Background Information
The strategy was put out to public consultation during the summer 2007 and was due to be adopted at the Council Cabinet meeting on 10 January 2008. To the surprise of the Parks Forum the financial information in the version submitted to Cabinet had changed from that in the consultation version. Due to a technicallity relating to maps the strategy was not adopted in January and the decision was delayed to 21 February.
Following the meeting of the Bristol Parks Forum on Sat 19 Jan 2008, representatives of the Forum had a number of meetings and discussions with Cabinet members and Parks officers. The version of the strategy that was adopted by Council Cabinet on 21 Feb includes changes that were agreed as part of those discussions and was welcomed by the Parks Forum. More details of the events at the begining of 2008 can be seen here:
Parks & Green Spaces Strategy Funding - How Bristol’s Parks were Saved!
Links to other information about the strategy and the debate about funding are shown below:
 
|
|
