Background - Parks Post 1988 All energy spent on specifications and - PDF document

Background - Parks Post 1988 • All energy spent on specifications and enforcing contracts • A reduction in staff and the de-skilling of the w orkforce Area Committee Update • A dum bing-dow n of horticultural standards North East Outer • A service reduced to bulk grass cutting w ith roving gangs and the results… and the results …. . Denise Preston, Chief Recreation Officer Crumbling parks... … green deserts Building A Team Big I ssues Locally and Nationally • Ageing Workforce • Loss of skills • Low Profile • Failing infrastructure due to lack of capital Developing our ow n staff Developing our ow n staff – – investment and revenue spend ‘9 9 Volunteers ‘ 9 9 Volunteers’ ’ • No Clear Direction • Anecdotal evidence of successes, but tangible Kinaesthetic Learning Project Kinaesthetic Learning Project evidence of failures, e.g. complaints Partnerships w ith Colleges Partnerships w ith Colleges – – • Resource pressures with no baseline data to support Career Changers Career Changers bids

CABESpace: Parkforce New direction – Parks and Green Space Strategy • Sets out vision and key priorities to 2020 • Based around 5 themes • Sets out how issues faced can be tackled CABESpace PARKFORCE initiative CABESpace PARKFORCE initiative Gardeners Back into Parks Gardeners Back into Parks Household Survey – Adults Gathering the Evidence – W hy? and How ? 60 Million visits per year • Why? – to provide baseline data to support strategy Visits 2004 2005 2006 development and support funding bids, ultim ately Use a park 92% 86% 92% im proving responsiveness to customers Winter Summer • Postal questionnaire 2004 and 2005, and used the GreenSTAT postal questionnaire for 2006 Visit Daily (or most 15% 18% 20% 31% days) • 30,000 households (Electoral Register) 90,000 in total Visit once or twice 35% 37% 23% 32% • 4,500 children and young people (Breeze Card) a week 13,500 in total Time: 30mins-1hr 42% 42% 42% 37% • Ask respondents to identify the greenspace they Time: 1hr – 2 hrs 35% 34% 19% 33% normally visit and provide answers for this area Household Survey Household Survey Adults Adults No. of Visits Reason to Visit Transport Method 2 00 4 2 00 5 2 00 6 2 00 4 2 00 5 2 00 6 To exercise 21.5m 30.6m Walk 53% 54% 59% Fresh air 29.9m Car 43% 38% 37% Keep Fit 12.4m To contemplate / relax 19.5m 24.8m Bus 4% 4% 2.3% Relax or think 14.3m To take children to play 20.0m 22.8m Cycle 3% 3% 1.9% Visit play area 13.8m

Household Survey 2 0 0 6 Green Flag Satisfaction Rating Comparison: Adults 9.0 8.5 8.0 7.5 7.0 6.5 6.0 Community P arks 5.5 Major Parks 5.0 Design and Cleanliness and Ease of getting Range of visitor Standard of Care / protection of Facilities for children appearance maintenance around the park facilities horticultural features nature and wildlife and parents Sports facilities Overall impression • 5 Green Flag Parks • Over 4 0 trained Green Flag judges • 1 0 Leeds Quality Parks – target of all 7 3 by 2 0 2 0 How are w e using this inform ation? • Information available for service as a whole, by type of greenspace, or down as far as individual park level • Link satisfaction to Green Flag assessments, Super Output Area information, etc. • Performance Indicators / Service Planning (see where we are; set realistic targets for improvement; plan actions to affect this improvement; and measure and report successes) • Support Funding Bids Capital Bids – Internal (Parks Renaissance) Capital Bids – External (Lottery applications, etc.) Revenue Bids – Site Based Gardeners, etc. Key achievem ents - a few exam ples… Survey results for the North East Outer Area • Public Rights of Way £175k • Allotments £175k How often do you visit the park City % Area % • BMX tracks £470k or greenspace? More Often 72% 78% • NRF bids – bedding and dog bins in SOAs £200k 2 or 3 times a year 16% 5% • Community Parks £500k Once a year 3% 2% Less than once a year 3% 2% • Parks Renaissance £2.5m Never visit 5% 8% • 7 on site gardeners funded by area committees • A further £750k announced by Councillor Carter

Survey results for the North East Outer Area Survey results for the North East Outer Area How long are your City % Area % weekday visits during the summer? B1b How often do Less than 30 minutes 15% 28% you visit the park Seldom or 30 minutes – 1 hour 41% 48% or open space? never Once Once or 1 – 2 hours 31% 16% (Please tick one during this Once a every 2 twice a 2 – 4 hours 8% 6% per season) season month weeks week Most days Every day Total Qs Answered More than 4 hours 1% 0% Do not visit 5% 1% winter 8.43% 25.30% 10.84% 26.51% 14.46% 14.46% North East Outer How long are your City % Area % winter 11.85% 27.84% 15.58% 23.18% 12.90% 8.65% (All) weekend visits during the summer 1.41% 16.90% 14.08% 29.58% 22.54% 15.49% North East Outer summer? summer 1.57% 17.60% 18.57% 33.10% 19.26% 9.89% (All) Less than 30 minutes 9% 15% 30 minutes – 1 hour 35% 56% 1 – 2 hours 36% 23% 2 – 4 hours 14% 5% More than 4 hours 2% 0% Representing 2,048,272 visits per year Do not visit 4% 1% Survey results for the North East Outer Survey results for the North East Outer Area Area Do you consider City % Area % Have you ever been City % Area % Would you wish to be City % Area % yourself to be consulted on the running of consulted on the running of parks and greenspace? parks and greenspace? disabled? Yes 48.8% 59.6% No 90% 91% Yes 7.9% 7.8% No 51.2% 40.4% No 92.1% 92.2% Rather not answer 2% 5% What age group City % Area % Yes 7% 4% best describes If you would like to be consulted City % Area % you? what format would you like this to 20-29 9% 8% take? 30-39 19% 23% Occasional visitor surveys 25% 25% 40-49 18% 17% Comment / suggestion cards 16% 17% 50-59 18% 23% Are you City % Area % Public exhibitions 9% 5% 60-74 25% 22% male or Over 75 9% 9% Public meetings 6% 8% female? Talking to staff on-site 8% 12% Female 63.5% 66.0% Joining a user / volunteer group 5% 4% Male 36.5% 34.0% Through a regular newsletter 26% 23% Direct access to managers 5% 6% Survey results for the North East Outer Area Survey results for the North East Outer Area Why go? City % Area % Satisfaction Criteria City Area To relax or think 6% 7% For peace and quiet 5% 4% C1 Design and appearance 7.9 6.8 Enjoy flowers/trees 7% 7% C2 Cleanliness and maintenance 7.6 6.4 6% 4% See birds and wildlife 2% 2% Feed the birds / ducks C3 How easy is it for you to get around 8.5 8.0 Enjoy the beauty of the surroundings 8% 2% C5 The range of visitor facilities 6.3 4.7 Get some fresh air 13% 16% For a walk 12% 12% C6 The standard and maintenance of the trees, Take a shortcut 2% 4% the flowers and flower beds, shrubs and 8.1 7.2 Ride a bike 2% 2% Walk the dog 5% 8% grass areas Children / Family outing 5% 6% C7 The care and protection of nature and the Meet friends 2% 1% 6% 7% Visit the play area wildlife that lives in the park or open space, 7.6 6.8 Picnic/barbecue 1% 1% the insects, birds, and animals etc To eat/drink 2% 0% Enjoy entertainment 1% 0% C8 The facilities and / or services that are 6.5 5.3 Attend events 3% 1% provided for children and their parents To keep fit 5% 7% To improve my health 3% 4% C9 The sports facilities 6.1 5.9 Organised educational visit 0% 0% C10 Overall impression of the park or open space Guided walks and talks 0% 1% 7.6 6.4 Play sports or games 3% 3% Watch sport or games 1% 2%

Green Flag ( LQP) Assessm ents 2 0 0 6 Current w ork in the North East Outer Area All types of greenspace • Harland Way/Sandringham Drive - Construction 6.0 City-wide (All Types) of new fixed play facility North East Outer (All types) 5.0 Green Flag Standard • Wetherby Ings/Wilderness/Harland Way - Site Green Flag Standard based gardener appointed 4.0 • Squirrel Way, Moortown - Drainage of two 3.0 football pitches and construction of changing rooms 2.0 1.0 0.0 Welcoming Signage Horticultural Maintenance Marketing & promotion Provision of appropriate educational info Planned w ork in the North East Outer Area • Osprey Woods, Moortown - Refurbishment of Play Area • Osprey Woods, Moortown - Fencing and footpath resurfacing • Adel Woods - car park and footpath restoration ...and the end result? ...and the end result? • Water Safety – Assessment and implementation of safety works Well managed parks, enjoyed by all Positive signs – national satisfaction survey 2006/07 Core City Percentage Sheffield 80% Leeds 79% Liverpool 74% Manchester 73% Bristol 71% Newcastle upon Tyne 71% Birmingham 68% Nottingham 67%

Denise Preston Chief Recreation Officer denise.preston@leeds.gov.uk