Parks News

 

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Dear Hamish,

Last week was an important one for those of us interested in the UK’s parks and green spaces.

On Saturday the long-awaited report from the Parliamentary Communities and Local Government Committee’s Public parks inquiry was published, setting out a series of recommendations for government and calling for clear leadership of the sector.

Fields in Trust Chief Executive Helen Griffiths was interviewed on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, BBC Breakfast TV and Sky News to respond to the report and champion our parks and playing fields. The report came just days after the publication of the Housing White Paper which could open the door to increased housing development on recreational land. We will be monitoring these policy developments over the forthcoming months and publishing our own research findings.

The CLG Committee’s report recommends recognising the wider value of parks to contribute to the health and wellbeing of communities; our new research report focussed on Centenary Park, Rugby illustrates, in microcosm, the value that access to green space provides for communities across the UK.

Also this month, our ezine highlights some funding opportunities that may be available for green space community projects and shares information about the Great British Spring Clean, a campaign we are supporting.

Remember, between ezine updates you can keep in touch with Fields in Trust via social media: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Thank You

Helen Griffiths appears on BBC Breakfast
Parliamentary Inquiry reveal our parks are at a “tipping point”

Over the last few months the Communities and Local Government Committee has been reviewing the future of Public Parks, examining the impact of reduced local authority budgets on our open spaces and considering their future. The Inquiry report warns that parks face a period of decline from their current tipping point with potentially severe consequences unless their vital contribution to areas such as public health, community integration and climate change mitigation is recognised.

Fields in Trust Chief Executive Helen Griffiths appeared on radio and TV to respond to the report and champion our parks and recreation spaces.

Centenary Park in Newbold
Centenary Park, Rugby – A Case Study

The creation of a new public park on derelict land in Newbold, Rugby has resulted in local residents feeling healthier, happier and becoming more active.

The findings in a newly published research report focussed on Centenary Park, Rugby illustrates, in microcosm, the recommendations of the CLG Parliamentary report and demonstrates the value that access to green space provides for communities across the UK.

Our case study of this newly opened park shows the positive impact on the local community that has resulted from having local access to open space.

Guidance for Outdoor Sport and Play front cover
New Guidance for Outdoor Sport and Play

Our new Guidance for Outdoor Sport and Play has been published in versions which take account of the devolved planning administrations in Scotland and in Wales, including a Welsh language version. These new benchmark guidelines for the design of spaces for outdoor sport and play and will provide a crucial tool for local planning authorities, developers, planners, urban designers and landscape architects in the design of outdoor sport, play and informal open space.

Guidance for Outdoor Sport and Play front cover
Since the 1930s the Six Acre Standard has provided valuable information to planners and designers creating and maintaining sports and play infrastructure.

These new, updated versions are available as free to use interactive PDFs on the Fields in Trust website.

The Great British Spring Clean logo
The Great British Spring Clean

Fields in Trust is supporting the Great British Spring Clean, a UK-wide campaign with one simple ambition – to bring together like-minded people from all walks of life to clear up the litter that blights our towns, villages, countryside and coastline.

The campaign aims to get half a million people to get outdoors, get active and help clear up the rubbish that lies around us, over the weekend of 3-5 March 2017. By bringing people together organisers hope to create new community bonds and inspire volunteers to take further action to improve their neighbourhoods. Community groups, Friends of Parks, schools, charities, sports clubs, and Housing Associations are all invited to sign up and take part.

Community group
Focus on Funding

As well as legally protecting sites for play, sport and recreation, Fields in Trust is also keen to see these facilities supported and improved. It can be difficult to secure funding for improvement projects; to help identify sources we have upgraded our advice note detailing a wide variety of external funding sources available for parks and playing fields, which is available on the Fields in Trust website.

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Fields in Trust
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