Public Places T
hroughout Britain, over the last few years, many areas have seen a dramatic decline in the standards of maintenance of, and investment in, council-managed land; grass cut
less frequently, heaps of clippings making amenity grass areas unusable for picnics, ball games or even walking; repairs to paths and vandalism and graffiti removal taking longer; pruning to hedges, shrubs and trees not carried out, litter not collected and bins not emptied etc. And the reliable prediction for the future is further and much deeper budget cuts. Why have these important, valuable
community assets, which are so much part of our everyday lives, become the victims of such unsympathetic treatment in the austerity era? What is the likely aftermath of the cuts and what is the future in the 21st century for parks and green spaces? In the age of destination gardens, theme parks and attractions, internet and home media, do they still have a relevant role? Are they really such low priorities for council tax-payers and are many of them destined to become merely poorly maintained dog-walking areas with little real purpose? It is claimed that, currently, eighty percent
of amateur sports are still played on local authority pitches and recreation grounds, and millions of people visit parks and green spaces every day to get fresh air, exercise and a healthy dose of nature and outdoor life. Whilst the Government and health experts are desperately trying to promote healthy lifestyles and fight obesity, the ever- deepening austerity measures in local government funding are hitting the non- statutory services such as parks and green spaces proportionally much harder than protected services, such as social care and education. Difficult choices have to be made by politicians and local authorities and there will always be arguments for and against various cut-back options, but is anyone out there making the case on behalf of parks and green spaces? There is clear evidence to show that these sites are closely linked to healthy lifestyles and wellbeing and their deterioration will seriously affect all communities, but especially the poorer section of society who depend on free or affordable local facilities. Is this decline inevitable and is anyone leading the fight to halt it? Parks professionals are currently at the
“Urban parks and green spaces are an essential part of the urban heritage and infrastructure, being a strong element in the architectural and landscape character of towns and cities, providing a sense of place and engendering civic pride. They are important for enabling social interaction and fostering community development.
Public green spaces help to conserve natural systems, including carbon, water
forefront of the battle to safeguard standards and are struggling with a range of urgent and important issues:
- This is an era of deepening austerity and budget cuts in the public sector which is affecting parks services, which are claimed to be non-statutory, disproportionally greater than many statutory services, such as health, education etc.
- Many departments have been stripped of staff and resources, having been constantly restructured, some departments being absorbed into larger services, often leaving services disrupted and staff demoralised and demotivated, yet they are still expected to maintain and improve service standards
- Expertise and vital skills are being lost with job-cuts, ageing workforces and minimal investment in training
- Maintenance is increasingly being contracted out, often with the thinnest of cost margins and usually on a short-term basis, leading to poor continuity, lowering of standards and often disruption
- There is little available research, guidance or general agreement on new models for management and maintenance in order to cope with the reduced funding available
- There is no longer any national organisation which champions or provides guidance on public open spaces issues
- There is no single national organisation or association for those working in the parks and green spaces sector
In 1999, little more than fifteen years ago, a House of Commons Select Committee Inquiry into the state of parks, after hearing a wide range of outstanding evidence, concluded that public open space, specifically “town and country parks”, were desperately in need of protection and investment to halt years of decline which had left many parks derelict and unsafe. They were “shocked at the weight of evidence, far beyond our expectations, about the extent of the problems parks have faced in the last thirty years”. The Select Committee adopted a Council
of Europe statement in its final report which outlines why parks are so valuable to society, and why they are worth protecting (see box). The Select Committee recognised that parks and green spaces had slipped down
and other natural cycles, within the urban environment, supporting ecosystems and providing the contrast of living elements in both designed landscapes and conserved wildlife habitats within our urban settlements.
Parks and green spaces are supportive of social and economic objectives and activities. In particular, the provision of public parks helps to reduce the inequalities, poor health and social
exclusion in deprived areas and reduces the inherent tension between the many social and ethnic groups who form the wider community.
Providing for the recreational and leisure needs of a community assists the economic revival of cities, increasing their attractiveness as a place for business investment, to live, work and take our leisure.”
PC APRIL/MAY 2015 I 91 Bernard Sheridan
Difficult choices have to be made by politicians and local authorities and there will always be arguments for and against various cut- back options, but is anyone out there making the case on behalf of parks and green spaces?
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