Agenda item

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

To consider a petition bearing 9 signatures, which has been submitted by Councillor Kelly, a Sherbourne Ward Councillor, who has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item along with the petition organiser.

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place), which responded to a petition regarding the grading of Naul’s Mill Park.

A petition bearing 9 signatures had been submitted by Councillor Kelly, a Sherbourne Ward Councillor, who attended the meeting along with Ms Hensman, the petition organiser.  The petitioners were concerned about the classification of Naul’s Mill Park as a local park and requested that the Council take steps to upgrade the park and work with other organisations and the community to obtain funding to develop the park in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner for the benefit of the area and the city as a whole.

The report indicated that Naul’s Mill Park was classified as a ‘Neighbourhood’ Park within the Council’s Green Space Strategy.  This designation was generally assigned based on the importance or significance of the green space based on quality assessment and the distance people travel to attend the site.  The report further indicated that this assessment had little or no real bearing on the sites propensity to attract external funding.

It was recognised that the park contained a range of features including amenity grassland, a god canopy of trees of various ages, shrub beds, flower beds and a children’s play area.  In addition, a distinctive feature contained in the park was a large Edwardian model boating lake at the parks southern end.  Due to persistent leaks and issues with blanket weed, the lake was drained several years ago and kept dry.  However, in recent months, the lake had been refilled to assess its condition.

The report indicated that currently the park was primarily used by local residents and was popular with all ages.  Its main uses included dog walking, informal recreation, children’s play and picnics, particularly through the summer.  Occasional events had also been held in the park in the recent past, including bands in the park and holiday activities run by the Council’s park ranger service.  It was noted that the park may also benefit from being included in the current Public Health walk project which was out to tender.

The Cabinet Member was advised that a community group ‘the Friends of Naul’s Mill Park’ was established in 2015.  The group cared for the park and took an active interest in its maintenance and management and undertook tasks such as litter clearing and improving shrub and flower beds.  Overall management of the park remained with the Council’s Greenspace Service.  It was noted that the funding for the Service was reduced last year by 25%, amounting to £1m.  As a consequence, staffing numbers were reduced across all levels and equipment numbers reduced accordingly.  Hours of operation were reviewed along with reductions in grounds and infrastructural maintenance standards, for example, grass cutting frequency was reduced from 16 to 8 times a year.  It was acknowledged that this reduction clearly restricts the Council’s ability to increase maintenance frequencies.

However, in the past few years, the Council had invested funding into Naul’s Mill Park to enable a range of improvements to be undertaken outside of the routine maintenance programmes.  This has included footpath repairs, the creation of a new rose bed in the ornamental area, the installation of a noticeboard, restoration of ornamental beds and associated bulb planting, various tree works, replacement of fencing and gates and replacement play equipment.

It was proposed that, as most external funding could only be accessed by voluntary groups, the Greenspace Officers continue to support and facilitate the Friends Group, assisting them in making applications to appropriate external funding agencies to help improve the park.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Public Health and Sport approves that:

1.  Officers continue their efforts to explore all options to exploit external funding opportunities and work with the Friends of Naul’s Mill Park and other voluntary groups and organisations to develop the site and improve maintenance standards.

2.  Officers continue to support the Friends of Naul’s Mill Park in the identification and application of external funding opportunities to improve the park.