Report of the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer and the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods).

This report provides an overview of the financial (revenue and capital) position for parks and an update on the programme of investment to deliver revenue savings beyond 2021.

The committee considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer and the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) which provided an overview of the financial (revenue and capital) position for parks and an update on the programme of investment to deliver revenue savings beyond 2021.

Key points and themes within the report included:

·         The objectives and vision of Manchester’s Park Strategy;

·         Progress on the delivery of the Strategy;

·         The balanced revenue budget position which had been maintained to generate income and capital investment to enhance the parks offer;

·         There was an estimated 4.7million visits to Manchester’s parks in 2021/22;

·         The additional investment for parks provided by S106 funding and match funding from strategic partners, such as British Cycling, the Lawn Tennis Association, Transport for Greater Manchester (via Highways) and Veolia;

·         A total of £3.56million was invested across the Parks estate through Park Development Programme and Section 106 and Parks in Partnership (PIP) funding; and

·         The projects completed in 2022/23 and future projects planned.  

Key points and queries that arose from the committee’s discussions included:

·         Welcoming the report and progress made on the Park Development Programme;

·         How new partnerships are attracted in order to generate income; 

·         Progress in the development of the Age Friendly Strategy;

·         The safety of women and girls in the city’s parks, and how this was being considered by the Council; 

·         Welcoming developments at Heaton Park for families; reopening The Orangery; providing electric vehicle charging points; and being used as a base for school buses to promote walking and the wider park; 

·         How the average length of a visit to parks is measured; 

·         How the increase in income had been achieved; and

·         What challenges had been faced during progress of the Park Development Programme.

In introducing the item, the Chair welcomed the report and stated that he had shared the report with the Chairs of the ‘Friends of...’ groups for the three parks within his ward of Didsbury East to highlight the grants available. 

The Parks Lead stated that strong progress had been made on the delivery of Manchester’s Park Strategy and she recognised the 13% uplift in visitor numbers and significant investment through the Parks Development Programme and ad hoc funding from Section 106 and partner investments, which enabled investment of over £3.5million across the parks’ estate in the past year. She stated that this had enabled the service to maximise its assets, widen participation and visitor numbers, generate income from supplementary services such as cafes. It provided support to reduce the gap between income and expenditure, which ensured a sustainable budget position. 

The Parks Lead also wished to place on her record her thanks to stakeholders and partners who supported the day-to-day delivery of park services and investment. 

In response to a member’s query regarding new partnerships, the Parks Lead explained that many partners and stakeholders had approached the Parks service due to the value of Manchester’s parks and the benefits of being aligned with them. The service worked with potential partners to identify the outcomes that they could deliver to ensure best value in the long-term. 

Work on the Age Friendly Strategy was progressing strongly and there was significant focus on the accessibility and inclusivity of parks. This included setting an age-friendly standard when considering future developments, the suitability of infrastructure and reflecting on the need for face-to-face communications with visitors. 

The Parks Lead noted that the design of parks and green open spaces nationally had largely been male-led and landscapes could reflect a gendered view. Manchester’s parks service aimed to reset this balance by ensuring links with the Youth Council and the Council’s Youth team. Consultation had also been undertaken when developing the Park Plans with ‘Friends of…’ groups who utilised and supported individual parks on a daily basis. This would also be extended to reach those who do not use parks to understand reasons and issues behind this. 

The Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods highlighted the need for the Park Strategy to align with the Our Manchester Strategy, and this reflected priorities for the safety of women and girls and being age friendly. She explained that extra lighting would be provided where needed to improve safety.  She also stated that the Council would assess all possible revenue streams for its parks. 

In response to the Chair’s query regarding measuring length of time spent in parks, it was explained that the service employed new technology which tracked general location, amount of time spent on site and areas of the park visited through anonymous mobile data. The Parks Lead confirmed that this technology was fully compliant with data protection regulations and was useful in providing concrete data on the usage of parks. 

The Parks Lead advised that increased income had been generated through utilising this data to highlight the popularity of concessions and market these to potential partners. She emphasised the great assets within Manchester’s parks which were celebrated and helped to bolster interest from potential partners. Members were also advised that following investment in cycle tracks at Wythenshawe Park, coached cycling sessions were held which generated additional income. 

Members were informed that ice cream sales were the most profitable concession and generated around £130k of income per year. 

In response to a query regarding challenges to the Park Development Programme, the Parks Lead explained that the Covid-19 pandemic had impacted partnership working with communities, which was a key priority for the Programme, and noted challenges in working with difficult-to-reach communities. She explained that this was the first time that the service used a funding workstream for the Parks in Partnership (PIP) scheme. Lessons had been learnt as a result of this and good progress had been made on the workstream in the last year with 98 PIP applications received. 

Issues with price increases in the construction industry and delays were also acknowledged but these were communicated effectively to stakeholders to ensure transparency. 

Decision:

That the report be noted.