Report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods)

This report provides an update on the progress and future programme of investment for parks that will accelerate delivery of the Park Strategy and support the delivery of revenue savings beyond 2021.

The Committee received a report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) which provided an update on the progress and future programme of investment for parks that would accelerate delivery of the Park Strategy and support the delivery of revenue savings beyond 2021.

The main points and themes within the report included:

• The background to the Programme;
• Framework for investment;
• Pipeline of projects;
• Deliverability; and
• Next steps.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

• What was the reason for the decision to divide the £960,000 available in 2021/22 for capital projects in parks by ward, with each ward being allocated £30,000;
• How would value for money be achieved if different areas were individually buying a small number of items for a local park;
• That the larger investment opportunities should be spread across a number of parks;
• What support was the Council providing during the pandemic to small and independent businesses who normally operated within the parks;
• To thank the Parks team for the support they had provided to community groups in parks; and
• Some local residents could not afford to attend the commercial events being held in parks and how could they be supported to benefit from these events.

In response to the question that was asked under the Budget item about how realistic the projected returns were, the Parks Lead advised that the service had a good track record over the past four years of capital investment in parks leading to increased returns, with income from parks increasing by about 20% year on year.  She advised that the projected returns were predicated on parks being able to host a programme of events and activities as they had in previous years, although this was likely to be towards the end of summer due to COVID-19 constraints.  She advised that the projected returns were also the result of work in previous years, for example, changing contracting arrangements and the staffing structure.  She also highlighted some of the investment projects which were currently in the pipeline over the shorter and longer term.

The Parks Lead advised that, following consideration of the options, it had been decided that the most equitable way to allocate the Parks in Partnership £960,000 funding was to align it with the Neighbourhood Investment Fund (NIF) and allocate £30,000 per ward.  She advised that it also gave local areas the opportunity to seek match funding from other sources.  The Head of Parks, Leisure, Youth and Events informed Members that this approach put decision-making in the hands of Ward Councillors and local areas.  He advised Members that the money did not have to be spent in that ward and that neighbouring wards could choose to work together on a project that was beneficial for local residents.  Committee Members expressed their support for this fund.  

The Parks Lead informed the Committee that a small project team had been established to support the delivery of the investment and that part of this work would be to ensure the best value for money, for example where a number of different areas were each buying a bench for their local park.  In response to a Member’s question about whether the funds would be used to replace equipment which was in a poor condition or for new improvements, the Executive Member for Skills, Culture and Leisure advised that this was at the discretion of the Ward Councillors and other stakeholders in the ward.

The Parks Lead highlighted how some of the small and independent organisations which operated in parks had supported the local community during the pandemic, for example in the delivery of food packages.  She confirmed that her team had been providing support to these organisations during the pandemic, including support in putting in place safe operating plans where they could continue to trade, directing them to grants they could apply for where they could not trade and facilitating the development of a network of these business so that they could provide each other with peer support.

The Executive Member for Skills, Culture and Leisure advised the Committee that the return from the commercial events held in parks, such as Parklife and Lightopia, was reinvested in parks for the benefit of all residents and that, while there were a few premium commercial events, the majority of events in parks were free and accessible to all.  He thanked Parks staff for their work during the pandemic.

Decision

To note the report.