The State of UK Public Parks Exploring alternative European and International business models Future Parks and Gardens: how to develop the green cultural heritage Swedish Society of Public Parks and Gardens Swedish National Heritage Board Stowe Gardens, (1740s) Grade I The National Trust, Buckinghamshire, June 2015 Stockholm, Sweden, 18 October, 2018 Peter Neal, FLI, Landscape Consultant Princes Street Gardens (1770s and 1820s ) World Heritage Site, Edinburgh, May 2016 Derby Arboretum, Grade II* (1840) Derby City Council, May 2014 Derby Arboretum, Edwardian postcard A Catalogue of Trees in Derby Arboretum, Derby City Council Regent s Park, Grade I (1835) London, October 2015 Regent s Park, London Plan by Basire, 1826 peter@peternealconsulting.co.uk 1
Prince s Park, Grade II* (1842) Liverpool, April 2014 Princes Park, Liverpool, 1857 Plan Ref: LCC Princes Park Conservation Area Appraisal Birkenhead Park, Grade I (1847) The Wirral, Merseyside, October 2017 Williamson Park, Grade II (1909) Lancaster, April 2016 Queen s Park, Grade II (1846) Manchester, March 2015 Stanley Park, Grade II* (1926) Blackpool, April 2016 peter@peternealconsulting.co.uk 2
Impact on public sector funding after the financial crash Hanley Park, Grade II* (1897) Stoke on Trent, March 2014 Funding outlook for councils Local Government Association, June 2012 Sheffield Botanic Gardens Grade II* (Restored 2003), Sheffield, May 2007 Norfolk Heritage Park, Grade II Sheffield, November 2017 The Surveys Park Managers 2014 Park Managers 2016 Public Opinions Park Managers 193/418 46% (35m people) Friends Groups 441 responses (436 in 2014) Public Opinion Survey 2,130 adults (16+) https://www.hlf.org.uk/state uk public parks 2016 https://www.hlf.org.uk/state uk public parks 2014 peter@peternealconsulting.co.uk 3
Preston Park Brighton, July 2016 Leazes Park Newcastle upon Tyne, March 2016 The Main Findings Regular and Increasing Use of Parks 1. People using their parks more regularly 2. Park maintenance budgets continue to fall 3. Staff and skills are being lost 4. Quality of parks is expected to decline 5. Increasing national inequality 6. Management becoming much more varied 7. Sources of external income are on the rise 8. Communities are doing more 9. Park trusts are performing better 10. Council commitment makes a difference peter@peternealconsulting.co.uk 4
Management is becoming more varied Waterloo Park Norwich, April 2016 Sources of external income are rising Battersea Park, woodland garden Thrive / London, March 2013 Handyside Park, Kings Cross London, September 2017 Canalside Steps, Regent s Canal Kings Cross, September 2017 peter@peternealconsulting.co.uk 5
Key themes for action https://media.nesta.org.uk/documents/rethinking_parks.pdf 1 - Continuing public sector leadership Alfred Caldwell Lilly Pond Chicago Parks District, September 2015 Historic Railroad Trestle, Northside Trail Atlanta Beltline, October 2015 Eastside City Trail Atlanta Beltline, October 2015 Britzer Garten and Mauer Park Grün Berlin / Wikimedia Commons Grün Berlin Green Berlin Group https://gruen berlin.de/ peter@peternealconsulting.co.uk 6
2 - Promoting active partnerships Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust Bristol City Council, May 2012 Arnos Vale Cemetery (1837) AVCT Established 2007 Woodbury Wetlands London Wildlife Trust, April 2018 The Coalhouse Cafe Woodbury Wetlands, May 2016 Les Fonderies The Foundries Park (opened 2009) Ile de Nantes, March 2009 Shipyards Park Ile de Nantes, March 2009 The Grand Elephant Les Machines de l Ile, Nantes, March 2009 peter@peternealconsulting.co.uk 7
3 - Supporting communities to play a more active role Eastside City Trail Atlanta Beltline, October 2015 Ham Farm House Workshop Nene Park Trust, February 2018 Pavilion Café, Heaton Park Manchester, March 2016 4 - Developing new models of management and funding Bybi, Bee Keepers Cooperative Copenhagen, March 2018 Cornwall Park Auckland, March 2017 peter@peternealconsulting.co.uk 8
Charitable Park Trusts Cornwall Park Auckland, March 2017 Jesmond Dene Newcastle, March 2016 Park Improvement Districts Leazes Park Newcastle, March 2015 Bryant Park New York City, March 2013 https://cbcny.org/sites/default/files/ media/files/report_bids_11022017_0.pdf Russell Square Kiosks Brunswick Square Cafes Tavistock Square Events Bloomsbury Squares London Borough of Camden, London Bloomsbury Squared PID https://www.nesta.org.uk/project/rethinking parks/we rethought parksbloomsbury2 squared project guide/ peter@peternealconsulting.co.uk 9
5 - Compiling and coordinating data Annual Report 2017/18 The Milton Keynes Parks Trust Metro Parks Tacoma, 2011 https://www.metroparkstacoma.org/file_viewer.php?id=1209 Natural Capital Accounts for Public Green Space in London, Vivid Economics, 2017 https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/11015viv_natural_capital_account_for_london_v7_full_vis.pdf Natural Capital Accounts for Public Green Space in London, Vivid Economics, 2017 https://maps.london.gov.uk/naturalcapitalreport/index.html Thank You Edinburgh s Parks, calculating the social return on investment, 2014 http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/5625/the_value_of_city_of_edinburgh_councils_parks.pdf Princes Street Gardens Edinburgh, May 2016 Peter Neal, Landscape Consultant peter@peternealconsulting.co.uk peter@peternealconsulting.co.uk 10