Memorandum by Thurrock Council (TCP 57)
These are brief notes: further information is
available if requested.
In particular, we produced a series of parks
discussion papers in Thurrock two years ago, summarising known
research available at that stage.
Research in Thurrock has shown high levels of
usage of open spaces and parks in Thurrock, but much lower levels
of satisfaction compared to areas with well established parks
such as Richmond, Enfield and Kensington and Chelsea (source Mori
Survey 1997 and comparisons). A more detailed sports and leisure
survey in 1995 in Thurrock showed high levels of use of parks
and play areas compared to other leisure facilities, a high level
of repeat visits, and demonstrated the scope for improvement.
Main causes for dissatisfaction in Thurrock are dogs mess, the
need for more play facilities, and standards of maintenance. We
have also carried out focus group research, that reinforced the
messages about dogs mess, security, and the need for better play
facilities, but also very importantly the need to develop a "big
park" in Thurrock where people could spend an entire day
enjoyably.
CITY PARKS
AND URBAN
OPEN SPACES
I am aware that much of the national debate
on public parks in recent years has understandably concentrated
on the use and condition of traditional city parks. From an area
like Thurrock, it is tempting to say they should consider themselves
fortunate to have such problems! Thurrock is probably not untypical
of many areas which have seen rapid urban development since the
second World War, without a corresponding investment in the environmental
and social facilities. Thurrock comprises a mixture of towns and
villages, some merging into each other to form an urban "sprawl",
but where communities may be served by an open space that has
been provided on a former landfill site, and does not have a single
tree on it, nor any paths, fences, or other features normally
associated with parks.
At present none of these sites can receive funding
from the lottery: the Urban Parks Fund concentrates exclusively
on "heritage" parks with some parks receiving funding
of several million pounds in order to restore them.
While we have not received a single penny of
lottery funding for parks in Thurrock, (and at present it would
be unlikely that we would be able to do so), we have been fortunate
to have been able to invest in parks recently with funding from
environmental trusts set up under the Landfill Tax Regulations.
This funding system is much more simple and straightforward than
the Heritage Lottery Fund: money is not wasted on expensive bidding
processes or unnecessary consultancies, and can be used both for
small scale improvements to parks and much more ambitious schemes.
Both the Cory Environmental Trust in Thurrock
and the Cleanaway Mardyke Trust have been funding park improvements
in Thurrock and the results have been very impressive—examples
are:
Corringham Town Park—this is small
(four hectare) but is the main park serving Corringham, a town
of 30,000 people. Funding of £100,000 from the Cory Environmental
Trust was sufficient to make a radical difference; additional
paths, extensive play equipment for children, and a cycle training
track for children as well as tree planting. The results have
been very impressive, with very high levels of use by all ages.
Cowper Field, Tilbury—this was a
completely barren open space that had regular problems with motor
cycle use across it, abandoned vehicles left on it, and other
abuse. Here funding of just £50,000 from the Cory Environmental
Trust has been sufficient to transform this site, and make it
a major asset in a very deprived area. Play equipment, paths,
teenage meeting area, basketball and football posts, and planting
have all been provided and levels of use have again been good.
USE BY
CHILDREN
Children and young people are the main users
of open spaces in areas such as Thurrock. Open spaces are often
referred to as "outdoor youth centres", and the spring
and summer in particular have very high levels of use by young
people meeting on the sites in one of the few areas where they
are not then perceived as a nuisance by residents. We now provide
teenage meeting areas to help young people meet on the spaces
rather than immediately adjacent to houses. On one site, such
a shelter resulted in an 85 per cent reduction in calls to the
police about youth "nuisance" in the area.
Parks and Open Spaces therefore have a major
role to play in the Government's crime and disorder and social
exclusion and healthy living agendas. Unfortunately this is not
currently reflected in funding available through the national
lottery or other national sources.
It is very clear that children and young people
are not satisfied with the kind of barren recreation grounds that
are typical of most of Great Britain. Those recreation grounds
may be fenced or unfenced, they may have a small amount of children's
play equipment, but will have very few other features. In places
they do not have a single tree or path or bench. Very small improvements
in these spaces can make huge differences to their use by children
and young people and can therefore help to overcome social problems
caused by boredom and the lack of "somewhere to go".
In Thurrock we involve children in redesigning these small recreation
grounds through our "design a space scheme". This has
been successful, and small and cheap changes in terms of planting
copses and providing mounds have significantly enhanced their
use.
There is a need to "rough up" our
urban spaces in order to make them more interesting to children
and young people. Many of these issues are set out in Robin Moore's
book Childhood's Domain, written in 1986 but still relevant and
unfortunately Robin's messages do not appear to have affected
practice or funding in much of the Country. I pulled together
a number of quotes on this subject from various experts in some
workshop notes for the "Funding for Fun" conference
organised last June by the Children's Play Council. I have attached
a copy of those workshop notes in case you find them helpful,
and refer you in particular to page 20 where I have pulled together
a number of quotes from Robin Moore's book.
DOGS
Dog walkers can appear to be the major users
of open spaces but this is misleading. While they are a significant
group, dogs mess itself can put off very many other users of open
spaces. The Dogs Fouling of Land Act has provided the opportunity
to improve areas, but because it is not a universal law it is
not yet well known even in areas such as Thurrock where it has
been adopted fully. Dogs mess is still one of the major reasons
why residents will not visit parks or will not allow their children
to use parks, and is a major reason why children themselves are
dissatisfied with parks and may also react to an adult culture
that preaches cleanliness but practices the opposite. A simple
national law on this matter would still greatly help use of parks.
I am aware that, anecdotally, many residents are so fed up with
the issue that they would prefer to see dogs banned entirely from
open spaces. Because it is so emotive, we have not researched
public opinion on this, but it does underline the depth of feeing
on this issue and the need for change.
NEW APPROACHES
ON PARKS
Our research in Thurrock has shown a very high
awareness by residents in Thurrock of changes to a park in our
neighbouring Council, Brentwood. There a major upgrade of the
children's play area has resulted in an extremely successful site
that serves the whole district. We are attempting a similar approach
here in Thurrock at a site called Grays Beach, which will have
a mixture of "pay as you play" activities, as well as
children's play equipment that is free, and will regularly involve
local community groups in fund raising activities. This site will
be opening this year, and we hope to secure further funding to
make more improvements for the following year. By using a mixture
of pay as you play and free activities we anticipate providing
a very valuable resource in a deprived area, but at a minimal
revenue cost. The whole park, which includes former derelict factory
areas, is being funded through the Cory Environmental Trust at
a cost of over £1 million pounds but with future revenue
costs of under £100,000 a year. The park will serve the whole
borough.
I hope these brief notes are of some help. They
are meant to illustrate that, for relatively small scale investment
and small increases in revenue costs, the use of open spaces in
urban areas such as Thurrock can be increased radically, and the
open spaces can be of major benefit to the local communities.
It is very difficult to describe adequately in words the condition
and opportunities presented by open spaces and parks, but, because
of the funding recently received through environmental trusts,
we feel that Thurrock does provide some interesting examples of
how changes can be made effectively. We would be very pleased
to show your Members around some of these parks and would be happy
to supply any further information that may assist in the Sub-Committee's
work.
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