Agenda item

To provide an overview of the service, work undertaken over the last twelve months, performance of the Parks and Green Open Spaces Service and future priorities.

Mr Paul Hodgson, Service Manager for Parks and Green Open Spaces, presented the Parks and Green Environment Annual Report. The report outlined the work being undertaken and planned within the Parks and Green Open Space Service. Mr Hodgson highlighted the work being undertaken to improve play parks with Blackpool’s various “Friends Of” community groups. He also advised on other partnership working, including with volunteer groups, to maintain and improve green open spaces, including on Marton Mere where work with young people had been undertaken to teach environmental skills.

It was further reported that 3,775 trees had been planted during 2022-2023 as part of the Green and Blue Infrastructure and Tree Strategy work. Many of these had been at school sites where planting had been combined with engagement opportunities with young people, undertaken by the Park Rangers. In addition to this Parks had been working with Highways to ensure street planting was undertaken to create green corridors between open spaces.

A Tree and Landscape Officer had also been appointed to ensure that planning applications met the Council’s tree and green space targets.

Mr Hodgson also advised that the ongoing problem of Avian Flu, being experienced by birds in Stanley Park, was being monitored in conjunction with Public Protection and ENVECO. Communications regarding the disease had been issued to ensure public awareness.

The Committee was informed that the Open Space Assessment had been completed in 2019, which provided information on the development of parks. The Green Flag Award assessments for six parks had also been carried out, which would inform the park development plans going forward.

Members raised the work being undertaken to promote tree growth in Blackpool, with increased planting towards and on the promenade being discussed. Mr Hodgson noted that this had been under consideration, but that issues existed in ensuring that the correct species of tree was selected, noting the difficult conditions for tree growth on the sea front. The species used for tree planting was also highlighted with Mr Hodgson explaining that although 90% were from native species the Council sought to trial a range of species to determine which suited each location and ensure that the population had resilience. He added that the Tree Strategy covered a ten-year provide and that the Council also operated its own small nursery for some species as well as buying specimens where necessary. It was further advised that the strategy covered the promotion and planting of hedges within Blackpool, as their importance to green spaces and bio-diversity had been recognised.

The collection of rain water via the Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) was discussed, with Mr Hodgson explaining that these would be installed to collect surface water from building for parks and green spaces. Parks would therefore be considering the location of each SuDS system to ensure it was utilised effectively in each park and that the volume of water collected could be managed.

Crime and Disorder in parks was considered with Mr John Blackledge, Director of Community and Environmental Services reporting that the Council was undertaking a review of its CCTV infrastructure and that this would include those located in parks. As part of this process risk assessments would be developed to determine priority areas for CCTV. Mr Blackledge added that the Committee had been asked to undertake scrutiny of this work as part of its 2023/2024 work programme, allowing members to feed into the consideration of where infrastructure was installed and how it was used. It was added however that CCTV did not represent a complete solution to the crime and disorder experienced in parks and that work to address this also included partnership working between the Council and members of the Community Safety Partnership.

The Committee agreed: That the report be noted.

Councillor Alastair Humphreys left the meeting following this item.