Welcome changes in Brent Parks Department's management of wildflower meadows

Cowslips in the wildflower meadow at the University of Westminster, Northwick Park

I was very critical when Brent Council decided to save £450,000 by creating wildflower meadows in its parks. I suggested that just letting the grass grow did not in itself constitute a wildflower meadow.  Seed sowing, plug plants and correct management to ensure that the meadows are not overwhelmed by thistles etc are all essential. It seemed more of a cost-cutting exercise than a positive commitment to bio-diversity. LINK

At a recent meeting of Brent Friends of the Earth I was pleased to hear from the very enthusiastic new head of the Brent Parks Service, Kelly Eaton, that one third of each meadow area in our parks and open spaces will be sown with both annual and perennial seeds over a three year programme.  Preparation will involve tilling the seeding area. Predictably Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt was recently involved in a rather artificial photo opportunity:

In her talk Kelly Eaton also said that she would looking at the potential phasing out the use of pesticides in parks and open spaces over the near future. Glysophate is still used in Brent despite the controversy over its  possible association with cancer. 

There is now a biodiversity page on the Brent Council website which is still being developed, that explains the wildflower project: LINK 
 
To increase the amount of biodiversity in our Parks and Open Spaces, a change has been made in the way our grassed areas are managed. Our larger parks allow for a wide mix of uses of the area; including amenity grass to allow for ball games and picnics as well as the newly introduced meadow areas.

This year, we are also introducing wildflowers into our meadow areas. Not only will this introduce bursts of colour into our meadows, it will also lead to increased visits from butterflies, moths, dragonflies, bees and numerous other pollinating insects.

The planned wildlife meadow areas in some of our parks and open spaces:

-->It is refreshing to be able to publish some goods news from Brent Council  and I also welcome changes in the Parks Department in terms of the management of allotments that has meant, as far as my own site at Birchen Grove is concerned, a more proactive approach to letting overgrown plots. Great stuff. Next focus Brent's street and park trees?

Meanwhile if you fancy an early morning outing there is a Dawn Chorus Walk tomorrow, Saturday May 4th, in Gladstone Park. Meet at 5.20am at the Anson Road entrance.

The biodiversity web pages will focus on a different park or open space each month. LINK

Apply by January 25th for funds to create or refurbish local pocket parks

 

Wooden sculptures in Tubbs Road Pocket Park

The government, through the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government,  is inviting applications from community groups interested in establishing a new pocket park or refurbishing an existing one. The government has unfortunately given a very tight deadline of 5pm on Friday 25 January for applications but, if you would like to make one, please visit the government’s website for full details and an application form. LINK

From the Prospectus:

What is Pocket Parks Plus?

The scheme provides grants to community-led bodies working in partnership with their local authority with the aim of creating new pocket parks or bringing existing green spaces up to a safe, usable standard and ensuring long-term support for those initiatives. 

For the purposes of this scheme we will define a pocket park as a piece of land of up to 0.4 hectares (although many are around 0.02 hectares, the size of a tennis court) which may already be under grass, but which is unused, undeveloped or derelict.

Why is this support available?

Building safer, stronger communities and creating places which are ‘owned’ and valued by everyone within local communities are key to the aims of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. 

We know that communities value the green spaces around them and their positive impact on social well-being and physical and mental health is well documented. This programme will focus on providing spaces that are tailored to address the needs of a local area. Providing spaces where people can enhance their wellbeing, have access to healthy exercise, meet other people and find companionship are vital in addressing issues such as increasing health costs, loneliness and division within local communities. Parks and green spaces provide a wealth of opportunities to get closer to nature, meet up with friends, play, take physical exercise, walk the dog or even just have some quiet time in the fresh air with a cup of coffee from their local high street. They could also be used to hold community events such as street parties or music events which support local retailers. 

Parks can also contribute to wider government outcomes, including delivering a quality natural environment and increasing opportunities for people to overcome isolation and engage with their communities. 

To help achieve these aims we will prioritise our support to communities who can provide evidence of local needs that can be addressed through the creation or refurbishment of a green space.

Pocket parks – locally identified, smaller areas of green space ultra-local to where people live and work – can provide those wellbeing opportunities, as well as helping to improve community integration, community pride and social action, especially where communities are involved in the upkeep and development decisions of the park. 

In this scheme we will consider projects for refurbishment of a park or part of a park where this will bring those currently in a state of disrepair back into public use for the long-term and provide a safe accessible place for people in the local community to use. This could include improving access for those with limited mobilty or building or refurbishing a children’s play area, enabling the park to be a focal point for young families. This does not include funding of general maintenance or repairs which remains the responsibility of the local authority. 

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is therefore providing a £1 million fund to support the development of new pocket parks and to refurbish existing parks that have fallen into disrepair where their restoration could have a significant positive impact on the local community and address a specific local need. This funding will help put communities and their partners in a position to take on the management of green spaces of value to them, and contribute resource towards upgrading spaces so that they are in good condition and communities can focus on managing them for the future. 

Applications must reach us by email at pocketparksplus@communities.gov.uk by 5:00pm on Friday 25 January 2019

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