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Green
corridors for City proposed
A network of traffic free green
corridors which would link open spaces and be funded by future developments
in the City should be created in Liverpool, a new report recommends. An interim report by the Strategic Green
and Open Space Review Board calls for:- "the identification and
extension of a series of corridors for walking, cycling and the linking of
wildlife areas."
It is 1 of 31 recommendations by the Board which was set up by the Mayor
of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, to look at the future of the City's parks and
green spaces. They also include urging the City to make a commitment to
raise the quality of green spaces in the North of the City so they are
comparable with the South.
The report also pledges to continue to investigate the financial
restructuring of current services and provision and to establish ideas for
reducing cost and increasing income.
The Board is chaired by actor, TV presenter and environmentalist Simon
O'Brien, said:- "I consider this to be the most important piece of
work I have ever undertaken.
It continues to be a fascinating journey inspired by those people already
engaged with our green and open spaces."
The interim report is based on data collected over the last nine months and
takes account of feedback from 10 public meetings across the City and 3
workshops which were held across the City to examine the issues.
Among the recommendations are:-
► All public parks and greenbelt sites should be removed from the Strategic
Housing Land Availability Assessment "call for sites" list.
► Create a Green and Open Spaces Ambassadors
programme to provide active engagement at a community level.
► Set up Parks Business Forums which includes all stakeholders of business
located or established in parks.
► To work with the Clinical Commissioning Group and public health partners to
identify a location in a green space which can be used in a pilot health
referral programme.
► 2 sites of 2 hectares each be identified, one in the north of the
City and
one in the eastern core to create new public woodlands
Mayor Anderson said:- "Liverpool has an abundance of superb parks and
green spaces which are a huge asset to the City. However, we are faced with
huge challenges about maintenance and investment in them with the huge cuts
to our budget.
We have to find new ways of doing things and that is why I set up the Green
and Open Spaces review and asked Simon O'Brien to chair it.
I welcome this interim report and acknowledge the enormous amount of work
that has contributed to it and would like to thank Simon and the Board for
their work to date. Their report is entirely independent of the Council. It
recognises the financial difficulties that are facing us and comes up with
many interesting and thought-provoking ideas for us to consider.
However, the Board still has work to do and I understand that in their final
report they will identify and prioritise the final recommendations and look
at what we are able to deliver jointly with key stakeholders and partners
which will have the greatest positive impact on our City's green and open
spaces."
Following the publication of the interim report the Board will be hosting
three public consultation events in the New Year when members of the public
will be invited to provide feedback and comment on the recommendations.
Alternatively views can be
emailed.
The public meetings will be held at the following locations:-
► Thursday, 14 January 2016, at the Croxteth Sports Centre, Altcross Road, L11 0BS, from 5
to 8pm.
► Thursday, 21 January 2016, at the Southern Neighbourhood Centre, 1209, Upper Mann
Street, L8 6TS, from 5 to 8pm.
► Thursday, 28 January 2016, at the The Black E, 1 Great George Street, L1 5EN, from 5
to 8pm.
The interim report can be found
online.
Also the Board's final report is expected to be published in 2016.
Did you know?
► There are 139 public parks, recreation grounds, cemeteries, crematorium
gardens in Liverpool, totalling 444 hectares.
► In 2015/16 the Council is spending almost £9 million on maintenance of green
spaces.
► 2 parks have recently been created on disused sites - Bankfield Park in West
Derby and Alt Meadows in Croxteth.
► The Mayor committed over £1m to new skate parks at Everton Park, Newsham
Park, Dingle Bank, Otterspool Park and Norris Green Park. |
