The Work of the Urban Green Space Team
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The Urban Green Space Team works to improve access to green spaces through programs like the Green Flag Award Scheme, addressing skills gaps, and developing allotment policies. They collect national data on green spaces and run workshops while also funding programs through Groundwork and Green Gyms to encourage community involvement in green spaces and help address issues like climate change and public health.
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The Work of the Urban Green Space Team
- 1. The work of the Urban Green Space Team Rose Waddilove Communities and Local Government November 2009
- 6. Skills CABE Space - Skills to Grow - Action Plan Apprenticeships
- 7. Green Space Information National data sets Workshops
- 9. Research on benefits Climate change and health Community involvement
- 11. Any questions?
Editor's Notes
- Fits in CLG Restructuring, new name Division core aim = to offer ideas/support so that local government and our third sector partners can help communities learn and develop in terms of: Voicing their concerns and making them count (e.g. Take Part, Participatory Budgeting, the Empowerment Fund, community development advice) Engaging in improving/running public assets/services (e.g. community involvement in green space, managing community centres) Raising money and acquiring assets to help meet local needs (e.g. asset transfers support, community shares advice, social impact bond, land bank for allotments) Achieving sustainable improvements as social enterprise and anchor organisations (e.g. support for community social enterprise) LDP Communities Group – cohesion+migration, FRD
- Team...trying to do 3 things… Our focus is on urban areas, particularly deprived
- Main areas of work I lead on: contract management of the GFAS work around addressing skills problems in the sector Emily Bliss: Allotments law and policy and exploring how to improve access to land GGA – 3 year funding to FCFCG, in partnership with GS, to fund work that supports a number of our key aims (particularly around allotments, local capacity building)
- Sponsorship of the GFAS Strategic meetings – wide range of views, maximise potential of scheme 3 things we view as very important Public awareness of award and what it means, increase demand Ensure deprived areas are not neglected Increasing community involvement - getting involved in judging sites - increasing number of Green Pennant awards Very good progress over recent years: Number of Green Flag Awards continuing to increase: over 900 Green Flag and Pennant Awards in England and Wales were won this year
- Greatest barriers to quality Recruitment+retention, levels of skills, right skills (e.g.), workforce diversity CS coordinating with a number of delivery partners Causes: Compulsory Competitive Tendering deskilling the industry, lack of apprenticeship schemes, the structure of local authorities (and frequent restructuring), lack of vision and leadership for green spaces, lack of joined up working Skills to Grow; Action Plan Next few months, highest impact, focus Apprenticeships – instant impact on ground Last year This year: CABE Space BP workshops, guidance, follow up evaluation - appointed
- Another thing trying to tackle…Lack of national GS data Developed a database – Centrally held information (CLG, NE…) -starting point of a comprehensive, up to date info resource – GS managers feed in data. Workshops Oct: to introduce LAs to info we’ve collated and find out what kind of info would help LAs manage their GS – feedback was that our database would not provide a useful enough resource for LAs to justify time it would take to feed in - unlikely poss build up reliable data source we’d hoped for in this way. Alternatives.. For example, explore with CS how their SOTN research might be built on to provide better national data
- Demand growing recently (contrib healthy eating, exercise, organic local food) A lot of interest: letters and enquiries from members of the public, PQs + parliamentary debates and media interest Community resource, want to ensure that LAs are able to meet current demand. Statutorily protected; considering how to ensure they continue to be afforded the level of protection they should have Provision: given demand, LAs unlikely to be able to provide all, looking into innovative approaches to making land available. E.g. Community land banks: There has been a huge expansion in the number of small community groups negotiating for access to land with private and social landowners. Many obstacles. FCFCG feasibility study for proposal, which would involve them acting as a brokerage between land-holders and community groups and offering objective advice and support. First part of study completed, outlines the current level of demand for this initiative. Final report mid November: complementary schemes and the level of interest from landowners / developers. Pilot work early next year. GITC – GP guide for local authorities. Online and then updated (eco downturn, incr demand) Another thing, Emily…establish Community garden at EH – show that don’t necessarily need a statutory allotment plot or a lot of space to grow; opportunity for people to come together and to grow food; and for us to better understand some of the issues around getting a group together to manage space
- DEFRA Tender Existing Most compelling Share
- around green space Sponsor Groundwork – helps deliver environmental regeneration and community led projects Example: Lambeth Council, play provision, with Waterloo Green Trust, community consultation+engagement with children and adults. Neglected site – well-used playground and comm garden Resident + member of the trust: “ Its success has been contagious and has motivated other groups around the area into realising what can be achieved with this kind of project . They are now looking at their own pieces of underused land and realis ing the potential.” Currently fund BTCV Green Gyms – opportunities to help improve green spaces and get physically fitter at the same time