Playground equipment could be removed or replaced with low maintenance natural play features like logs and stone play sculptures as cuts to the parks services continue to bite.
Brighton and Hove City Council is asking people what they think diminishing funds for the maintenance of its 147 parks and 53 playgrounds should be spent on.
Among the possibilities are swapping swings for logs, not replacing faulty equipment, or closing smaller playgrounds so funds can be concentrated on larger ones.
They are included as part of the council’s Big Parks and Open Spaces Conversation. – a consultation which invites residents, visitors and all park users to have their say and consider how parks could evolve into the future.
Most of the city’s green public spaces are currently managed and maintained by the council’s Cityparks staff, supported by volunteers and Friends Groups.
Parks and open spaces improve the quality of life for residents in the city, and are used by schools, colleges, universities and voluntary/community organisations.
Money spent on parks and open spaces is one of the council’s smallest budgets (approximately £14 per person a year.)
Current budget restrictions mean the council is unable to provide the levels of funding currently needed to maintain its parks and open spaces.
Councillor Gill Mitchell, chair of the environment, transport and sustainability committee said: “We know that people really value their neighbourhood parks and recreation areas, and want to see them protected and preserved into the future.
“That’s why we are encouraging everyone to get involved in the Big Conversation, share their priorities, opinions and ideas and make sure their voice is heard,
“This consultation is a way of involving everyone from the start in a really important discussion on how we create new models for the future management of our precious parks and open spaces.”
You can take part in the consultation online here until October 28. Paper copies of the consultation are also available.
All responses will be used to help draw up an Open Spaces Strategy which will be considered by councillors.
Put up council tax
perhaps a zero tolerance policy for people that camp on and then desecrate them should be implemented immediately… but that is too non pc in these wonderfully enlightened times
1.community service, volunteers, unemployed, 2. £10 – £20 surcharge on annual council tax bill that can only be spent on improving parks and open spaces, roads the following year etc. 3. charge student houses 25% of their council tax band. 4. sell some assets, 5. be more efficient. 6. let business men and women run the council instead of a political party, it is a business. 7. get rid of stale council officers. etc. etc.