Contents I. Table of boxes ...... 2 II. Table of figures ...... 2 III. List of abbreviations ...... 3 Foreword...... 4 1. Overview ...... 5 2. Background ...... 6 3. Project Conception 2013-2015 ...... 8 4. Implementation 2016-2020 ...... 11 4.1 Capital Investment ...... 11 4.1.1 Bloomfield - George Bancroft Park (Site A) ...... 11 4.1.2 Victoria - Revoe Park (Site B) ...... 13 4.1.3 Clifton – ‘Mereside’ ...... 15 4.1.4 Claremont - Claremont Park (Site E) ...... 17 4.1.5 Park - Grange Park ...... 17 4.1.6 Talbot and Brunswick - Layton Rec and Talbot area ...... 18 4.1.7 Children’s Centres Early Year’s Play Zones (CC EYPZs) ...... 19 4.2 Early Years Park Rangers (EYPRs) investment ...... 21 4.3 Additional investment and learning opportunities ...... 23 4.3.1 Better Start in Bloom ...... 24 4.3.2 Redeeming Our Communities ...... 24 4.3.3 Bus Shelters as community assets ...... 25 4.4 Linked activities ...... 27 4.5 Next steps ...... 28 5. Learning from the development and implementation phases ...... 29 5.1 Partnership ...... 29 5.2 Logistics ...... 30 6. Impact ...... 31 7. Sustainability ...... 33 8. Summary ...... 34 9. References ...... 35 10. Appendices ...... 37 Appendix I. Blackpool Better Start Wards ...... 37 Appendix II. Summary table of BBS P&OS work by ward ...... 38 Appendix III. BBS P&OS activity map ...... 40

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I. Table of boxes Box Description Page 1. Blackpool Better Start [BBS](2014a) Stage 2 application, Annex C, Project Implementation, p.28. 8 ‘Beach School’ 2. Blackpool Better Start [BBS](2014b) ‘Activity Cards’ PID 03.4 9 3. Extract from BBS 2015, p. 5. ‘P&OS PID Project Objectives’ 10 4. The process of consultations 11 5. George Bancroft Park - Promoting use through peer-led activities 13 6. Revoe Park - Multi stakeholders and competing priorities 14 7. Mereside - Engaging with communities 16 8. Talbot & Brunswick, repeating history and removing barriers 19 9. Extract from the press release for the ‘50 things to do...’booklet 23 10. Box 10: Cumulative total of registered attendees at EYPR activities for years 3, 4 and 5 23

II. Table of figures Figure Description Page 1. Introductory activity card promoting caregiver involvement in BBS activities 2015/16, alongside 10 activity card bundles distributed to caregivers (Feb 2016) 2. George Bancroft EYPZ prior to development August 2013 12 3. George Bancroft EYPZ during and post development 2016 12 4. Revoe Park Community Garden 13 5. Revoe Park (Victoria ward) Community Garden banner 14 6. Langdale Green, prior to development (February 2019) and after (November 2020) 15 7. Community Orchard - Clifton Drive back fields 16 8. Claremont Park EYPZ 17 9. Early Years Reading Apple @theGrange 18 10. Boundary Park (Park ward) scoping of additional site 18 11. and Blackpool Gazette Press cutting and Queen’s Park development ‘Layton Rec’ EYPZ (August 19 2019) 12. Grange Park CC EYPZ pre and post development, including sun canopy and wooden play 20 equipment 13. Mereside CC pre and post development 20 14. Waterloo ward, Thames CC EYPZ 21 15. Ingthorpe ward, Kincraig CC EYPZ 21 16. Forest School activities 22 17. 50 Things to do in nature before you're 5 booklet 23 18. Initial creation of I 'heart' Grange Park on disused land in Park ward 25 19. Pathways and tree planting in Claremont Park (Claremont ward) 25 20. Installation of the Early Years reading zone and mural at Revoe Library 27 21. Community Voice member doing activities with children at a family ‘Beach day’, Summer 2019 28 22. HRH Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge with the community members at Revoe Park 31

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III. List of abbreviations BBS Blackpool Better Start BCH Blackpool Coastal Housing CAP Community Action Project CC Children’s Centre CCG Clinical Commissioning Group CCx Community Connector CD Community Development CECD Centre for Early Child Development CLC City Learning Centre CLUB Clean up Blackpool CV Community Voice EYPR Early Years Park Rangers EYPZ Early Years Play Zone GLWW Groundwork Lancashire West and Wigan JPR Junior Park Rangers LA Local Authority LSOA Lower Super Output Area MAFIA Mereside and Friends in Action MENE Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment MOS Minor Open Spaces MUGA Multiple Use Games Area NHS National Health Service NSPCC National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children ONS Office of National Statistics P&OS Parks and Open Spaces PID Project Initiation Document RLA Revoe Learning Academy ROC Redeeming our Communities SROI Social Return on Investment TAB Talbot and Brunswick TNLCF The National Lottery Community Fund WHO World Health Organisation

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Foreword This report provides an outline of the development of the Blackpool Better Start Parks and Open Spaces programme, from inception in 2013 to the completion of the financial investment which was scheduled for March 20201.

The importance of accessible, quality green spaces for individuals and communities in urban areas is widely recognised. The positive impact crosses a range of interwoven outcomes: health, social and economic, yet critically there are noted inequalities in the availability and quality of green space. Geographically, areas of socioeconomic deprivation have less publically available green space which means residents are at greater propensity of experiencing poor quality environmental conditions than those in less socioeconomically deprived areas.

The Blackpool Better Start Partnership acknowledged the importance of developing green spaces in Blackpool for children 0-4 in the seven Better Start wards2 and through the Children’s Centres by creating Early Years Play Zones whilst simultaneously building the capability of families and communities to utilise and take ownership of these spaces through educational opportunities with the development of an Early Years Park Ranger service and volunteering opportunities including ‘Friends of’ groups.

This report captures the consultations with community members who helped design these play spaces as well as their passion and that of the staff involved in ensuring they would enhance the life of young children and their families. It provides examples of the fast cycle iteration used during the parks development which involved a range of key partners including Blackpool Council’s Parks Department, Housing Associations and Highways and Byways who worked alongside community members to think differently about how open spaces were used. Despite the challenges of negotiating different priorities, practical logistics, such as maintenance, planning for sustainability and community ownership there were learning opportunities and a great deal of pride in what was created. Underpinning this was the stringent criteria of Better Start, the success of which is testament to the commitment of those individuals involved and the additional time permitted to foster relationships between stakeholders.

In seeking to unpick the complexity of this programme, the report draws out the range of activities that have been influenced or resulted from it, e.g. the mural at Revoe Library, the Dads group building furniture for the early years, the Early Years Park Rangers activity resources and a Junior Park Ranger programme as well as the early years friendly bus shelters. It illustrates the ripple effect of the investment well beyond A Better Start, including financial matching by organisations to develop other spaces, donations from community groups, ‘in kind’ support and it has stimulated community action.

Now these play spaces are in situ, it is important that the momentum they have created is maintained. The recommendations at the end of the report provide a way forward to ensure that what has been created is sustainable and can serve children in Blackpool for years to come. Personally, I hope this report shares the excitement and commitment shown by so many people and organisations to improving the outcomes for children through outdoor play by creating these amazing spaces. A big thank you to all involved and heartfelt thanks to the many community members who showed their support through their many acts of kindness, from dropping off packets of seeds/spare gardening tools, to volunteering their time to help children grow their own flowers and vegetables and the many other acts of kindnesses which grew into real community support.

Merle Merle Davies Director, Centre for Early Child Development March 2021

1 This was extended due to Covid 19 restrictions halting work 2 Bloomfield, Brunswick, Claremont, Park, Clifton, Talbot and Victoria (appendix 1) Page 4

1. Overview At the time of writing, a total investment of £1.6 million pounds had been allocated, through the Blackpool Better Start (BBS) partnership3, to the Green Space development programme. Development or enhancement activities were focused on the seven BBS wards (Appendix I), with some investment in Early Years Play Zones (EYPZ) at Children’s Centres (CCs) to create consistency for families accessing multiple sites (Appendix II).

Activities in the Parks and Open Spaces (P&OS) included the:  Installation of EYPZ in all wards (Talbot is encompassed within Brunswick area);  Creation of a specialised Early Years Park Ranger service (EYPR), including a Forest School programme;  Contribution towards a Junior Park Ranger service;  Development/enhancement of three community gardens and a community shed;  Designated dog walking areas;  Enhancement of natural play spaces and installation of a Park Ranger pavilion;  Upgrade/installation of outdoor EYPZs at six of Blackpool’s CCs;  Support for volunteer/community-led programmes; and  Repurposing disused spaces as community assets, i.e. community bus stops.

Associated projects included:  ‘Dads Shed’;  Early years reading zones; and  Participatory budget activities, i.e. street to scale story telling park trail.

This was the culmination of working with multiple agencies from across the sectors, listening to and negotiating with different stakeholder’s priorities, shifting time scales, challenges and continuous learning.

3 The BBS partnership is made up the Local Authority, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group, Lancashire Constabulary, representatives from the local community led by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). The Centre for Early Child Development (CECD) is the backbone organisation of the BBS partnership.

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2. Background Blackpool is the most deprived of 317 local authority areas in England (Blackpool Council, 2020). In April 2015, the BBS partnership was awarded £45 million over ten years by the Big Lottery Fund (BLF), with the aim to create system change and improve outcomes for children from conception to three years of age in three key areas: 1) language and communication, 2) social and emotional development, and 3) diet and nutrition, focusing on seven of Blackpool’s most deprived wards based on average Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) score and concentration of deprivation.

During consultations with local communities in 2013 as part of the stage 1 BBS application, several areas of work were identified for consideration in the BBS bid, one of which was a “desire to see green spaces in Blackpool improved, rejuvenated and made accessible for early years and their families….” (BBS, 2013).

The importance of accessible, quality green spaces for individuals and communities in urban areas has been widely documented (Public Health England, 2014; House of Commons, 2017; Marmot, 2020) often associated with interwoven areas of health, social and economic outcomes. The benefits of accessing green space for adults health are widely recognised both from intervention and observational studies, access to green space is suggested to contribute to ‘life years’ due to the positive impact on chronic diseases impacted by poor environmental conditions, e.g. cardiovascular diseases, neuropsychiatric disorders, cancers, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (Koehler et al., 2018). Similar findings were identified in Twohig-Bennett and Jones (2018) literature synthesis of meta-analyses, results indicated ‘statistically significant associations’ with lowering blood pressure, reduced salivary cortisol (a marker of stress) and cholesterol. Increasing interest has been given to the impact of exposure to green space for positive health outcomes for early years health, including cognitive functioning (Bowler et al., 2010; Kahn & Kellert, 2002), and fewer emotional problems reported for children aged 3 to 5 years in areas with more green space than their counterparts (Flouri et al., 2014); enhanced motor skill development (Fjørtoft, 2001); social development such as increased risk-taking and socialisation behaviours (Bento & Dias, 2017); mental health and physical fitness (Children’s Commissioner, 2018). Despite multiple positive outcomes associated with exposure to green space many children are not attaining the minimum recommended time of outdoor play (Jayasuriaya et al., 2016). There is decreasing time spent in nature by children, possibly associated with a rise in ‘screen time’ activities (Natural England, 2019).

Environmental inequalities, i.e. a reduction in availability and quality of green space, is suggested to reflect those areas with greater socioeconomic deprivation (Public Health England, 2014), “People in deprived areas are nearly six times less likely than those in affluent ones to describe their area as “green”’ (Heritage Lottery Fund, 2016, p.13). These areas are likely to have poorer overall environmental conditions including graffiti, antisocial behavior, littering and greater exposure to pollution (Marmot, 2020). These factors negatively impact an individual’s relationship with the space, this includes perceptions of safety and frequency of use (Jones et al., 2009), this is particularly pertinent for caregivers. The Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) report 2017/18 (Natural England, 2019, p.9) highlighted that “Eighteen per cent of children living in the most deprived areas never visit the natural environment…Children living in deprived areas are especially unlikely to spend time in countryside and coastal areas.”

Although capital investment in green space may impact residential dwelling prices, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggests economic investment in physical improvements in green space is insufficient to promote sustainable communities. There are a range of interwoven mechanisms which contribute to the relationships between individual’s access of green spaces and health improvements (World Health Organisation [WHO], 2016). These include proximity to space (Evenson et al., 2013), environmental quality of the space, i.e. air/noise pollution, water quality, chemical exposure, and activities which promote social inclusion to facilitate community ownership to maintain the area and promote access (Seaman et al., 2010; Maas et al., 2009).

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As yet the degree by which these mechanisms individually foster conditions for health outcomes for the early years is unknown, their complex interwoven nature and a lack of longitudinal data result in challenges with advocating one singular approach (WHO 2016). The BBS P&OS programme acknowledged these challenges and sought to develop EYPZs alongside educational activities and volunteering opportunities which advocated a ‘whole community’ approach.

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3. Project Conception 2013-2015 In spring 2013 consultations to develop the BBS bid were held with stakeholders from across Blackpool communities, this included community members, third sector organisations, public sector departments, Police, National Health Service (NHS) and the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). One area identified during this process was the availability and access for residents to green spaces and most worryingly, the limited use of Blackpool’s famous blue spaces, some families highlighted that they never visited the beaches. It was suggested this was linked to transport, facilities for early years (including toilets/changing rooms) and the perceived pressure to spend on tourist goods/entertainment for the children.

Groundwork Lancashire West & Wigan (GLWW) were appointed to undertake a green space audit and consultation with the community as part of the BBS Stage One application, this took place from November 2013 to January 2014. The report highlighted that publicly accessible green space in the BBS wards was limited, “There is approximately 31.92ha (319,200m²) of parks and green spaces…with a total population of 49,140 within those target wards, there is approximately 6.5m² of green space per person” (Hesketh, 2014, p.13). These green spaces were suggested to be fragmented, with a visible lack of ‘green corridors’ and prevalence of minor open spaces (MOS), often inadequate for physical activity. Public feedback from the questionnaires completed by residents suggested P&OS in Blackpool were underused by families for a number of reasons (ibid p.10), these were:  Locality and access to park spaces, this included transport and surface condition within P&OS;  A lack of provision for early years, including appropriate play equipment, activities and facilities; and  General physical appearance and safety of parks, concerns of dog fouling, antisocial behaviour (ASB) and graffiti which may be associated with perceptions of safety.

A number of options were outlined for the development of P&OS within the BBS wards: Early Years Play Zones (EYPZs), enhancement of MOS, promoting natural play in existing parks and advocating the use of Blackpool’s Beach and Promenade zone which had itself just undergone a £100 million pound investment secured by Blackpool Council to improve sea defences, transport infrastructure and pedestrianisation, completed in 2013 (APM ref to news article), this use would be encouraged through the development of a ‘Beach School’. A concept unique in the BBS application, ‘the Beach School’ was to be based on the ‘Forest School’ approach (BBS, 2013; BBS 2014a) (Box 1).

Taking inspiration from the successful ‘Forest Schools’ approach, local parents have set out their ambition to create their own Beach School. There is scope for outdoor play and learning on the shore and the beach offers a unique environment for children’s discovery and learning…This would link in with the Heritage Lottery bid project Creative People and Places which is developing activities around Blackpool’s coastal and marine past…As well as building strong social networks, a key focus of the Beach School will be on building communication and language skills, promoting healthy nutrition and building social and emotional skills.” Box 1: Blackpool Better Start [BBS](2014a) Stage 2 application, Annex C, Project Implementation, p.28. ‘Beach School’

An initial total budget of £226,781,76 (£86,690 capital costs) was proposed by the GLWW report (Hesketh, 2014, p.77) this included employment of a ‘Beach School’ co-ordinator, enhancing existing spaces to promote natural play in four existing parks, improvements to three green areas, a community garden and one ‘flagship’ new development (BBS 2013). The BBS partnership acknowledged recommendations in the report, recognising the potential to create a legacy for families across Blackpool and with support from the BLF that applications may include one large capital development scheme (BBS partnership applicant - pers.com.), the decision was taken to create an ambitious plan that would create long lasting impacting across the town.

The revised BBS proposal specified a budget of £1,105,240 capital funding which had to be spent by 31 March 2020, alongside matched/enhanced partnership investment of approximately £400,000 for maintenance, enhancement and new developments of P&OS across the BBS wards. Proposed works included EYPZs in all CC spaces, with the CCs to form Page 8

11% of the overall BBS service delivery locations (BBS 2014a), the Beach School and ‘Improving Safe Space and Play’ through developing and/or enhancement of EYPZs in parks/open spaces in all BBS wards. This proposal also included the EYPR service and a community ‘birth tree’ scheme, whereby each month a tree would be planted in honour of the babies born that month (BBS 2014a, p.29).

After submission of the Stage 2 bid in February 2014, development work continued which included the BBS representative community group ‘Community Voice’ and a researcher from Dartington. Several sites were proposed for a Beach School, including a disused lido located off the promenade in the North Shore of Blackpool. However, consideration of the proximity of these to BBS wards, the financial cost for the installation and maintenance of basic facilities, and to ensuring that primary use was for Blackpool residents concluded that a fixed site Beach School was not feasible (BBS partnership applicant – pers.com). The CECD brought in a consultant to work with community members and from this consultation it was clear community focus was around:  Improving parks and play provision; and  Enhancing the capabilities of caregivers and children to use and interact in these spaces through educational activities to encourage access to the outdoors across Blackpool (BBS partnership applicant – pers.com).

On the 17th of June 2014, the successful award of the BBS stage 2 was publically announced, initial work centred on development of the partnership’s infrastructure, including Community Voice, and community designed branding, alongside the development of Project Initiation Documents (PID)4 for any proposed activities. One of the first projects which focused on capability building for families, initially linked to the strand of Speech, Language and Communication, was the creation of a set of 12 activity cards (box 2). These were part of the newly titled Community Action Programmes (CAPs) which sought to involve caregivers in the development and design of projects. These were also the result from the Beach School consultation which suggested support to parent-child interaction in various locations including parks. The cards were distributed at monthly intervals through CCs and libraries. The books promoted on the cards were advertised in the libraries during the month they were issued. Cards were later used as an engagement tool in the Community Connector (CCx) programme; the cards provided a collectable resource exemplifying activities caregivers could do with their child along with poems or songs. Activities promoted the green/blue spaces, e.g. Leaf Scrap Book, Nature Jars, Under the Sea, etc. (figure 1). CCs actively promoted the cards as a resource and encouraged caregivers to join their local library to access the books promoted on the cards. CCs also tied these in with the quarterly literacy weeks and held activities which reflected the theme of the card.

“Initially parents sought to develop a beach school project but have refocused their interest onto a more activity based programme that incorporates the use of both indoor and outdoor space and helps parents adapt activities to each setting. The Activity Cards offer a range of quick and easily understood guides to engaging with a child and capturing their interest in multiple learning methods including communication and language; social and emotional development and diet and nutrition in particular physical health all of which will contribute to raising school readiness standards.” Box 2: Blackpool Better Start [BBS](2014b) ‘Activity Cards’ PID 03.4 p.3

4 PIDs were created for each planned project before the commencement of any work, these contain details of the project’s aims and objectives (box 2), proposal, intended outcomes, governance, costs, timescales and risks, and must be approved by BBS steering groups: Community Voice, the Operational Partnership Board and the Finance Group before going to the Executive Board. Page 9

Figure 1: Introductory activity card promoting caregiver involvement in BBS activities 2015/16, alongside activity card bundles distributed to caregivers (Feb 2016)

In November 2015 the PID for P&OS was approved, this stipulated an overall investment of, “£1,566,000 which splits into four categories; Maintenance will receive an investment of £250,000. Enhancements £356,000 The largest investment will be in the New developments totally £760,000 with the remaining £200,000 being allocated to the commissioned Park Ranger Service.” (BBS 2015, Parks & Open Spaces [P&OS] PID 03.2, p.3)

The P&OS PID focused on creating safe green spaces which would allow the early years to engage in a range of play types, supporting this through education and community involvement (Box 3: Objectives of P&OS). This included:  New developments at four park sites: Revoe (Victoria ward); Claremont (Claremont ward); Mereside (Clifton ward); and Grange (Park ward).  Enhancements at: George Bancroft Park (Bloomfield ward); and Caunce Street (Brunswick ward). With four further sites to be identified through consultation.  Maintenance at: George Bancroft Park (Bloomfield ward); and Boundary (Park ward). With four other sites to be identified through consultation. (BBS 2015, p.8).

1. Develop safe, green outdoor spaces for children to learn in by increasing the four main types of play for preschool aged children;  Practice Play  Physical Play  Fantasy Play  Rule-Based Play 2. Increase the levels of physical activity in young children. 3. Raise children with healthier attitudes towards food and exercise behaviours 4. Involve the local Blackpool community (including parents, families, children and local organizations) in all Park and Open Space decisions increasing neighbourhood ownership and pride, social cohesion and economic capital. Box 3: Extract from BBS 2015, p. 5. ‘P&OS PID Project Objectives’

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4. Implementation 2016-2020 The BBS stage 2 proposal included two areas for investment which are presented independently for ease of the reader: i.) Capital investment in the development, enhancement and maintenance of EYPZs in CCs and P&OS; and ii.) Early Years Park Rangers (EYPRs). A third area of ‘other investment’ details work that occurred during the programme, this resulted from opportunity/identified need or redistribution of funding in a manner that aligned with the P&OS/BBS objectives.

4.1 Capital Investment Consultations with the communities in Blackpool for the development of the proposed P&OS began in February 2016 for Revoe Park (Victoria ward), with the last taking place at Talbot and Brunswick CC (Brunswick ward) in March 2020 (a map of the development can be found Appendix II5). To date, there have been 21 consultations for the P&OS programme, with the process of the consultations outlined in box 4.

Consultations were ongoing throughout the P&OS developments; the initial concept for a space was visually presented to the community by CECD/commissioned services who attended meetings of local community groups and arranged standalone events, these were widely advertised using word of mouth and posters displayed in local shops and community buildings.

Feedback from these initial events was drawn together to create a minimum of three worked designs which were then presented at a secondary consultation. A voting system using post-it notes or stick on dots was used for community members to indicate preference for elements of the different designs. Children were also encouraged to participate, pointing out what they liked in the designs. One CECD staff member noted that it was interesting to see very young children pointing out the areas they liked and surprising that they often went for natural play designs that including climbing (i.e., wood logs, wood stepping ‘stones’). During this consultation and development phase opportunities were arranged to encourage families to discuss play spaces and encourage participation in their design. Examples include: a cardboard box challenge for parents and children to build a play structure, tours of a local Forest School (Lytham - ParkView4U) or working with a local school for the children to design their own outdoor spaces (Revoe Learning Academy). A final design was created and then presented to the community in the local early years setting. Box 4: The process of consultations

Prior to the commencement of any building work visuals of the space were posted publicly in the CCs and on the fences surrounding sites to illustrate the work being undertaken and when available, the proposed timescales. This communication was important to minimise vandalism or obstruction during the installation of the spaces. It was reported that one site that had only placed a small A4 notice, with limited information, on one fence, had to install the security fences three times during the first week of the development as community residents assumed their park equipment was being removed. Communication was supported throughout the developments by the creation of stakeholder partnership groups for each site, these helped to maintain communication between stakeholders and respond to queries or concerns regarding the work.

4.1.1 Bloomfield - George Bancroft Park (Site A) The climbing walls of George Bancroft Park are one of most recognisable landmarks in Blackpool, although no longer useable these walls are visible from the main tourist route entering the town (Yeadon Way). The Park, which is equally made up of hard and soft surfaces, is used as a public pathway from the large tourist carparks, south railway station and by local residents. Although the Park has facilities for older children, the existing EYPZ in George Bancroft Park was not fit for purpose. Located in a secluded location behind the Basecamp building for the climbing walls, the EYPZ was rarely used by families, one access route was heavily shrouded with vegetation, with the pathway used as a public urinal and

5 The document should be read alongside the interactive map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1TOuMcmV1OyUjahcW3OpxUtrWyflqQ0Oj&usp=sharing Page 11

had visible evidence of drug paraphernalia. Existing equipment (figure 2) was often vandalised, with antisocial behaviour taking place during the night often resulting in broken glass or fires. Although residential dwellings backed onto the park, which meant that older children living in these houses did not need to cross any roads to visit the site, parents remained reluctant to permit them to use the space independently and few would access it as a family.

Blackpool Local Authority Parks Department were aware of the park’s limited use and presented the business case for the relocation of the play area. With advice from the local police a suitable area, closer to Waterloo Road, was chosen which had increased visibility, improved access and would be visible by the Waterloo Road CCTV camera. Due to the immediacy and existing recommendations of work required, this was one of the only spaces which did not have a full consultation, however the design ideas were displayed for voting in three CCs.

Figure 2: George Bancroft EYPZ prior to development August 2013

George Bancroft EYPZ (Site A) was the first BBS area to be completed, with the process taking 12 months (BBS 2016), including removal of the old play equipment (figure 2) and landscaping the new play zone (figure 3). The space included a suggestion from caregivers for a Pram Park, this encouraged parents to interact with young toddlers in the EYPZ and was built at low level so they could still observe their prams. The Park was reopened with a family fun day in July 2016 (Box 5).

Figure 3: George Bancroft EYPZ during and post development 2016

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In re-opening the site it was important that the event was led by local parents to encourage other residents to access the space. Involvement was encouraged with Community Voice and the local Children’s Centre Parent’s Forum, each Children’s Centre Parent’s Forum was awarded an engagement and activity budget from BBS (renamed in 2019 the Participatory Budget), this was for events and activities for Early Years chosen by caregivers, each quarter a different BBS area was encouraged to run an open ‘family’ event. One of the local caregivers who volunteered for Thames Parent’s Forum led on the development of a Teddy Bear’s Picnic at George Bancroft. Each registered child also received a healthy picnic to encourage parents to stay throughout the event (something repeated at future family day events), with fun activities and early year’s information from organisations to encourage further engagement such as Blackpool Football Club Community Trust sports activities, the Volunteer Academy etc. The event (July 30th 2016) at George Bancroft was attended by over 400 individuals; the volunteer, who had been encouraged by the Children’s Centre staff to be part of the Parent’s Forum and led the event later became a BBS Community Connector. Box 5: George Bancroft Park - Promoting use through peer-led activities

4.1.2 Victoria - Revoe Park (Site B) Revoe Park consultation began in February 2016, and this site was by far the most involved and detailed investment with a range of competing stakeholder perspectives (Box 6) leading to a completion date for all areas of March 2020.

Although the park had basic maintenance, it had no recent development work or installations and local residents suggested some features of the park had been in place for over 25 years. Prior to the development, CECD staff regularly noted hundreds of discarded aerosol cans (intimating drug use) across the site, with caregivers commenting that they would not walk across the park due to feeling unsafe. There was also discussion by residents of ‘brown rain’ in the park, as ‘youths’ took bags of dog faeces dog walkers had disposed of and threw them into the trees. This was a particular concern when discussing the development of an EYPZ as dog faeces can cause serious eye problems in young children. The work at Revoe Park included:  Reclaiming and developing three disused bowling greens as a: i.) Natural play space; ii.) Community Garden (figure 4 and 5); and iii.) Designated dog walking area. Initially this was two former bowling green club houses and two spaces which were expanded and completed by Blackpool Council’s Parks Department, who took on all associated costs.  Refurbishment of a garden hut in the community garden and disused pavilion, used as an EYPR base out of which regular activity sessions for families are held; and  The development of a nature trail, including natural mowed pathways across the site and improvement to hard surface paths.

Before: disused bowling area with garden hut on right After: refurbished community garden, hut to the left Figure 4. Revoe Park Community Garden

The use of a third disused bowling green was not included in the original plans and whilst a dog walking area was in the original proposal the only available fenced area for this was considered too small and unsuitable for use. When the

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third bowling green became available the enhancement of the space was encouraged by BBS and after the one year waiting period required for developments, the Parks Department sought to alter the third bowling green into a dog walking area. This investment helped to encourage positive behaviours in the park, contributing to the maintenance of the wider space and recognising the needs of one of the park’s stakeholder groups, those with dogs. Anecdotal feedback from the EYPRs suggested this area is now well used by local dog walkers. It has seemingly encouraged ownership in the wider park space with residents reporting dog fouling, something that had not been recorded before, which has resulted in 5 charges for dog fouling with one prosecution to date.

The local resident’s community group have been supporting the maintenance of the area with regular litter picks. The presence of the EYPRs and family events, such as an annual Father/Male Caregiver’s Day celebration in the Park, the first of which in June 2017 drew over 500 people, have helped to reduce the amount of visible antisocial activity in the space and appeared to help foster positive associations between residents and the Park. Incidents of crime on the park have reduced and public confidence in using the park has increased since the renovations however, one serious incident in 2019 near to the school illustrated that ongoing work in the area was required to help systemic issues.

Figure 5: Revoe Park (Victoria ward) Community Garden Banner

BBS, Revoe Learning Academy (RLA) and The Local Authority formed a working group inviting community groups and parents to support the phased approach to developing Revoe Park. The developments were met with resistance by various stakeholder groups:  Residents voiced concerned about the traffic (people and transport) that the development would bring to the area. A door knocking campaign was undertaken to give people accurate feedback on the intended developments and encourage participation in consultations;  A tree surgeon report, which was required as part of the Park’s landscaping, identified a number of trees that required removal due to disease/end of life. This was not well received by some local individuals who cited privacy concerns, and this was reported to the Forestry Commission who concurred with the original report;  RLA, who used the multi-use games arena (MUGA) as an extension of its own playground, wanted areas of restricted/limited use, including an access footpath and spaces occupied during activities by RLA children, neither were permitted due to community use;  Members of the remaining bowling green voiced concerns over the increase in young people who had been verbally abusive, and there was also vandalism to the two former bowling club houses. It was reported on a daily basis that young people were climbing onto the roofs, endangering themselves, and throwing objects at passers- by. The buildings were recommissioned and the design prevented any further climbing and vandalism;  Local families believed that CCTV and drainage were priorities, however these items are not permitted within BBS fund criteria and this drew negative comments from the community. After a rupture to a water pipe during the demolition of one of the old bowling huts, some work was done on the drainage to the site however it still remains a flood area as required by the Fire Service;  There were tentative plans for a 4G pitch, led by BFC, which would have required 90% of the space and this was

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not undertaken;  Dog walkers misuse of the park resulting in dog fouling was, and is, an ongoing issue for the Park, although the dog walking zone has been successful and there are signs of increased pride/ownership in the space including the first cases of dog fouling reported and successful prosecutions; and  Staff noted a dramatic decrease in overt signs of drug paraphernalia in the Park. Box 6: Revoe Park - Multi stakeholders and competing priorities

4.1.3 Clifton – ‘Mereside’ Clifton ward was the second of the P&OS consultation. Beginning in April 2016, the area did not have a Park although two open spaces were identified: Clifton Drive ‘back fields’ (site C) and Langdale Green (site D), this was followed by a smaller project of Mereside Windmill Wild Flower meadow (March 2017), identified by the Mereside @ Play consultation, all sites were completed in Spring 2020.

The first area identified through consultations was that of Langdale Green (figure 6), a centrally located ‘square’ grass land, opposite the local shops, it was used as a small playing field and ‘cut through’ for caregivers between nursery and school. This land was owned by Blackpool Coastal Housing (BCH) whilst most of the other sites had been owned/managed by Blackpool Council’s Parks department. Discussions regarding land ownership, maintenance and priorities resulted in significant delays in the development of the land with both parties temporarily ceasing discussions at points. Nevertheless, the importance of the development of this space for the community, due to its scale and location, was upheld by BBS, after further negotiation BCH agreed to match the £35,000 BBS investment and the site got agreement to progress.

Before After Figure 6: Langdale Green, prior to development (February 2019) and after (November 2020)

The proposal for Langdale Green was to enhance the space for natural play, creating an interactive landscape with undulations and tactile paving. It was suggested that this investment provided the opportunity to focus on the space as a central ‘village green’ with Blackpool Council wanting to make it a focal point for the community, installing electrics for the Christmas tree and continuing to support maintenance, while BCH also proposed the installation of a War Memorial. The development of the second site (Clifton Drive ‘back fields’), a disused green space subject to fly tipping and antisocial behaviour, was located behind a youth centre and opposite to the newly developed Police Head Quarters. This development involved multiple agencies representing various stakeholders and was also subject to delays.

The progression of this space was in part a result of the clarity around the active portfolio of proposed developments in the area, e.g. Whyndyke Farm and land around the local windmill. Furthermore, each stakeholder desired the other to commit to start the development prior to them. BBS was keen to ensure that early years equipment was not the first installation due to the high risk of damage if nothing else was available for other groups to use. One of these groups Page 15

was Mereside@Play who received ‘in kind’ support from the construction company working on the Police carpark. This support was to resurface the Multiple Use Games Area (MUGA). The other groups involved included BCH and community volunteer group Mereside and Friends in Action (MAFIA) who enhanced the space by funding the installation of a fence. Another group, Clean up Blackpool (CLUB), litter picked and helped to tidy the area whilst Police invested in reinstating the bike track. The EYPZ was funded through BBS and match funded by BCH. At the same time the MAFIA created a Community Orchard (Figure 7 & box 7) in which residents could pay for memory trees and the funding used to expand the community area. A local resident watered the early planted trees and the community action team Redeeming our Communities (ROC, see section 4.3.2) cleared and cut the edges of a disused and unsafe green space which was formerly a bowling green. The work completed in the area demonstrated how additional investment in an area can result from an initial outlay of funding.

One of the incidental findings during this time was the chance cutting of pathways through the long grass by the Parks Department, it was noted that users were adhering to these paths with children treating them as part of the play landscape, this was repeated at other sites to encourage movement through the spaces.

Figure 7: Community Orchard, Clifton Drive back fields

The Mereside@Play partnership was an joint investment between BBS, BCH and Leftcoast (who held the contract). The idea was initiated by BCH who sought to increase engagement between the communities in the neighbouring areas of Hawes Side and Mereside. CECD presented the P&OS work and the importance of community engagement and a project partnership was formed in which approximately half of the Mereside@Play work would concentrate on interactive consultation about outdoor play.

The project employed an urban landscape designer and Community Engagement Worker who undertook a year long engagement and consultation exercise with local community members, this involved a vast range of creative activities. Including evening story-telling activities using the local windmill, caregivers were encouraged dress young children in pyjamas and let them fall asleep in their prams, subtly illustrating that caregivers could do things as a family outdoors with young children and maintain bed times. A further example was to take cardboard boxes and a mobile pizza oven to an open green space and encouraging local curiosity to engage residents, caregivers and children to make structures and play without installed equipment, at the end of the day leaving a blank canvas of the open green space once again.

This work was successful in engaging the community and stimulated activism at a local level with the formation of Mereside and Friends in Action (MAFIA). MAFIA is a group of local residents who wanted investment in play facilities for all ages across the community, something which was not possible under the BBS criteria. Mereside@Play supported and encouraged them to utilise their voices to establish their own activities which could work alongside BBS, the group raised over £40,000 for over 4’s play equipment and at the time of this report were to looking to pursue further funding. They have supported the development of the Clifton Drive site through the Mereside Orchard and worked with the Local Authority to develop the wider space. Box 7: Mereside - Engaging with communities

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4.1.4 Claremont - Claremont Park (Site E) A comprehensive £5 million pound plan had been proposed in 2011 by a local councillor for Claremont Park. The design focused on park infrastructure including lighting, CCTV, land drainage, changing facilities and hard and soft sport surfaces. BBS sought to engage local residents in a consultation specifically for early years, however this was extremely challenging as residents were reluctant to get involved in further consultations about a new EYPZ when nothing had come to fruition from the earlier proposal by the local councillor.

A community consultation was undertaken by GLWW for BBS in August 2016, this included considering other potential spaces in the ward so the original proposal for the space could remain. However, the Park was identified as the only suitable site. The proposed designs, which included a separate action by a local community group to transform a disused tennis court into a Community garden, were continuously met with opposition from individuals wanting to develop the original 2011 proposal. A further proposal was negotiated that included two BBS designs and one from the local authority. The designs recognised landscaping issues raised by the community regarding sight lines across the park (anti-social behaviour was widely reported, alongside a case of sexual abuse) and access for prams as there was no path circumnavigating the park. The designs also included the EYPZ (figure 8) and a natural play which included a Forest School area. A blended design (Site E) was agreed and drew investment from Blackpool Council for maintenance and older years play equipment whilst BBS focus remained on the early years.

Figure 8: Claremont Park EYPZ

4.1.5 Park - Grange Park In Park ward a proposal was already underway by GLWW with support from Blackpool Council and the Director of Public Health to convert the City Learning Centre (CLC) in Grange Park into a community resource, originally referred to as a ‘community farm’, this became @theGrange (Site F). The site was directly across a green field, predominantly used by dog walkers, from Grange Park Children’s Centre. It was recognised that BBS could support the investment and encourage movement between the two community resources. BBS acknowledged that these two sites may both attract Early Years families due to the proposed facilities and social café spaces, as such a caveat was established that any EYPZ @theGrange would be different to that at the Children’s Centre and activities should complement one another. Further to this an ‘interactive’ growing pathway was installed across the green field to encourage caregivers, who would otherwise be required to travelled a much further distance along the roads, to move between the locations.

The development of @theGrange was led by GLWW with the CECD supporting design and consultation. However, it was felt that initially the consultations primarily focused on existing audiences of GLWW activities. This was challenged by CECD and the consultation process was revisited to be more inclusive. The site developed by GLWW included a community growing area, including raised beds and polytunnels which were used by a range of community groups, an outdoor clay oven, a sensory garden space, with a small area for activities as well as an early years ‘Reading Apple’

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(figure 9). The growing trail connects the two centres and the connected space was actively promoted through events such as a Farm event and Easter fun day.

Figure 9: Early Years Reading Apple, @theGrange

A tentative further proposal was considered by CECD (2019) for works to Boundary Park (Figure 10) or Easington Crescent in Park ward, the former being a large green space which had a relatively well maintained equipment for older ages, pathways, a MUGA and two active bowling greens. However, the remaining funds were not sufficient for the adaptions required for Early Years but the Parks Department and BCH agreed to provide the required funding to make these repairs and renovations to match the BBS contribution. Furthermore, the location of the site, towards the eastern fringes of Blackpool’s Local Authority Area and approximately 12 to 15 minutes walk from the CC, may have driven families away from the existing developments or received limited use for the target caregivers.

Figure 10: Boundary Park (Park ward) scoping of additional site

4.1.6 Talbot and Brunswick - Layton Rec and Talbot area Talbot, which encompasses Blackpool town centre and main retail area, and the neighbouring Brunswick ward have limited public green space. Only two named small park sites are identified on maps, both in Brunswick (Victoria Park and Harold Larwood Play area). An opportunity arose in March 2018 to support investment in a new hard play site in Brunswick, through a £22 million housing development. The development, which began with the demolition of Blackpool’s only two high rise buildings ‘The Queen’s Estate’, allowed BBS to match funds secured by Blackpool Housing not BCH (circa £50,000) for an outdoor play space at the heart of the new ‘Queen’s Park’ social housing development, later renamed Layton Rec (Site G)(figure 11). Consultations were led by Blackpool Council using the ‘Council Couch’6 with the Park completed in July 2019.

6 The council couch is a term used to describe open events in public spaces led by the council to consult on specific topics. Page 18

Figure 11: Blackpool Gazette press cutting and Queen’s Park development ‘Layton Rec’ EYPZ (August 2019)

Further to this development the most suitable P&OS site, one of only two available sites across the two wards, was an area either side of Talbot and Brunswick (TAB) Children’s Centre (now a family hub), Site H. The consultation for TAB (box 8) began in June 2019 and due to the proximity of the space to the Children’s Centre was considered as one site. The proposal, which included funding from the Local Authority, was for a secure EYPZ within the Children’s Centre space, a fenced community garden and Forest School, both accessible to the community via the Children’s Centre and an adjacent open access EYPZ in an area known as the Harold Larwood Play Area, the latter area was also accessible from the family hub through a gated system.

The development at TAB echoes those of earlier sites, with attempts to focus the design on pre existing proposals for which there had not been any investment and had little information as to how the voice of the community or other stakeholders had been incorporated. The importance of multiple voices could be seen in the installation of walls around a play area in TAB, prior to BBS involvement. These walls, designed by professionals to keep children in, had the opposite impact for residents in terms of safety, being used as a screen at night for antisocial behaviour. One of the first actions in the development of the site was the removal of these walls, immediately creating an impression of a much larger, open and welcoming space. Box 8: Talbot & Brunswick, repeating history and removing barriers

4.1.7 Children’s Centres Early Year’s Play Zones (CC EYPZs) All nine CCs across Blackpool were offered financial support for EYPZs from BBS, this was to provide a consistent offer across Blackpool for early years families, recognising that families would frequent different Children Centre locations. Consultations often sat alongside the developments of the parks in the relevant wards, these began in August 2016 with Grange Park Children’s Centre (figure 12). Mereside’s ‘Little Diggers’ was the first to be completed (figure 13) and the final site for completion was TAB in April 2020, although this is delayed due to Covid 19. Two Children’s Centres, St Cuthbert’s & Palatine and Westminster, decided not to utilise the BBS financial offer, partly due to the Children’s Centre Review which would restrict future access to these sites; a third, Revoe (Victoria ward), recognised that the funding was unnecessary due to its location adjoining Revoe Park.

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Figure 12: Grange Park CC EYPZ pre and post development, including sun canopy and wooden play equipment

The EYPZs were located in outside space and included where possible natural play equipment or resources to encourage imaginative play, i.e. Mud Kitchens, stepping stones, climbing equipment etc., and wherever possible these were made to be accessible to all families using the CCs. The Children’s Centre review (2018 – 2019), which advocated a hub and spoke model, allowed the three hubs (family centres) to increase provision, opening hours and access to these spaces. In those CCs designated as ‘spokes’, which fed into these hubs, access for caregivers to the outdoor space was negatively impacted. Several of the ‘spoke’ CCs were amalgamated into the school grounds which they were already part of, limiting access to the public.

Figure 13: Mereside CC pre and post development

CCs outside of BBS wards also received funding for BBS families as it was identified that over 50% of those attending these Centres were from BBS wards. The Parks Department was responsible for managing the process from consultation through to development for both Thames and Baines CCs, while Kincraig CC self-managed the process itself. At Thames Children’s Centre (Waterloo ward), a sensory corridor was installed using a narrow outside alleyway (figure 14). Half of the registered users attending Baines Children’s Centre (Haweside ward) came from the Mereside area (Clifton ward), their funding reflected this and they upgraded two outdoor areas, one focused on play and the second focused on gardening, which led to the creation of a local gardening club. A number of challenges were experienced by both these centres due to a lack of coordination and communication between different partners which Page 20

then created problems; for example, a concrete mound which was part of the early years play zone was installed in front of an area designated to be a gated access point for emergencies, nevertheless any issues were rectified and the projects completed to time.

Figure 14: Waterloo ward, Thames CC EYPZ

Due to starting the process later, Kincraig (Ingthorpe ward) (figure 15) was the only CC outside of the BBS wards that was able to pre-empt the potential impact of the review with regards to future site access for early years and the public. The Kincraig proposal sought to amalgamate the requirements for the school and access for the early years, taking what was an area of park benches and grass and designing a welcoming space that included early years equipment, space for older children and seating that was accessible to the public, it was considered to be an innovative and effective use of funds and at a total spend of £13,812 came in under the £15,000 budget.

Figure 15: Inghtorpe ward, Kincraig CC EYPZ

4.2 Early Years Park Rangers (EYPRs) investment Alongside the capital investment in the P&OS there was a need to enhance the capability of caregivers to engage with early years play in these spaces. An investment was made to develop an Early Years Park Ranger (EYPR) service and Blackpool Council Parks Department were commissioned in July 2016 to design and host this service. It saw the employment of one full time and two part time EYPRs to develop activities which would encourage and educate caregivers around early years play, whilst also supporting the P&OS consultations. It was the ambition that the service

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would employ local people that knew the community and could stimulate action to develop park spaces thus increasing community usage of the space and Friends of the Parks groups.

The Forest School approach, identified in the BBS application, was a key element of the EYPRs role. In the first year ten individuals, including volunteers and CC staff, were trained in the Forest School approach. However, the amount of work required for accreditation led to withdrawal of volunteers willing to take part. Future training therefore centred on the EYPR staff who were trained in the accredited Forest School approach at Brockholes Nature Reserve in Preston. In addition to a Forest School programme, the EYPRs delivered aspects of this as standalone activities, e.g. den making (figure 16) and Beach School activities.

Figure 16: Forest School activities

Initially the EYPRs predominantly ran activities in Revoe Park, a physical base had been established for them as part of the Victoria ward P&OS development (Autumn 2016, refer to 4.1.2). Later these residencies were expanded to a further three sites: Claremont, Grange and TAB. In additional, a smaller residency was added to Mereside. The activities were promoted through CC timetables to encourage engagement in the CCs and outdoor spaces, they also included indoor and outdoor activities that could be replicated by families and often reflected key events throughout the year, i.e. literacy week. Other activities ranged from seaside themed workshops, den building, woodland games, sunflower crafts, nature messy play, mini beasts, to scavenger hunts, mindfulness and much more. Alongside these were events which involved working with BBS CCx, third sector organisations, Community Voice, volunteers and the CCs, examples included literacy week events, outdoor family days such as the Beach Day on South Shore beach, etc.

A further project which sought to encourage movement between the P&OS and promote physical activity was a clearly mapped ‘Prambles’ route. This would be designed to connect the P&OS, MOS and blue spaces while identifying free changing facilities/toilets and sites where wet weather clothing could be borrowed, which had been identified by caregivers during the development of the BBS application as potential barriers for accessing the outdoors with young children. Some elements of this were completed, i.e. wellington boots and beach play resources for free loan located at the council building and community café on South Shore (Solaris Centre), and wet weather gear being made available at the CCs. However, a ‘Pramble’ route was not completed although through the diet and nutrition programme a series of Pregnancy and Pram walks led by the EYPRs were scheduled to begin in February 2020.

In April 2018, building on from the activity cards (referred to in section 3), and with the experience of the Early Year’s Park Rangers a free activity booklet titled, ’50 things to do in nature before you’re 5’ was launched at George Bancroft Park (figure 17).

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Figure 17: 50 Things to do in nature before you’re 5 booklet

The 50 activity ideas were split into seasons, with activities ranging from racing snails, playing pooh sticks, collecting conkers and creating pictures using leaves (box 9).

“We wanted to create something that will make going outdoors exciting and fun for children and their families. These activities don’t cost anything, and they are accessible to anyone who can get outside to some green space. The great outdoors is a brilliant way to let children learn about their environment, and these ideas will really engage with their imagination. Parents will enjoy the activities too as they will remind them of being young again. It’s a great way to build lasting happy memories with and share special family moments.” Park Ranger Alex Bergin Box 9: Extract from the press release for the ’50 things to do…’ booklet

Due to the success of the EYPRs and the scale of the P&OS development, in July 2019 the EYPRs service was scaled up to 5 staff (with funding from BBS planned to continue to March 31st 2025). The offer included an investment (approximate annual value of £10,000) towards the creation of a Junior Park Ranger (JPR) in partnership with Headstart, a programme funded by the National Lottery Community Fund to promote wellbeing and resilience in young people aged 10-16. This role would enable young people to develop their knowledge of early years whilst also role modelling behaviour for others, encouraging their own ownership and pride in the open spaces.

Over years 3, 4 and 5 of BBS EYPR activity, the EYPRs delivered 395 activities/events and 82 Forest Schools (the latter is only accounted independently in years 4 and 5). The registered attendance for these is shown in box 10 (these are not unique attendees).

Children aged 0 - 3 Children 4+ Adults EYPR activities/events 2,845 799 2,335 EYPR Forest School 538 169 498 Total 3,383 968 2,833 Box 10: Cumulative total of registered attendees at EYPR activities for years 3, 4 and 5

4.3 Additional investment and learning opportunities From the inception of BBS, the onus was placed on co-production involving the community and different stakeholder groups, with fast cycle iteration to learn and develop approaches. In 2017 a representative group including: CECD Community Development (CD) staff, Blackpool in Bloom, Headstart, Mereside at Play, EYPRs, Community Garden volunteer, and Dads/Community Voice volunteers undertook a two day trip to Edinburgh. The visit included a range of community outdoor spaces, both in the city centre and on the outskirts, which embedded different approaches to early years and outdoor play. Sites included:

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 Cowgate Nursery which embeds a Froebel7-influenced children’s garden;  Redhall large scale community park;  St Marks public park and the developments at the Royal Botanical Gardens;  West Port City Centre community garden;  Grassmarket community project and café;  Riverside growing areas towards Leith; and  Three mobile community gardens8.

The site visit was inspirational and contributed to learning for the EYPRs, with focus on activities outside and encouraging children’s exploration, with the often quip adage ‘There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes’. Learning aided the development of @theGrange which was later managed by the Mereside at Play lead, a composting system observed at Redhall was used at Revoe Community Garden, whilst the mobile community garden approach remains on ongoing concept.

Other investment of the BBS P&OS which evolved through the programme have included:  CLUB ‘Better Start in Bloom’/gardening sessions;  ROC volunteer development of four open spaces;  Volunteer garden power tool training package; and  Early years ‘interactive bus stops’.

4.3.1 Better Start in Bloom In summer 2016, the EYPRs with the CECD Community Development Team and Clean Up Blackpool (CLUB), a volunteer group who seek to clean up designated community spaces, developed a range of ‘gardening sessions’ to draw families into the P&OS programme. Titled ‘Better Start in Bloom’, the first event took place at Claremont Gala Day (9th July 2016), CLUB continued to run these sessions as the ‘gardening club’, arranging hanging basket and flower/ vegetable potting workshops in Children Centres and at community events, with funding managed through the Volunteer Academy for tools or plants as required. The sessions were designed to encourage the parent and child to take the seedling to parks/community gardens and to return to see the plant grow, encouraging healthy attitudes to outdoor spaces and increasing awareness of the farm to fork process. Recorded data for years 3 and 4 of BBS showed 71 delivered activities (number of activities was not recorded for year 2), with 1,275 adults and 2,090 children registered as attending. The ‘gardening club’ sessions continued to be operated by CLUB until late 2019 with the retirement of the CLUB’s lead organiser.

4.3.2 Redeeming Our Communities Redeeming Our Communities (ROC) is a national charity promoting community transformation. A local ROC group were given £4000 (2017/18) by BBS to reclaim four open spaces with volunteers. One enhancement was an “I ‘heart symbol’ Grange Park” flower arrangement visible upon entering the Grange Park estate (figure 18).

7 Friederich Froebel (1782-1852) developed the concept of Kindergarden advocating the philosophy for children’s education through self directed play in the outdoors. 8 This involves growing plants in large moveable containers that the council will place on derelict land, such as disused carparks, these are then moved to another site if the land is sold/repurposed. Page 24

Figure 18: Initial creation of I ‘heart’ Grange Park on disused land in Park ward

This small design was instigated through conversations between the volunteers and local residents who, when asked about the area, would all start with “I love Grange but…” Focusing on the positive, this became an emblem for the estate and encouraged conversation about the enhancement of other areas in the ward. Further examples of ROC activity for BBS include planting trees and cutting walking pathways in Claremont (figure 19), similar to those developed in Mereside (refer to 4.1.3), and clearing and landscaping a disused bowling green area in Mereside adjacent to the orchard.

Figure 19: Pathways and tree planting in Claremont Park (Claremont ward)

A challenge which came to light during this work was the ability of volunteers to use garden power tools in public spaces and with different organisations. Due to their experience CECD asked ROC to present a volunteer training pathway that would enable volunteers to port their training between organisations and reduce the need for repeat training. Organisations in agreement with the concept included Local Authority Parks, GLWW, and ROC. The pathway was due to be presented to these stakeholders in March 2020 (extended from April 2019) whilst assurances were given that the pathway had been completed Covid 19 restricted work on this project.

4.3.3 Bus Shelters as community assets The concept for the ‘interactive’ bus shelters was developed through a fortuitous combination of:  National Research Came from the involvement of BBS with the New York Academy of Science, researchers who attended the event had conducted a study on using bus stops as opportunities for interactive play opportunities for the early years;  Opportunity

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A small amount of investment (circa £30,000) was available due to two CCs not participating in the EYPZ offer (section 4.1.7); and  Feedback During the P&OS consultations caregivers highlighted barriers to accessing different green/blue spaces across the town (one approach focused on walking is discussed in 4.2). The feedback from caregivers included suitability of public transport and stresses associated with keeping children safe and occupied, as well as the cost of taxis and the safety of un-collapsed, unsecured prams in transit, with children still in them.

The work by the Transportation Research Board (1997), which included research from sites across America, highlighted the important role of integrating transit systems in communities to: enhance ‘liveability’, as a catalyst for neighbourhood renewal and create focal points for community life. Their Project for Public Spaces programme and recent ‘Portals to Places’ initiative (Project for Public Spaces, 2019) considered place making at transit locations through participatory planning which involved observing the locations, taking journeys and using surveys. The work acknowledged bus stops as ‘clusters of activity’, although the structures themselves are often overlooked, individuals may spend a significant amount of time and as such they should be recognised as part of the social infrastructure (Critton & Polstein, 2019). This is one of many elements to street design including other street furniture and vehicular restriction measures which influence children’s ability to free imaginative play (Lambert et al., 2019).

The initiative proposes that transit stops provide place making opportunities which may increase community engagement and serve to anchor communities and neighbourhood organisations (Project for Public Spaces, 2019).

CECD staff undertook three consultations in early years settings in February (2020) for the BBS bus stop project, with proposed sites in Clifton Ward (Site I), Claremont (Site J) and Victoria ward (Site K), these sites link three of the main Park developments. The proposal for the Bus Stops included a Play Panel, Story Bench (a seating area designed to be attractive to young children through wraparound artwork representing a children’s story) and Street Art which can signpost to important Early Years resources in the vicinity - it was suggested that if something of importance for the individual was in close proximity to the stop, users may walk slightly further to get to this (Critton & Polstein, 2019). Feedback from the consultations suggested that the Story Bench include animals or popular stories i.e. The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom; Play Panel should include moveable puzzles, revolving blocks or mirrors; proposed Street art was to include sea creatures for example Octopi, lobsters or animals.

At the time of this report the project is ongoing and has involved a number of stakeholders, including:  Blackpool Council’s Marketing team to endorse the content of any material displayed;  Blackpool Council’s Highways Department to agree any design and build prior to work commencing and have been engaged throughout process;  Blackpool Council’s Planning Department to agree the final product;  Blackpool Transport to ensure the shelters are based on the most popular routes and sites for local families; and  Community Voice to engage the community throughout the process to ensure community buy-in. In Claremont ward, Westminster Academy has permitted the use of their adjacent wall for a community mural created by children.

The creation of the structures has added a complication as it neither sits with a bus stop manufacturer or early years play equipment developer. To overcome this, the manufacturer of Blackpool bus shelters is currently looking at how they can merge the two design styles to produce this novel creation.

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4.4 Linked activities There have been a number of linked activities developed through the P&OS work. One of which was the ‘Dads shed’ using the gardening hut in Revoe Community Garden. Although not originally envisioned as a ‘shed’, members of the Dads4Life group were involved in building the Early Years reading zones in the libraries with Light Works. They also used a local interior and graphics designer to work with dads to design the reading zones. The work drew the members together and led to the group creating benches and seats for the CCs and raised frames in Revoe community garden (one of the seats made by a Dad and painted by a Community Voice member, which HRH Prince William sat in on a visit to the BBS site, is shown in figure 23). However, as the group began to focus on woodwork activities discussions arose between different stakeholders with regards to volunteer insurance, use of electronic power tools by volunteers and the drift from the Early Years focus. Those interested in woodwork primarily were signposted to other organisations were this could be the key focus. Another proposal for early years wood work became part of the EYPR activity schedule, with a six week programme launched in February 2020.

The enhanced Early Years Reading zones in the libraries, referred to above, all had a Blackpool theme (e.g., beach, circus), many of which combined natural environment/wildlife representations. For example alongside the circus theme the mural in Revoe Library, which is on a wall facing the park, was designed to be a cartoon of what would be seen in the Park if the wall was removed, including pathway and wood play area (figure 20).

Figure 20: Installation of the Early Years reading zone and mural at Revoe Library

There was also a noted increase in caregiver requests for outdoor and Forest School activities through the Children’s Centre Activity and Engagement Budget (renamed as the Participatory Budget in 2019). At the forefront of which are the Parent’s Forums and Community Voice striving to promote early year’s family activities in the outdoors, such as the family ‘Beach day’ led by Community Voice with support of the Volunteer Academy and EYPRs (figure 21). In Autumn 2019 in the first trial of the Street to Scale project9 for Early Years, three of the six project involved P&OS, this included an outdoor nursery rhyme trial encouraging families to move through the park and towards the library, two events in the P&OS led by the Junior Park Rangers (refer to section 4.2) and an enhancement of a community garden space.

9 Street to scale is an externally managed approach to distribute community funding whereby community groups of 4 or more individuals apply to receive £1000 to spend in 8 weeks on the development of a community activity/event/resource. Page 27

Figure 21: Community Voice member doing activities with children at a family ‘Beach day’, Summer 2019

4.5 Next steps In September 2018 the CECD with Blackpool Council Parks Department staff held its first annual P&OS development day for stakeholders inviting: volunteers, EYPRs, community connectors, partner agencies and CECD staff to continue to support the vision and to engage in the planning for the sustainability of P&OS, as the initial development and implementation phase was drawing to a close. The following sections provide an overview of the learning from the first five years of the P&OS work.

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5. Learning from the development and implementation phases Learning from the development and implementation of the P&OS was ongoing and took a fast cycle iteration approach, responding and adapting to the challenges and opportunities as they arose. Four common interwoven themes are discussed in the following sections: Partnership, Logistics, Sustainability and Ownership.

5.1 Partnership The development of partnerships were key to the completion of the P&OS capital investment, both in terms of ensuring they were designed to reflect the needs and ambitions of the various stakeholder groups and for longer term sustainability, including physical maintenance. Initially Blackpool Local Authority Parks department were engaged as the primary delivery agents from consultation to installation processes however, over the course of the installations BBS engaged a range of stakeholders creating localised development groups alongside a wider partnership of 20 departments, third sector organisations and school academy trusts, co-ordinated by the CECD. One example of the benefit of having a localised partnership group was in terms of managing vandalism during the installation at Claremont Park (Claremont ward), where overnight low-level vandalism was identified by the school and communicated to the Parks development group. Within 24 hours the local school discussed the P&OS work to young people at school assemblies, worked with the Youth Community Group and the Police to identify and speak to the individuals involved and restorative practice was offered without the need for further action. Later builds, which incorporated multi-agency support, were able to collectively respond to any negative events. Locally it was recognised there was a reduction in ASB issues in parks due to the presence of EYPR, e.g. local bin fires did not occur when Rangers were present. In recognition of this, Fire Crew offered to participate on park activities out of hours to replicate and advised on tyre bins, etc. that could be moved every day.

The communication between stakeholders was also key to ensuring adequate management of conflict arising from differing priorities for the spaces. For example at Revoe Park (Victoria ward), Revoe Learning Academy wanted permission to restrict use of certain areas of the park when pupils were accessing the space and also sought to close a footpath to extend their playground. Local families also believed CCTV and drainage were priorities for the park, while requests for infrastructure funds such as lighting, bins, CCTV or hard sports surfaces were common across the developments and often advocated by prominent local individuals. Clarification of the purpose of the BBS fund criteria and focus on the community helped to negotiate these issues and for Revoe Park no changes to access were implemented.

Whilst additional time was required to resolve issues around prioritisation, in some instances these conversations helped to leverage in additional funding from partners or stimulated action. An example of this was when Blackpool Local Authority enhanced the multi use games area (MUGA) in Revoe (Victoria ward) and carried out additional work on the trees. At Mereside (Clifton ward) a new community group, ‘MAFIA’ evolved as a result of the consultation process as community members felt the need to address the requirements of different age groups that could not be met through the BBS funding criteria. The MAFIA group subsequently acquired alternative funding, installing a community orchard adjacent to developments, whilst the Police and Local Housing Authority in Mereside also invested in transforming disused space adjacent to BBS developments into a larger play space, accessible for all ages. At Revoe (Victoria ward) a third bowling green was surrendered and repurposed as a large dog walking zone, solving an enforcement problem for the park and was well received by park users and dog walkers.

In addition, within the BBS partnership there had been a number of linked activities developed through the P&OS work, including the ‘Dads shed’ project which made use of the Revoe Community Garden Space and led to discussions of future activities such as early years wood work and Enhanced Early Years Reading zones in the libraries.

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5.2 Logistics Challenges in terms of the logistics of the capital investment included maintaining timescales, land ownership and the capacity of different organisations to commit to long term maintenance. The timescale slippage often occurred as a result of the inexperience of an organisation to manage consultation and development or where the development was not on land owned and operated by that organisation and as such moved down their priorities. This required considerable time from the CECD to manage and ensure individual projects were completed. As the project progressed the CECD transferred supervision of the build process from a central department to the landowner with support provided for those not experienced in community consultation, as a result there was improved efficiency and effectiveness in the process.

Complications regarding land ownership presented challenges to some of the P&OS projects as there had to be lengthy discussions about the long-term maintenance of these sites. One example of this was in Clifton ward (section 4.1.3). Similarly there was a perception that repairs were not always prioritised when the land was owned by different departments within the local authority, or a lack of local funding citied as a reason to negate responsibilities which required specific intervention. This was evident during the repairs to Grange Park Children’s Centre canopy, these took a long time and the quality of initial replacement parts was inadequate. Intervention by the CECD was required to insist on a like for like repair which, although more costly, was in keeping with the original design. Negotiation was required between three separate Local Authority departments as to who was responsible for this work, adding additional time.

Logistics were also a consideration when alternative sites were sought for EYPZ due to the investment not being used in all the Children’s Centre spaces (refer to 5.3). Approaches were made to Blackpool Teaching Hospital who were keen to have a play space however, could not identify a space that was fit for developing and as such reluctantly withdrew their interest. Two library locations were also investigated however, a review of the library service prevented them from being able to commit to those spaces. The library service did develop an appetite to revisit this concept in the future for its Early Years clientele which tied in with the development of the BBS early years play zones in the libraries. Ultimately the funding was redistributed to the development of three bus shelters, recognising their role in the community infrastructure (4.3.3) which may serve to unite the P&OS and through this innovative approach draw further interest in the use of transit spaces to facilitate change.

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6. Impact Every opportunity was taken to showcase the impact of the P&OS investment, which in the first 5 years10 received high profile visits including the:  NSPCC Board of Trustees;  All Party Parliamentary Groups;  The Countess of Wessex (May 2017);  The Office of the Prime Minister of New Zealand;  HRH Prince William & the Duchess of Cambridge (March 2019, figure 22).

Many of these visits received local and national press coverage including being showcased on national news. The parks programme attracted widespread interest from multiple organisations who visited to consider implementing this programme in their own locations. The EYPR Service was shortlisted for a Children and Young People Now award in 2018 and also received a commendation in the local government MJ Awards in 2018.

Figure 22: HRH Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge with the community members at Revoe Park

Reports from partners, i.e. EYPRs, include monitoring data of individual activities such as Forest School attendance or the number of volunteering opportunities and anecdotal feedback from Community Development staff and EYPRs suggest an increase in community groups using the area. Similarly their value may be evident from the increasing development of ‘Friends of Park’ groups and in the examples discussed through out this report.

There are numerous challenges with any attempts to measure change in P&OS usage including the speed at which site development began (George Bancroft began in summer 2015), staff capacity at this time meant that collection of accurate baseline data across a calendar year to reflect seasonal variations was impossible, additionally retrospective data, for example police crime reports, is not consistent for all sites and historic records vary.

In Autumn 2017 an 11 week research training and development exercise was created involving the Community Connectors (CCx) using adapted Systematic Observation of Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) tool and the National Green Space Tool (NGST). This work looked at park user behaviour, characteristics, observations of the condition of spaces, including the environment, vandalism, access, etc. The CCx worked in pairs at four BBS park locations: George Bancroft, Claremont, Revoe and Mereside. The training activity acknowledged a lack of baseline data, with limited and inconsistent historic records available and with the parks already at different stages of development it was not possible to assess pre and post changes that may be attributable to the work. The methodology however was useful to illustrate ongoing use, if a sufficient period of time was available to undertake this task.

10 A short 5 year point film is also available illustrating some of the parks and open spaces developments https://vimeo.com/472193152 Page 31

The CECD research and evaluation team used a Community-Engaged Research (CEnR) approach to develop an acceptable, visual, and pragmatic research and engagement tool (Photo Grid) to undertaken a three yearly Blackpool Better Start Community Consultation, the first of which was completed in February 2016. This was designed to reflect more broadly on the community members perceptions of the importance of factors influencing early child health and development. It is pertinent to note that in the 2019 consultation, the photo card representing P&OS was ranked five places higher on average than in the 2016 consultation. This may suggest that a larger number of individuals are recognising the importance of outdoor space for children suggesting that the P&OS initiatives may have raised the importance of outdoor space for local families participating in the consultation.

There have been three further submissions for evaluation of the use of P&OS developed with the CECD CD team, this has included questionnaires (adapting the Monitor of Engagement in the Natural Environment MENE), focus groups and storyboards but there were challenges engaging the EYPRs within the research to recruit families despite the need to demonstrate impact for sustainability after the BBS funding is concluded. Further to this, Blackpool Council independently proposed completion of a Social Return on Investment (SROI) in early 2019 at one developed site - Talbot and Brunswick. which will indicate a financial impact of the investment.

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7. Sustainability One of the biggest challenges to the long term sustainability of EYPZs in CCs was the Children’s Centre Review. This prevented the commitment of two CCs, St Cuthbert’s and Westminster, to the scheme. Also, one Academy’s EYPZ initially had identified restrictions to access, which were later reinstated by the head teacher. This gave rise to amending the agreement of investment in the future, to include clear stipulations on timelines regarding change of use. This was also relevant in terms of one P&OS development involving the land between @theGrange and the Grange Family Hub, which had been identified for a possible change in land use as a proposed site for housing development. Future use of this land and its long term maintenance needs to be a consideration given the limited green space in Blackpool.

It should be noted that the funding for the EYPR service came from BBS partnership. Commitment to investing long term in the service needs to be considered in terms of sustainability of the provision by the BBS partnership commissioners.

There have been several demonstrations of local communities being stimulated to take ownership of P&OS. Examples of the community self managing P&OS include:  Revoe Park A ‘graffiti tag’ on a piece of wooden play equipment was removed by a community member before the Parks team arrived to carry out cleaning;  Claremont Park Four different service groups and local families offered to organise a clean up team to restore a play space when there was an isolated occasion of heavy graffiti, and a community volunteer who litter picked across the park and play area; and  Anecdotal comments of members of the public chastising and reporting dog fouling in areas where communities did not normally report negative behaviour, and achieving a successful prosecution (BBS CECD pers.comm).

Some of the examples of the work which have stimulated community action are shown below and should be continued to ensure sustainability:  The creation of Mereside MAFIA through the work of Mereside@Play;  Revoelution (a community action group), who after accessing the Bee Hive in Revoe Community Garden, established another Bee Hive in a new garden at the opposite end of the ward;  The local community of Revoe donated over £2,000 worth of gardening equipment, seeds and books, etc., the visual impact of the community seeing their park being developed and cared for was cited as the motivation for their support; and  Friends of Park groups in Revoe, Claremont and TaB are in the early stages of group formation.

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8. Summary At the mid way point of BBS (April 1st 2015 to March 31st 2020), all structural capital investments to the P&OS were near completion, culminating in:  Seven park developments including EYPZs; and  Five children centre outdoor EYPZs ROC open space enhancements.

In addition:  The unique EYPR service and Junior Park Ranger programme;  Community-led activities, e.g. Better Start in Bloom;  Community Garden; and  A range of P&OS actions had been stimulated by the BBS investment.

As BBS moves into its next phase, the continuing education, community ownership and evaluation through the fast cycle iteration over the last five years will be invaluable to future development and sustainability. Key learning points from above have been:  The creation of local (area specific) stakeholder partnerships which includes representatives from across the sectors, public, civil sector (includes third sector and community groups) and private organisations or representative bodies (i.e. businesses) and awarding sufficient time and resources for the coordination of these partnerships;  Logistics The importance of maintaining and using a range of communication channels across the partnership and with the wider community to promote transparency and minimise negative behaviour due to a lack of information;  Establishing and communicating the parameters/criterion of any funding but reinforcing the opportunity to include other elements/interests in the wider plan, subject to the identification of resources/capital;  Flexibility and scope to plan/mitigate future risk into developments which may shape the sustainability/accessibility of sites; and  A holistic approach to developments which move beyond the adage ‘if we build it they will come’, the learning highlights the role of a wide array of complementary activities/programmes on various scales which may enhance and encourage use of the P&OS and promote sustainability, from activities within CCs and in published material to street to scale boxes and the bus shelters as community assets.

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9. References Blackpool Council (2019). Joint Strategic Needs Assessment [JSNA] http://www.blackpooljsna.org.uk/People-and- Places/Wider-determinants-of-health/Deprivation.aspx (Accessed 20/08/2020).

Blackpool Better Start [BBS] (2013) Capital Projects Delivery Plan – Early Stage application, Annex D. Internal document.

Blackpool Better Start [BBS] (2014a) Stage 2 application, Annex C, Project Implementation. Internal document.

Blackpool Better Start [BBS](2014b) ‘Activity cards’ Project Initiation Document [PID]. Internal document.

Blackpool Better Start [BBS] (2015) Parks & Open Spaces [P&OS] PID 03.2. Internal document.

Blackpool Better Start [BBS](2016) Press Release ‘Play Zone Grand Opening at George Bancroft Park’. Internal document.

Bowler D.E., Buyung-Ali L.M., Knight T.M. & Pullin A.S. (2010). A systematic review of evidence for the added benefits to health of exposure to natural environments. BMC Public Health (10) 456. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-10-456

House of Commons (2017). Communities & Local Government Committee Inquiry ‘The Future of Public Parks’. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmcomloc/45/4501.htm Accessed (14/07/2020) (Accessed 14/07/2020).

Children’s Commissioner (2018). Playing out. A Children’s Commissioner’s report on the importance to children of play and physical activity https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/publication/playing-out/ (Accessed 14/07/2020).

Critton, E. & Polstein, J. (2019). Destination Station. Transforming Bus Stops through Community Outreach. Project for Public Spaces Report. https://assets-global.website- files.com/5810e16fbe876cec6bcbd86e/5d3b6d4acb7dfd23ddee1fd5_Destination%20Station%20Report%20v2.pdf

Fjørtoft, I. (2001). The Natural Environment as a Playground for Children: The impact of outdoor play activities in pre- primary school children. Environmental Education, 29 (2): 111-117. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012576913074

Flouri, E., Midouhas, E., Joshi, H., 2014. The role of urban neighbourhood green space in children's emotional and behavioural resilience. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 40: 179-186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2014.06.007

Franzini,L., Elliott, M, N., Cuccaro, P., Schuster, M., Gilliland, M, J., Grunbaum, JA., Franklin, F. & Tortolero, S, R., (2009). Influences of Physical and Social Neighborhood Environments on Children’s Physical Activity and Obesity. American Journal of Public Health 99 (2): 271-278. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2007.128702

Heritage Lottery Fund [HLF](2016). State of the UK Public Parks. https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/sites/default/files/media/attachments/state_of_uk_public_parks_2016_final_for_we b%281%29.pdf

Hesketh, R. (2014). Groundwork Lancashire West & Wigan [GLWW] Scoping Report for Blackpool Better Start [BBS]. Internal document.

Jayasuriaya, A., Williams, M., Edwards, T., & Tandon, P. (2016). Parents’ Perceptions of Preschool Activities: Exploring Outdoor Play. Early Education and Development, 27(7), 1004-1017. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2016.1156989

Jones, A., Hillsdon, M. & Coombes, E. (2009). Greenspace access, use, and physical activity: understanding the effects of area deprivation. Prev. Med., 49 (6): 500 - 505. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2009.10.012

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Kahn, P, H. & Kellert, S, R. (2002). Children and nature : psychological, sociocultural, and evolutionary investigations. MIT Press, Cambridge Koehler, K., Latshaw, M., Matte T., Kass, D., Frumkin, H., Fox, M., Hobbs, B, F., Wills-Karp, M. & Burke, T, A. (2018) Building Healthy Community Environments: A Public Health Approach. Public Health Report 133. https://doi.org/ 10.1177/0033354918798809

Lambert, A., Vlaar, J., Herrington, S. & Brussoni, M. (2019). What Is the Relationship between the Neighbourhood Built Environment and Time Spent in Outdoor Play? A Systematic Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 16 (20): 3840. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16203840

McCormick, R. (2017). Does Access to Green Space Impact the Mental Well-being of Children: A Systematic Review. Journal of Pediatric Nursing 37: 3-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2017.08.027

Maas, J., van Dillen, S.M.E., Verheij, R, A. & Groenewegen, P. P (2008). Social contacts as a possible mechanism behind the relation between green space and health. Health Place, 15: 586-595. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2008.09.006

Natural England (2019). Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment [MENE] Children and Young People Report 2017-2018. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/790828/Monitor_ of_Engagement_with_the_Natural_Environment_Children_and_Young_People_report_March_2017_to_February_2018 v4.pdf

Office for National Statistics [ONS], (2019). Urban green spaces raise near by house prices by an average of £2500. https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/articles/urbangreenspacesraisenearbyhousepricesbyanaver ageof2500/2019-10-14 (Accessed 14/07/2020).

Project for Public Spaces (2019). ‘Portals to Places Initiative’. https://www.pps.org/portals-to-places (Accessed 21/06/2020).

Public Health England [PHE](2014). Local action on health inequalities: Improving access to green spaces. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/357411/Review8_ Green_spaces_health_inequalities.pdf (accessed 01/07/2020)

Transportation Research Board (1997). The Role of Transit in Creating Liveable Metropolitan Communities. Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 22. http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_rpt_22-a.pdf

Twohig-Bennett, C. & Jones, A. (2018). The health benefits of the great outdoors: A systematic review and meta- analysis of greenspace exposure and health outcomes. Environmental Research166: 628-637. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2018.06.030

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10. Appendices

Appendix I. Blackpool Better Start Wards Bloomfield Brunswick Claremont Clifton Park Clifton Talbot and Victoria

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Appendix II. Summary table of BBS P&OS work by ward

Better Start Actual financial spend Timescale Work Ward (11/03/20) Victoria £261,911 February 2016 - March 2020 Revoe Park

 Reclaiming and development of two disused bowling greens i) Natural play space, and ii) Community Garden. A third was enhanced by the local authority as a dog walking area;  Refurbishment of a disused pavilion for the EYPRs to operate from in the park and garden hut for the community;  The development of a nature trail and improvement to pathways;  Installation of picnic tables and signage;  Landscaping; and  MUGA.

St Cuthbert’s and Palatine CCs decided it was not feasible to take up the EYPZ offer due to the CC review.

Clifton £180,000 Langdale Green and Clifton Outdoor green spaces: Backfields April 2016 - March  Clifton Drive ‘Back fields’; and 2020  Langdale Green.

Mereside Children’s Centre April In addition to: 2016 - October 2016  Mereside@Play (employment of a creative Engagement Officer PID 3.2.1) and urban landscape designer; and  Mereside CC, ‘Little Diggers’ EYPZ.

Bloomfield £70,00 Summer 2015 - July 2016 George Bancroft Park:  Relocation and installation of EYPZ.

Park £59,445 May 2018 - October  Early Years elements for the transformation of the City Learning Centre to @Grange community farm; and  Grange Park CC EYPZ.

Claremont £200,329 August 2016 - March 2019 Claremont Park:

 Redevelopment including EYPZ, Forest School circle, improvement to sightlines, creation of additional pathways;  Removal and re-planning older age play equipment which is complementary to EYPZ; and  Westminster CC EYPZ budget (£30,000) currently not planned due to access issues post CC review.

Talbot and £60,000 - Queen’s Park March 2018 - March 2019  Queen’s Park ‘Talbot Rec’ EYPZ; and Brunswick (Brunswick)  TAB Family Hub, Community Garden and Harold Larwood Play Area.

£160,000 - Talbot & April 2107 - March 2020 Brunswick outdoor space development

Waterloo £23,000 February 2019 Thames CC sensory corridor created outside family rooms.

Haweside £24,610 February 2017 - August 2017 Baines CC upgrade to two outdoor areas.

Ingthorpe £13,812 December 2018 Kincraig CC installation of play equipment in a dedicated play zone.

Work not included by ward Better Start in £4,500 (£9,000 Summer 2016 - Autumn 2019 Better Start in Bloom/Gardening workshops and attendance at BBS family activities. Bloom remaining)

ROC £4,000 (£8,000 2017 - 2019 Improvements to four outdoor community spaces through a volunteer-led programme, remaining) subsequently left to recognition of a transferable garden power tool equipment toolkit for volunteers.

Bus Shelters £30,000 2019 - 2020 Redesign of 3 bus shelters as community assets for early years.

Maintenance £50,000 budget

EYPR £456,574 July 2016 - March 31st 2025 Employment of EYPRs to enhance parent’s capability in early years outdoor play and education, and encourage access to open spaces through activities including Forest School, events, and promoting development of ‘Friends of’ groups.

Finances data from CD finances 11/03/2020

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Appendix III. BBS P&OS activity map

Public link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1TOuMcmV1OyUjahcW3OpxUtrWyflqQ0Oj&usp=sharing

Key

Image Description Children’s Centres (CCs)

CCs Early Year Play Zones (EYPZ)

P&OS that have received BBS investment

BBS P&OS development/enhancement sites

Site A: Bloomfield ward - George Bancroft Site B: Victoria ward - Revoe Park Site C: Clifton ward – Clifton Drive Site D: Clifton ward - Langdale Green Site E: Claremont ward - Claremont Park Site F: Park ward - @theGrange Site G: Brunswick ward - Layton Rec Site H: Brunswick ward – TAB New developments

Bus Shelters as Community Assets

Site I: Clifton ward - Clifton Bus Shelter Site J: Claremont ward - Claremont Bus Shelter Site K: Victoria ward – Revoe Park Bus Shleter

The document should be read in conjunction with the interactive map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1TOuMcmV1OyUjahcW3OpxUtrWyflqQ0Oj&usp=sharing A summary videos of the BBS parks and open spaces development is also available: https://vimeo.com/472193152

The photographs on the front cover depict various activities and parks and open spaces within Blackpool.

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