Page 31 Agenda Item 7 London Borough of Sutton Beddington & Wallington Local Committee - 2 December 2008 Report of the Executive Head of Streetscene YOUTH FACILTIES AT ROUNDSHAW PARK – CONSULTATION AND OPTIONS Ward Location: Beddington North Author(s) and Contact Phone Number(s): Mark Dalzell, Head of Parks & Highways Area Served: Beddington North Lead Councillor: Councillor Colin Hall Key Decision Report Summary This report presents the findings of the consultation carried out on behalf of the committee about proposed youth facilities in Roundshaw Park and sets out options based on the consultation findings. This work was carried out to inform committee’s decisions on priorities for Public Realm spending. Recommendations The Committee is recommended to agree to: 1. Locate a youth seating area close to the existing ball court 2. To locate the wheel and ramp park suitable for skateboards, in-line skates and bicycles on the tarmac pad adjacent to the ball court. 3. To authorise consultation with potential users of the facilities, on the exact specification and layout of the ramps within the designated area. 4. To fund repair/replacement of sections of the tennis court fencing, resurfacing of adjacent paved areas and landscaping to provide a high standard of finish and good access. 5. To allocate £100,000 of the Beddington and Wallington Public Realm Budget to complete wheel and ramp and tennis courts as detailed in this report. 6. To allocate up to £10,000 for youth seating areas within Roundshaw Park from the Public Realm funding allocated to the Beddington and Wallington Local Committee. 1. Background 1.1 The committee has been asked to provide additional facilities for young people in the Roundshaw area. Roundshaw Park is well placed to provide outdoor facilities as it is a safe, open park at the heart of the estate. Agenda Item 7 Page 32 1.2 The options consulted on were: a skate park to be located at the rear of the existing pavilion, youth seating in the locality of the existing ball park and youth seating in the park opposite the Mollison Square shopping parade. 1.3 The consultation was carried out in three ways. Firstly display boards showing the proposals were put up in The Phoenix Centre lobby, with consultation forms available and a posting box for returns. Secondly the Parks Service hand delivered consultation information to 34 homes in Foresters Drive nearest to the park. Thirdly Roundshaw Homes delivered the same information to 1900 homes on the Roundshaw estate. 1.4 In addition to consulting with residents Roundshaw Homes was asked to comment formally on the proposal. 1.5 The police agencies were also asked for views about the scheme and to provide a Crime Prevention report. 2. Results Residents Comments 2.1 On the question of youth seating respondents were asked to say if there should be youth seating opposite Mollison Square and 62% were in favour of this idea. They were also asked if youth seating should be placed next to the existing ballpark and 75% were in favour of this option. Appendix A shows the consultation letter sent to residents. Police comments The Safer Neighbourhood Team’s Sergeant Withersby and Inspector Baker met with Parks Service officers to discuss the proposals. The team arranged for a Metropolitan Police Crime Prevention: Security Survey to be produced which is attached at Appendix B. This report raises some concerns which can be summarised as follows: •Location too secluded reducing natural surveillance •No lighting in proposed area •Young people need to have input to say what they would like provided •CCTV or removal of shrubs needed to open the site and make it safe •Local residents may object to removal of shrubs and trees •Youth shelter at this location to secluded, better opposite Mollison Square Roundshaw Homes Comments Roundshaw Homes comments will be available at the Committee meeting. 3. Issues 3.1 Initially the proposal was for a skate park. The results of the survey indicate support for this idea including thirty-one under 18s saying they would welcome this. However to ensure maximum use of the facility, it is suggested that a wheel and ramp park should be considered rather than a skate park. A wheel and ramp park can be used for skate boarding, in-line skating and BMX cycling, widening the range of users and making a truly flexible leisure space. Similar facilities at Mellows Park and larger scale facilities at St Helier Open Space are wheel and ramp parks Page 33 Agenda Item 7 and have attracted many regular users of all types who can enjoy the social aspects of meeting together and watching each other take turns at performing on the equipment. 3.2 Involving young people in designing the ramps and their layout as suggested in the police report is good practice which the Parks service has followed on each of the wheel and ramp parks developed so far. It is suggested that “Sutton Ramp Events” the home of “Elevate” are employed to carry out the consultation process as they have been successful in engaging with young people at Royston Park and St Helier Open Space. 3.3 To overcome issues about the location of the wheel and ramp park being too secluded, it is proposed to move the ramps onto the tarmac pad adjacent to the ball court. The surface in this area is in good condition and this part of the park is floodlit until 9pm to allow young people to play on the existing ball court. A timer switch ensures the lights turn off at 9pm so that neighbours are not disturbed late in the evening. This area is much more open, and does not feel secluded, being raised above the level of the football pitches on one side and at about the same level as the park on the other side. 3.4 It is hoped that by designing the wheel and ramp park in this way that the police concerns about anti-social behaviour and perceived lack of use will be overcome. Similar concerns were raised about Mellows Park wheel and ramp park before it was installed. In practice there has been no increase in anti-social behaviour and the facility is well used. By careful choice of the ramps the noise and potential for problems was minimised, but the ramps are semi permanent and can be relocated if needed. Using a similar style of ramp at Roundshaw will give Committee a useful fall back position should problems arise. 3.5 To further enhance the area and provide a good standard of finish it is suggested that damaged fencing and paths leading to the ball court and wheel and ramp park should be repaired, resurfaced, or removed where not needed and the grass reinstated. 3.6 The adjacent tennis courts would also benefit from repair of the fences and repainting of lines if budget allows. The Parks Service will arrange cleaning of the surfaces to remove moss in the spring. 4. Financial Implications The schemes detailed in this report are estimated to cost a maximum of £110,000 and will be funded from the Public Realm Capital budget which has been allocated to the Beddington and Wallington Local Committee. The cost of the various components of the schemes are as follows :- Purchase and installation of wheel and ramp equipment £61,500 Resurfacing of wheel and ramp area £8,000 Removal of redundant fencing, replacement of section of fence by tennis courts, resurfacing of access paths and restatement works. £20,000 Renovation of tennis courts including cleaning surfaces, painting protective coating in red and green and white line marking £10,000 Employing Sutton Ramp Events to engage with local young people £500. Youth seating within Roundshaw Park £10,000 Agenda Item 7 Page 34 The exact costs for each component may vary, but the overall package will be kept within the agreed budget of £110,000. Any funds remaining on completion of the work will be returned to committee for use on other Public realm projects. The cost of normal maintenance (cleaning, safety checks and litter removal) of these facilities can be met from existing Parks Service budgets. Replacement of worn out equipment or vandalism damage requiring extensive repair or replacement of equipment cannot be met from Parks Service budgets and funding will need to be secured from other sources should such an event occur. 5. Influence of the Council’s Core Values 6. Contribution to the Achievement of the Council’s Corporate Goals 6.1 All new works including specific adaptations for the disabled will be carried out in accordance with regulations and requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. Where applicable, facilities for improving access for the disabled will be incorporated into any scheme. 6.2 The proposed works will hopefully attract new users to the park and cater for all sections of the community 7. Background Papers None Page 35 Agenda Item 7 Appendix A – Copy of Consultation Letter to residents a. London Borough of Sutton (a) Chief Executive’s Group Please reply to: Paul Martin, Chief Executive Your Ref: Direct Line: 020 8770 6173 London My Ref: 3 Fa x: 020 8770 5998 Borough of e-mail: Sutton Date: July 2008 Civic Offices Please ask for: Malcolm Barker St Nicholas Way SUTTON SM1 1EA CONSULTATION www.sutton. gov.uk Dear Resident Minicom ‘Skate Park and Youth Seating on Roundshaw Park’ 020 8770 5178 -------- DX No Your Beddington and Wallington Local Committee 134340 Wants to Know What You Think Sutton 11 In October last year the Council invited residents to come up with ideas about how they wanted the public realm funding allocated to your local committee to be spent improving Beddington and Wallington.