Manchester City Council June Communities and Neighbourhoods
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MANCHESTER CITY COUNCIL REPORT FOR INFORMATION Committee: Communities and Neighbourhood Overview And Scrutiny Committee Date: 19th June 2007 Subject: Wythenshawe Park – Background, Facilities and Future Plans Report Of: Head of Leisure ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Purpose Of Report To inform Members about the current development of the Park and to outline future plans. Recommendations That Members note the report. Financial Consequences For The Revenue Budget Nil Financial Consequences For The Capital Budget Manchester City Council have committed matched Capital funding for the scheme referred to in the report as the Heritage scheme, and a large percentage of the infrastructure improvements have been funded through the Councils Capital Programme. Contact Officers Eamonn O’Rourke 953 2451 Head of Sport and Leisure [email protected] Jeff Staniforth City Parks and Operations 953 2452 Manager [email protected] Background Documents Wards Affected - All Wythenshawe Wards 1 Introduction 1 Nationally parks have suffered a gradual decline after their heyday in the first half of the twentieth century. Exacerbated by the general loss of horticultural skills, the introduction of compulsory competitive tendering and the budget cuts of the 1980’s, the national perception of parks as shabby “no-go” areas took root in a lot of areas around the country. 2 Despite the national trend the City Council has sought to continually improve its parks. Since 1992 Manchester Leisure has had a dedicated Parks Management Staffing Structure focused on the needs of visitors and the local community, and able to deliver a wide range of events and leisure opportunities via its Park Warden Service. 3 Recognising the importance of local energy and involvement, over 50 Friends groups have been developed throughout Manchester parks over the last ten years, and the Friends of Wythenshawe Park were one of the earliest groups formed. 4 This forward momentum was summarised in 2000 by the publication of “Parks for All Seasons”, a strategy for Manchester’s parks which identified a wide range of issues and positive actions to address them. The strategy also established a framework for a classification of parks which identified Regional, District and Community parks. 5 With specific reference to heritage, Wythenshawe, Heaton, Platt Fields, Alexandra, Philips and Queens Parks were identified as having significant merit, and needed to be conserved and appropriately developed for the benefit of all. 6 The improvement programme in Manchester has seen a renaissance which now sees the City as top authority in England and Wales for the prestigious Green flag awards to parks. Background 7 1n 1998 Wythenshawe Regeneration Partnership commissioned a Wythenshawe Park Feasibility Study. The purpose was to identify a plan of action which could provide a template to show how the various, and sometimes conflicting, activities and facilities could be accommodated in an overall layout. A key aim was to protect and enhance the heritage asset whilst providing improved facilities for local users and attracting increased numbers of visitors from a wider catchment area. 8 More recent studies funded by Wythenshawe Regeneration Partnership and Manchester Leisure (carried out by King-Sturge and Buttress-Fuller, 2005), have further developed proposals for the park, 2 including zoning of facilities, visitor management, and potential for increasing use and income. 9 Using these plans and studies as a basis, Manchester Leisure has been proactively sourcing funds to take various projects forward so that each year improvements have occurred in Wythenshawe Park, and these are described in more detail in the “Future Plans” section later in the report. Facilities and Current Position 10 Wythenshawe Park covers a total area of 276 acres accommodating Wythenshawe Hall and gardens, open parkland, woodland, small ponds and brooks, wildflower areas, horticultural glasshouses and gardens, a farm centre and stables, athletics track, sports areas and a playground. Overall, Wythenshawe Park offers the opportunity for quiet enjoyment as well as active recreation, in a quality outdoor environment. 11 Recognised as one of two regional parks in Manchester, Wythenshawe Park is Manchester’s second largest park. Three of its woodlands – Nan Nook Wood, Gib Lane Wood and The Big Round are designated Sites of Biological Importance and Mere Wood is an Environmental Improvement/ Protection Area. Three grade II listed buildings are located within the park: North Lodge, The statue of Oliver Cromwell and Wythenshawe Hall. 12 Wythenshawe Park comprises of a variety of landscape elements including historic and ornamental woodlands, herbaceous borders, formal bedding, amenity grassland and wildflower meadows. The park is also of significant recreational value, having a Horticultural Centre, Community Farm, Events Field and a wide range of sporting activities which include crazy golf, boules, bowling, orienteering, tennis, pitch and putt, football pitches and an athletics track. 13 Community use of the park is encouraged through the different facilities available. Space for community meetings and general use is available in the classrooms at the Horticultural Centre. City College Manchester also uses the classrooms at the Horticultural Centre as a base for their students. Wythenshawe Sunday Football League has use of the changing facilities and pitches. Sale Harriers Manchester is based at the Athletics facility as well as Winston Runners, Wheels for All and the Forum Weight Lifting Club. 14 The staff are currently striving to regain the Green Flag award for the park and judging occurred on Monday 4th June 2007. The outcome of the judging will be known later in the summer. Community Partnerships 3 15 Currently there are a number of active partnership groups in Wythenshawe Park. These groups include: • Friends of Wythenshawe Hall, formed in 2003. • Friends of Wythenshawe Park Horticultural Centre, formed in 1989. • Park Watch Committee, formed in 1993. • Tennis club formed in 1997 • Bowling club formed in the 1930’s • Wythenshawe Sunday League Football formed in 1958 • Wheels for all formed in 2004 • Sale Harriers Manchester formed in 1993 • Winston runners formed in 2000 • Wythenshawe weight lifters formed in 2001 • Junior Friends Group formed in 2006 • Wythenshawe Community Farm 16 Each group meets regularly for members to discuss with Manchester Leisure any issues that they feel are important to the future management and development of the park. 17 Over the years the various groups have been successful in acquiring funding and grants to invest into the park. Through working in partnership with Manchester Leisure and other agencies the groups also play an active role in producing a number of very popular events and activities within the park. 18 Other important organisational partners include Manchester Galleries, Hospitality and Trading Services, Wythenshawe Regeneration Partnership, Probation Service, local schools, Myerscough Horticultural College, City College, Greater Manchester Police, Wythenshawe Community Farm Adult Learning and Care and Wythenshawe Riding Stables. Events 19 There are a number of events organised throughout the year to attract maximum community involvement. A sample of these diverse events is listed below. • Wythenshawe Festival • Halloween Nights • Bonfire Events, which attract crowds of up to 15,000 • Health Walks • Christmas Decorations Making • Various talks on a wide variety of interests, • Orienteering • Adventure Sessions during school holidays • Fun Fairs 4 • Theatre Productions • Circus (no animals) • Wood Carving • Star Gazing 20 In 2007 additional funding has been accessed to provide more events and activities, linking in particular with the new Development Officer post. Throughout June, July and August there will be Saturday sessions for children in the Hall which will have a history theme (e.g. “Make your own Coat of Arms”, making Tudor face-masks etc). 21 Heartbreak Productions Theatre Company will be putting on two productions, “The Wizard of Oz” and “Twelfth Night” during July. There will also be a “Nickelodeon” event on the show-field in July. 22 In August there will be a “Fun for Kidz” storytelling and arts event, and an “Old-time Garden Party” event in the Hall Gardens, complete with brass band and cream teas. 23 There will also be heritage open days, adventure play sessions and holiday arts and crafts activities at various times throughout the summer period. Also there will be opportunities for amateur and volunteer archaeologists to link with the current work of the Manchester Archaeology Unit on the “Dig Manchester” sessions in June and July, and a report has been submitted by the Cultural Strategy Team and is attached as annexe 1 to this report. Future Plans 24 Leisure has actively sought funding, partnerships and opportunities to implement many aspects of the Feasibility Study and other plans on an incremental basis as, working with Wythenshawe Regeneration Partnership, it had been recognised that it was unlikely that a single large scale funding opportunity could be accessed in the short term, which would deliver the level of investment required to restore the infrastructure and bring in new input to improve and build on the existing facilities. The improvement works are outlined in the following sections. Recent Improvements 25 In the period from 2004 to 2006 £380,000