Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council Parks And
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SANDWELL METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL PARKS AND COUNTRYSIDE - MARKETING STRATEGY 2011 Parks & Countryside – Marketing Strategy 2011 1 Sandwell Council … working for you Greener Spaces ...Active Places Contents 1. The Strategic Marketing Aims ..........................................3 2. Marketing Objectives.........................................................4 3. Background ........................................................................5 4 Site Details and Description .............................................6 5. Parks and Countryside Management...............................8 6. Marketing within Cultural Services ..................................9 7. Community Involvement .................................................10 8. Corporate Objectives.......................................................11 9 Summary of Local Demographics..................................13 10. Financial Arrangements ..................................................14 11. Competitors......................................................................15 12. Regeneration of West Bromwich....................................18 13. Other Key Issues..............................................................19 14. The Marketing Action Plan..............................................21 15. Monitoring Marketing.......................................................26 Appendices: Appendix 1: Directorate Structure Appendix 2: Parks & Countryside Structure Appendix 3: Councils Marketing Tool Appendix 4: Monthly Marketing Grid Parks & Countryside – Marketing Strategy 2011 2 Sandwell Council … working for you Greener Spaces ...Active Places 1. The Strategic Marketing Aims The Strategic Marketing aims for the Parks and Countryside Service incorporate some of the key aims identified as part of the Green Space and Communities Policy. The strategic aims are as follows: • Promotion material accessible to all, overall aim to market parks locally, but to market Sandwell valley, events and specific attractions regionally, to highlight the importance of green spaces fro residents and visitors’ well being, economically as visitor attractions for the borough and as for environmental sustainability and educational resource and to carry out any marketing inline with the marketing group for Streetscene, to identify links to partners and attractions (e.g. RSPB, national cycle routes, high ropes, cycle hire). • To support the development of a self-sustaining network of community based organisations, especially Friend Groups in partnership with the council contributing to marketing and budget pressures the Parks and Countryside areas. • Through partnerships, e.g. Private Sector, Primary Care Trust, Schools and Friends Groups, seek to utilise all available resources to market Parks & Countryside sites. • To use marketing as a tool for establishing income generation targets. Parks & Countryside – Marketing Strategy 2011 3 Sandwell Council … working for you Greener Spaces ...Active Places 2. Marketing Objectives The Marketing Strategic objectives are: • For Parks and Countryside areas to meet the 8 Green Flag criteria. • To ensure that income opportunities and target are maximised. • To ensure Parks and Countryside areas are kept clean and well maintained for visitors. • To market Sandwell Valley and Dartmouth park in the context of West Bromwich Town Centre regional destination. • To conserve and manage the heritage features. • To effectively market the Parks and Countryside regeneration and development initiatives. Through consultation with local communities, a number of marketing priorities have been defined: i. To enhance the quality of our facilities and services through marketing. ii. To raise the profile of all Parks and Countryside within the region and to encourage community involvement. iii. Encourage investment through the promotion of the Parks and Countryside as quality visitor destinations. iv. To market sustainable management of Parks and Countryside as visitor attractions. v. To increase the marketing budget through external funding resources. Parks & Countryside – Marketing Strategy 2011 Sandwell Council … working for you Greener Spaces ...Active Places 3. Background The Parks and Countryside Management Service is part of Sandwell's Streetscene Directorate and provides the strategic management and development of Urban Parks, Countryside Parks, Allotments and Community Green Spaces within the land portfolio of Streetscene. Urban Parks Warden Service provides the front line interface for visitors to Urban Parks and Green Spaces. The Countryside Ranger service provides the frontline interface for countryside sites. The grounds maintenance is undertaken by the Councils Grounds Maintenance Service through a green budget. Static gardeners within key parks provide a complementary front line interface for visitors. The national benchmark for excellence is the Green Flag Award. In Sandwell we currently have 5 green flags within town parks and Sandwell Valley Country Park, also one at Warley Woods a community Trust Park. Restoration of Dartmouth Park, West Bromwich commenced in January 2010, which will culminate in achieving a Green Flag award, as part of the HLF contractual obligations. Lightwoods Park Bearwood was transferred to Sandwell from Birmingham City Council in November 2010. A lottery application under the Parks for People Programme to the value of £4.7million has been submitted. A comprehensive Green Space Strategy was completed in 2010 forms the basis for future management and marketing opportunities. 3.1 Objective This Marketing Strategy has been produced to provide a focus for marketing Urban Parks and Countryside areas. It particularly concentrates on the significant green spaces with borough-wide importance and how their potential marketed profile can be achieved, whilst also considering how the neighbourhood and local green spaces are marketed to promote greater appreciation and usage. Parks & Green Spaces – Marketing Strategy 2011 5 4 Site Details and Description Sandwell has 1,483 acres of green space which is made up of the Sandwell Valley Country Park, six town parks for the six towns of the borough, numerous neighbourhood and local parks, and other public areas and open spaces. 4.1 Sandwell Valley Country Park The Sandwell Valley is a country park within half a mile of West Bromwich Town Centre and has over 2000 acres of woodland and parkland with wildfowl lakes along with the remains of an old Benedictine Priory, and two working farms. The Valley has achieved a Green Flag status and currently attracts well over 750,000 visitors a year. Park Farm alone attracts well over a 250,000 visitors a year. The Country Park is the most popular tourist attraction within the borough and has achieved a number of tourist awards. A comprehensive Management and Maintenance Plan, provides the basis for service delivery. Managed through staff at Sandwell Valley Countryside sites have a number of dedicated volunteer and friends groups that are actively involved in marketing their sites. 4.2 Town Parks Victoria Park in Smethwick, Barnford Park in Oldbury, Haden Hill Park in Rowley, Victoria Park in Tipton, Dartmouth Park in West Bromwich and Brunswick Park in Wednesbury are the six town parks. Each park has its distinct characteristics and facilities, including children’s playgrounds, youth games facilities, skateboard parks, grassed sports pitches, pavilions, horticultural features and historical monuments. A rolling programme of Green Flag Awards has been established for all Town Parks and key Neighbourhood Parks. 4.3 Neighbourhood and Local Parks There are a number of Neighbourhood and Local Parks within Sandwell. They can vary in size, design and heritage value, and offer a smaller range of facilities when compared to the town parks. However, they often provide a much-needed green area as an antidote to the nearby residential, industrial and commercial developments. Town Parks and Neighbourhood Parks also have dedicated volunteer and friends groups who are actively involved in marketing their sites. Parks & Green Spaces – Marketing Strategy 2011 6 4.4 Strategic Open Spaces There are a number of playing fields within Sandwell which primarily encourage participation in active recreation such as football, rugby and tennis. The playing fields typically comprise of sports pitches and courts, a pavilion, children’s play area and a car park. Marketing is done in association with the Sandwell Sports Leagues of Football and Cricket. The largest playing field site in the borough is Lion Farm in Rowley Regis. It has 13 football pitches and hosts over 300 football matches per season. New playing fields at a site off Newton Road West Bromwich called Churchfields will be available end of 2011. It is this site along with Lion Farm that is scheduled to be renamed Queen Elizabeth Playing Fields 2012 as part of the Queens 60 year celebrations. Parks & Green Spaces – Marketing Strategy 2011 7 5. Parks and Countryside Management Streetscene is the Sandwell MBC service responsible for the management of Park & Green Spaces. Included within Streetscene is the Ground Maintenance Service that provides Sandwell MBC’s in-house ground maintenance team through a Green Budget. The Grounds Maintenance Operations Manager allocates the ground maintenance budget for all Parks & Green Spaces. Ground Maintenance their maintenance standards market within their annual reports published on the council’s website. Appendix 1 shows the directorate structure of the Council,