Stapenhill Gardens Burton on Trent Management Plan 2020-2023 Main contact: Michael Hovers Communities, Open Spaces & Facilities Manager Tel 01283 508776 [email protected]
Foreword
Stapenhill Gardens is one of the finest parks in the Borough, and as such very important to the Council’s commitments to delivering its corporate priorities of Environment & Health and Wellbeing. Every year Stapenhill Gardens forms the centre piece of the Council’s in Bloom entry, and in 2019 the Council celebrated a golden decade of success with gold for Burton across the 2010’s. Stapenhill Gardens is an important park to residents of Burton and East Staffordshire
The Council’s 380 Ha of parks and open spaces contribute much to what attracts people to live and work in the Borough and provides ample opportunities for all to lead healthier more Cllr Ed Barker enjoyable lives. As such, the drive to improve quality in our Deputy Leader most valuable green spaces is one which I support and commend. In particular, our ambition to achieve a Green Flag Award for Stapenhill Gardens is one I totally support and wish the officers and the local community every success in this endeavour.
Contents
Introduction 4 Location Plan 5 General Layout 6 History 7 Community Use: Something for Everyone 8 A Welcoming Place 9 Maintenance schedule 10 Important & useful safety information 12
Conservation and Heritage 12
Community Involvement 14 Promoting Stapenhill Gardens 15 Action Plan 16 Appendix 19
town, leading to the loss of a central portion of the park, but Introduction reinforcing the strategic location of Stapenhill Gardens.
Stapenhill Gardens is predominantly formal in style and retains much of its original layout, complemented by a small play area. The backdrop for this park is truly inspiring with extensive views of the river, enhanced by many floral beds which add a vibrancy of colour. Though split by St Peters Bridge, the gardens continue around St Peter’s churchyard where they link into Stapenhill Hollows and The Woodland Walk.
In 1933 Henry Goodger a successful solicitor, gave the land adjoining the former Stapenhill House and its garden to the public as a pleasure ground; in memory of his late mother. The Goodger family were significant local figures of the time. Miss Mary Goodger also of Stapenhill House, had been elected as the first woman Councillor in 1923, and she went on to become the first woman mayor of Burton in 1931.
Stapenhill Gardens occupies a central location on the eastern side of Burton upon Trent. Its location is historically significant in that it sits adjacent to the eastern end of the Ferry Bridge; provided by Sir Michael Arthur Bass (later Lord Burton) in 1889 to replace a previous ferry service. The viaduct was provided the following year and this created a second safe crossing point across the Trent Washlands, linking the settlement of Stapenhill with the commercial centre of the town. Prior to this as many as 17,000 people per month used the ferry to cross the river but the route across the Washlands was muddy and treacherous. A second road bridge known as St Peter’s bridge was built in 1985 to ease congestion in the
Location Plan The area of Stapenhill Gardens, Stapenhill Hollows and The Woodland Walk is considered throughout this plan in the zones identified here.
History
1857- Stapenhill Woodland Walk (Burton’s oldest public park) is laid out by Mr Edward Cliff. 1864- Current Trent Bridge is built 1865- Burton rowing regatta is held for the first time 1866- Stapenhill Cemetery is opened 1899- Ferry Bridge, provided by Michael Bass, is opened to replace the ferry service 1926- Trent bridge is widened to accommodate increase in motor vehicle traffic 1933- Henry Goodger “gifts” the land adjoining the former Stapenhill House and its garden to the public as a pleasure ground; in memory of his late mother. 1958- Stapenhill Swan statute is constructed in Stapenhill Gardens and becomes an iconic Burton landmark. 1985- St Peters bridge, a second road bridge, is opened to ease congestion around Burton. 2016- Stapenhill Ferry Bridge is closed for a period of restoration re-opening in September 2016. Diversitree sculpture designed by local school children, is installed at Stapenhill Gardens. 2018- Stapenhill Swan rededication ceremony and installation of Coltman VC memorial. 2020- New upgraded children’s play area introduced at Stapenhill Gardens. Creation of Reflection Arboretum
Community Use: Something for everyone . Home of Leander and Phoenix Rowing Clubs. Fishing rights and the base for Coors Angling Club Picnic benches and tables New upgraded, in 2020, fenced children’s play at Stapenhill Gardens Historic Stapenhill Swan Centre of Burton in Bloom entry Diversitree sculpture Landmark and historic Ferry bridge Victorian style tiered planters Fitness boot camps Bird feeding areas Dog walking Woodland Walk Community cricket pitch Coltman VC stone Golden decade tree planting celebration Outdoor Music performances Reflection Arboretum
A Welcoming Place Two main entrance off Main Street and Fleet Street with parking available at Main Street, Ferry Street, Stapenhill Hollows and Watson Street Maintenance takes place throughout the year and is undertaken by uniformed Council contractors from ID Verde. Noticeboards are present in key locations containing the latest information and important contact numbers/details Volunteer designed interpretation boards welcome and guide visitors around the park and also provide interesting information on the history of the area and Burton on Trent. Litter picked 2 days a week by the Council’s contractor. Toilet block at Stapenhill Gardens owned and managed by ESBC was extensively refurbished in 2015. Easily accessible from Burton Town Centre with finger posts to guide visitors around the Gardens and other nearby attractions. Award winning floral displays from May to October
General Maintenance and Safety
ID Verde maintain Stapenhill Gardens for ESBC and can be seen about the park during a typical day. ID Verde staff wear, distinct uniforms with fluorescent vests or jackets with logos and identification badges clearly visible. Examples of the uniform are illustrated below.
Action Frequency Grass cutting 10 per year (March to November)
Shrub bed spot treatment 3 per year (April-July-September)
Shrub bed maintenance with long handled shears 5 per year (June, July, August, September, October) Play inspection (visual) 2 per week
Play inspection (operational) 4 per year (1 each quarter)
Play inspection (annual) 1 per year
Property and building inspections annually
Play equipment painting Every 5 years
Play area surface treatment 3 per year (April, July, September)
Safety Surface inspections 2 per week
ESBC Officer whole site inspections 12 per year
Bin emptying and litter picking 5 per week (Monday & Friday)
Picnic area chemical control 3 per year
Sweeping Weekly following mowing
Important and useful safety Conservation & Heritage Stapenhill Gardens and the surrounding area is home to a rich information and diverse flora and fauna that can be enjoyed by visitors to Opening times. Stapenhill Garden gates are open 364 days a the park. The Council makes every endeavour to encourage year. During the summer the park is open 8:00-21:00. Winter wildlife and examples of some of the species can that can be opening times are 8:00-16:30. found locally:
Swans, Canada Geese, Heron, Robin, Wren, The Council and ID Verde strive to ensure that the park is Chaffinch, Moorhen, Cormorants, Kestrels, Buzzards, maintained to the highest standard. Unfortunately, sometimes Snipe, Kingfishers, Herons, Wrens, Reed Buntings, things do go wrong or break. To report a fault contact the Reed Warblers, Little Grebe, Little Egrets, Chetti’s Open Spaces Team on 01283 508013 during office hours. Warbler, Gulls, Sparrow hawk, Ducks, Geese Weekends and evenings contact the Council out of hours Carp, Grayling, Rudd, Dace, Roach, Chub, Bleak, number on 01283 517111 for emergencies. Minnows, Perch, Gudgen, Barbel, Ells, Trout, Pike,
Bream, Bullhead, European Eel, Spined Loach. Stapenhill Gardens is enjoyed and respected by the majority of visitors. However, a small minority taint this experience for Daubenton & Common Pipistrelle bats others. To report ASB contact the Police 101 number or report Otter, Fox, Squirrel, Badger it via the Staffordshire Police or ESBC websites. Dog Fouling Rye grass, Timothy hair grass, tufted hair grass, and Littering can be reported to the Council’s Community & creeping buttercup, ribwort plantain, silverweed, black Civil Enforcement team on 01283 508856 or medick, common bird's-foot-trefoil, great burnet , [email protected] common knapweed, hard rush, hairy sedge, great willow herb, common marsh-bedstraw, gipsywort, marsh woundwort, cock's-foot, branched bur-reed, reed sweet-grass, Yorkshire-fog, creeping bent, bulrush, soft rush, purple-loosestrife, reed canary-grass, yellow iris, meadowsweet, common chickweed, cow parsley, hedge garlic, meadow buttercup, germander speedwell, yarrow, common cats ear and dovesfoot cranesbill, meadow vetchling, yarrow, salad burnet
Inspection and maintenance regimes for the park’s trees follow the standard prescription for the Borough and is delivered through the Council’s Tree Management Policy.
Tree species include: Ash, Beech, Black Poplar, Common Alder, Common Elder, Common Lime, Common Walnut, Copper Beech, Corsican Pine, Crack Willow, English Elm, English Oak, Hawthorn, Holly, Horse Chestnut, Hybrid Poplar, Japanese Cherry, Lawson Cypress, Leyland Cypress, Lombardy Poplar, Norway Maple, Rowan, Scots Pine, Silver Birch, Swedish Whitebeam, Sycamore, Weeping Willow, Western Red Cedar, White Poplar, White Willow
Fishing
Community Involvement The River Trent passing through Stapenhill Gardens is Stapenhill Gardens and the river Trent are free to access for classed as free water, which entitles anyone who lives or community groups and attract a wide variety of activities works in Burton upon Trent to fish the stretch of water from ranging from organised sports through to mass celebration the Leicester Line Bridge on Waterside Road through to the events. Group leaders from each of the community groups are Newton Road recreation ground with just a rod license. in regular touch with the Council and help to manage the park Furthermore, the river is home to a fishing club, Coors Angling through their presence and exchanging information with the Club, regularly host fishing matches and events along the Council. The following organised groups are already active river. within the park: Having fun and doing their bit Water, wickets or walking Volunteers have looked after and maintained a community The river Trent and the surrounding Washlands and Stapenhill garden at Stapenhill Hollows which has focused on Gardens are home to various organised sporting events and introducing pollinating plants to encourage the growth of the teams. Leander (formed in 1847) and Phoenix Rowing Clubs local bee population. make extensive use of the river. Since 1865 the river has hosted the annual Burton Regatta with teams coming from a Big top and big band far afield to compete in this prestigious event. Given the versatility of the area, the nearby Washlands has also hosted a regular Circus. Only providers that don’t use Away from the water, the community cricket pitch at the animals in their displays are permitted to use the ground. Over Hollows is utilised for informal play in the summer and is the the years this circus has proved a popular attraction for site for an annual community festival that celebrates a local residents of the town. minority and their passion for cricket and food. Away from the big top, Stapenhill Gardens has welcomed Those that like a more sedate pace are catered for with “Force 10” a swing band that have performed outdoor numerous paths that criss-cross the site, enabling visitors to concerts for local music lovers. stroll around the park at their leisure or as pleasant walk into nearby Burton town centre. Schools and charities. Stapenhill Gardens has proved a popular venue for schools, scouts, guides, and charities who want to carry out litter picks, host outdoor classrooms, study wildlife or want space to simply enjoy the outdoors.
showcases the work of volunteers in developing and maintaining open spaces. ESBC have consistently achieved a Promoting Stapenhill Gardens gold standard for over a decade and have reached the national finals twice in the last four years. Stapenhill Gardens is well renowned locally and really has something for everyone. However, ESBC and partners are Traditional media channels, such as press releases through active in promoting the park. the local written media, remain in use to promote events and news stories from the park throughout the year. ESBC has a dedicated webpage for Stapenhill Gardens which receives annual views exceeding 5,020, the second highest of Promotion of the park is not just left to ESBC, partner any park in East Staffordshire. Furthermore, the Council organisations such as Leander rowing club and Staffordshire develops an annual plan of marketing and communications Wildlife Trust utilise their various social media platforms to activities to increase awareness and visits. promote events and share content.
Promotion of parks and open spaces, much like consumer behaviour, is now focussed on digital engagement, developing digital media to bring parks and open spaces to life.
This includes having a virtual tour video embedded into the Stapenhill Gardens web page, highlighting the benefits of the open space and to further illustrate that the park genuinely has something for everyone and encourage more visitors.
The corporate social media channels are also utilised, to not only promote the park, but also distribute relevant information to residents on news, opening times and open space campaigns.
Stapenhill Gardens features heavily in Council open spaces campaigns, such as the annual “In Bloom” awards, which
Action Plan The Action Plan for Stapenhill Gardens is derived from the SWOT analysis below which is reviewed annually following a site tour with officers and other stakeholders.
Strengths Weaknesses Well used and regarded by the public (locals and visitors from Constant battle with bird lime outside Burton) Limited budgets and external income Varied and interesting visitor experience with free parking and Some dog fouling and occasional graffiti good links to the town centre and the Washlands Varied plants and wildlife Tiered planting forms centrepiece of “In Bloom” entry Good and well-developed links to community groups and users. Significant community activity. “Diversitree” artwork Links to other internal Council departments and external partners help to keep the park safe and secure New re-vamped children’s play area Public Space Protection Order for dogs on lead Opportunities Threats Washlands and TTTV project linkages River bank erosion and the potential for flooding Volunteering opportunities Management costs and budget pressures History of Stapenhill Gardens Possible location for mobile drinks, ice cream or refreshments provider Further income from sponsorship Further educational programmes on dog fouling Use of new technology to engage the public Utilise space to increase tree coverage
2020/21 Cost Lead Objective/s Timescale Undertake tree planting to reduce climate change £1,000 Paul Steed Environmental Quarter 3 Management
Introduce Reflection Arboretum to raise awareness of £2,000 Paul Steed Environmental Quarter 1 mental health Management, A Welcoming place
Establish a cohort of tree planting volunteers n/a Paul Steed Community Involvement Ongoing from quarter 1
Relax grass cutting regime and mow grass pathways to n/a Paul Steed Biodiversity, Landscape & Ongoing from quarter 1 encourage biodiversity and varied visitor experience Heritage, A Welcoming place
Establish wildflower sections £500 Paul Steed Biodiversity, Landscape & Ongoing from quarter 1 Heritage, A Welcoming place
Utilise tree logs to create visitor seating n/a Paul Steed Biodiversity, Landscape & Ongoing from quarter 1 Heritage
Introduce trial of augmented reality for SPG visitors TBC Nathan Marketing & Quarter 4 Gallagher Communication
Promotional video 2020 TBC Nathan Marketing & Quarter 1 Gallagher Communication
Hold annual review n/a All Partners All categories Nov 2020
Monitor river bank erosion n/a Michael Biodiversity, Landscape & Ongoing Hovers Heritage
Link Stapenhill Gardens in wider developments plans for n/a Michael A Welcoming Place Ongoing the Washlands area Hovers
2021/22 Launch augmented reality experience TBC Nathan Marketing & Quarter 2 Gallagher Communication
Promotional video 2021 TBC Nathan Marketing & Quarter 1 Gallagher Communication
Hold annual review n/a All Partners All categories Nov 2021
Monitor river bank erosion n/a Michael Biodiversity, Landscape & Ongoing Hovers Heritage
Link Stapenhill Gardens in wider developments plans for n/a Michael A Welcoming Place Ongoing the Washlands area Hovers
2022/23 Monitor river bank erosion n/a Michael Biodiversity, Landscape & Ongoing Hovers Heritage
Hold annual review n/a All Partners All categories Nov 2022
Promotional video 2022 TBC Nathan Marketing & Quarter 1 Gallagher Communication
Link Stapenhill Gardens in wider developments plans for n/a Michael A Welcoming Place Ongoing the Washlands area Hovers
Appendix Policies and strategies in other service areas As well as policies and strategies that directly affect Parks and Open Spaces there are a number of other service area policies/strategies that impact indirectly. These are listed below. The brackets denote the service area responsible for each policy. i) Climate change (Environmental Health) Available on request ii) Enforcement Policy (Enforcement) Available on request iii) Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy (Enforcement) Available on request iv) Maintenance and upkeep of buildings strategy (Facilities) Available on request v) Littering and graffiti policy (Waste Management) Available on request vi) Community Engagement Strategy (Neighbourhood Working) Available on request