CONTENTS Introduction 1 1. Site Overview 1.1 Havering 2 1.2 Strategic Framework 3 1.3 Site Description 3 1.4 History 5 1.5 Location and Transport Links 11 2. A Welcoming Place 2.1 Entrance Points 14 2.2 Entrance Signs 16 2.3 Equal Access 17 3. Heathy, Safe and Secure 3.1 Health and Safety Systems 18 3.2 Parks Protection Service 19 3.3 Parks Locking 22 3.4 Infrastructure 22 3.5 Parks Monitoring 23 4. Maintenance of Equipment, Buildings and Landscape 4.1 Grounds Maintenance 25 4.2 Arboricultural Management 28 4.3 Vehicles and Plant Maintenance 28 4.4 Parks Furniture 29 4.5 Parks Buildings 22 4.6 The Walled Garden 26 5. Litter, Cleanliness and Vandalism 5.1 Litter Management 34 5.2 Sweeping 34 5.3 Graffiti 35 5.4 Flytipping 35 5.5 Reporting 35 5.6 Dog Fouling 36 6. Environmental Sustainability 6.1 Energy Sustainability 37 6.2 Peat Use 37 6.3 Waste Minimisation 37 6.4 Pesticide Use 41 7. Biodiversity, Landscape and Heritage 7.1 Management of natural features, wild fauna and flora 42 7.2 Conservation of Landscape features 48 7.3 Woodlands 49 7.4 Biodiversity Action Plan 54 7.5 Havering Local Plan 54 7.6 Natural Ambition Booklet 55 8. Community Involvement 8.1 Council Surveys 57 8.2 User Groups 58 9. Marketing and Promotions 9.1 Parks Brochure 61 9.2 Social Media 61 9.3 Website 61 9.4 Interpretation Boards 62 9.5 Events 63 10. Management 10.1 Management structure 64 10.2 Financial Management 66 10.3 Computerised Management System 66 10.4 Accreditation 66 10.5 Action Plan 68 10.6 Parks Contact Details 72 Appendices 1. Policy Context 2. History 3. Pesticide Reduction Strategy 4. Risk Assessments 5. Pleasure Ground Byelaws 6. Parks Fitter’s Instruction Form 7. Parks Monitoring Form 8. Grounds Maintenance Specification Contents 9. Vehicle Check Form 10. Peat Use Policy 11. ‘Your Council Your Say’ Survey 12. Marketing 13. Event Application Form 14. SWOT Analysis 15. Improvement Plan 16. Flora of Bedfords Park 17. Fauna of Bedfords Park Introduction The Bedfords Park Management Plan has been prepared by the London Borough of Havering Public Realm (Parks and Open Spaces) department and represents a five year plan for the Park. The plan was completed in 2016 and will be revised annually until a full update in 2021. It was recognised that the park given its importance locally required improvements to facilities and standards. As part of this process the plan was produced to reflect these improvements and how the park is managed. The format of this plan follows the Green Flag Award criteria as this is recognised as the nationally accepted standard of excellence for parks and open spaces. The criteria also reflect a comprehensive and logical breakdown on the complements of how a park is managed. The plan also includes an action plan which is achievable within the remit of current budgets. The plan has been produced to give the reader a ‘virtual’ tour of the park and a practical management guide. The key information is in the main body of the plan with more detailed information including policies and examples in the appendix. It is intended for a broad audience interested in the development of the park namely: • Public Ream staff - Parks and Open Spaces Officers, Grounds Maintenance • Other services and departments within the London Borough of Havering • Elected members, ward councillors and portfolio holders • The community and its representative organisations Sunset from Bedfords Park 1 1. Site Overview 1.1 Havering The London Borough of Havering is London’s third largest borough. The north and east boundaries border the rolling Essex countryside and the south covers three miles of River Thames frontage. To the west Havering is bordered by the boroughs of Redbridge and Barking and Dagenham. The name ‘Havering’ originates from the Royal Liberty of Havering, to which Edward IV granted a charter in 1465. The area’s history stretches back to Roman times with early settlements at Rainham and Collier Row. The London Borough of Havering was created in 1965 by the merger of Romford and Hornchurch Urban District Councils. The name of Havering was finally agreed as a combination of the town names was not allowed. The idea of blending the two names was never a serious consideration.Armorial bearings were granted at the time of the formation. The motto ‘liberty’ represents the present free and democratic way of life but is inspired by the fact that Havering was mostly a part of the royal liberty of Havering – Atte – Bower from 1465 – 1892. London Borough of Havering Location Plan Many of Havering’s open spaces and public parks have a long and rich history. Some are former private estates with historical and heritage importance including Bedford’s Park, Clockhouse Gardens, Parklands Park and Langton’s Gardens. Well known landscape architects such as Humphrey Repton designed some open spaces within Havering e.g. Langton’s Gardens and many parks were developed in the twentieth century e.g. Upminster, Rise and Lawns Parks. 2 There is a large amount of countryside, especially in the north of the borough, with a good Public Rights of Way network and 4 country parks. There are also a wide variety of urban spaces from ornamental gardens to large municipal parks. 1.2 The Strategic Framework Information how this Management Plan for Bedfords Park sits within the national, regional and local context for parks and open spaces can be found in Appendix 1. 1.3 Site Description Bedfords Park is situated to the east of the B175 minor road between Collier Row and Harold Hill, approximately 3.5 kilometres north of Romford town. The character of the park is one of gently rolling grasslands, small blocks of scrub and large areas of woodland with the ornamental deer pen occupying a subtle but unifying central position. Currently a third of the park is woodland. The park also provides an important vantage point for the local population to look out over much of East London. View from visitor centre Grasslands range from amenity sports pitches, through short-mown though essentially rough species-rich swards and hay meadows to tall herb marshland. The swards range from dry, acid grasslands on the ridge crests to more neutral mesotrophic and seasonally to permanently waterlogged gleys supporting the marshland. Whilst most, if not all of the older woodland is derived from plantations, several species indicative of ancient woodland conditions occur here, mainly associated with the streamside woodland on the western boundary of the park. These ancient woodland indicators include Remote Sedge, Bluebell, Wild Service Tree and Wood Melick. The majority of the woodland is, however, of relatively recent origin and comprises Pedunculate Oak and Hawthorn successional scrub woodland and in the secondary woodland to the east of the fishing lake near to Lower Bedfords Road. 3 Open water features comprise one large, artificial fishing lake in the south of the Park and one other significant pond in the northern section. Other, smaller ponds occur in Nursery Wood and in the secondary woodland to the east of the small fishing lake close to Lower Bedfords Road. These natural ponds were added to with the million ponds project creating additional small ponds throughout the park. Bedfords Park during snow The site of the old mansion house and cafeteria has been developed as an Essex Wildlife Trust Visitor Centre. The visitors centre was constructed in 2004. The building is owned by Havering and leased to the Essex Wildlife trust under a full repairing lease To the north of the Visitor Centre is the old stable block area of the mansion house, currently used by the Council’s Grounds Maintenance team. A walled garden that was part of the original mansion house estate is situated close to the visitor centre and depot area and represents the largest surviving building complex from the original mansion house. It comprises tall brick walls on all sides from the original “walled garden” design of the mansion house estate. In 2013 the walled garden was leased to Clear Village an organisation who are developing the walled garden into a site for growing and education. 4 In 2013 the Council were award funds for a 10 year period from Natural England to manage large areas of the park through grazing cattle in a scheme known as Higher Level Stewardship. During the autumn and winter of 2013/14 fencing and gates were installed at the park and in the spring of 2014 a historic breed of cattle (Red Pole) were first used to graze the park to maintain the grasslands. There are several pedestrian access points along the southern boundary, with the most widely used entrance being in the extreme south-western corner of the park. The main entrance to the park is the vehicle entrance at the northern end of the park from Broxhill that leads visitors along the drive to the car park. 1.4 History With thanks to Havering Local studies and Simon Donoghue The name Bedfords is thought to derive from a John Bedford or Bedforde who owned land in the area in 1362. Bedfords, with neighbouring Earls, was one of two tenements in the Havering Manor which were joined as part of the Gidea Hall estate in the 15th Century. Bedfords was acquired for the Gidea Hall estate in 1412 when the owner of Gidea Hall was Robert Chichele. The Cooke family who purchased Gidea Hall in 1452 added Earles to the estate and Bedfords was part of Gidea Hall until its sale as a separate estate in 1659 to Joachim Matthews of nearby Gobions.