Open Space Action Plan Area Priorities and Actions
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Open Space Action Plan Area Priorities and Actions East Area Introduction This plan is one of 7 area action plans which support the Open Space Strategy and should be read alongside the main document. The strategy sets standards for different types of open space, estimates needs for certain types of open space and proposes sites which could help address those needs. This Action Plan sets out details of actions within the East Neighbourhood Committee area which will help to address those needs specific to this area. The plan contains actions to improve the green network and proposes sites for potential open space use where there is a deficit and methods to rationalise current provision in order to attain the highest possible quality provision within the area. Actions will be carried out by the Council and developers. The actions represent medium and longer term aspirations. Progress will be dependent on the rate at which development proposals come forward and are approved and implemented and the availability of Council resources to invest in open space. The strategy and action plans will be reviewed and updated every five years. General Description The East Committee area is made up of three wards; the Ings, Longhill and Sutton wards. It has a population of 36,073 (mid 2013 estimate). The area has a mix of housing types, with council-owned properties dominating the Longhill ward and parts of the Ings ward, and privately owned houses with larger gardens elsewhere in the committee areas. Sutton has a historic heart and is mentioned in the Doomsday books, the 14th century St James Church stands at the centre of the Sutton village conservation area and is immediately surrounded by a mix of housing types including cottage and large detached properties with mature gardens that mirror former field boundaries dating back to mediaeval times. The original village is now surrounded by infill 20th century housing. There is generally good access to parks and recreation facilities in the East Area and recent efforts have raised the quality standards of several green spaces in the area. For example, Alderman Kneeshaw Recreation Ground has renewed and new facilities that now make it a flagship park for the area. Emphasis will be placed on maintaining and enhancing the quality of sites where possible. Semi-natural open spaces are predominantly located to the edges of the wards and along the lines of green corridors; however, there are several residents that do not have appropriate access to natural open space. Natural open space at Longhill Loglands, just outside the city boundary, provides excellent space for nature but is difficult to access for most local people. Current strategies to enhance links to the nearby countryside should be continued. The Sutton Golf Course provides a large green space within the Ings ward and links to the wider countryside. Of particular note are the ridge and furrow patterns at Western Gales Way and the mature trees associated with the former Princes Royal Hospital and the Longhill Estate. The Eastern Area is well connected to the Green Network with the Holderness Drain and the former Hornsea Railway Line running north to south through the committee area. Suttoncross Drain forms a boundary with Ings. 1 Accessibility Current accessibility standards East Area (see Table 1) shows that a very large proportion of green space within the Ings Ward is not accessible to the public; this is caused by the dominance of agricultural land and the presence of Sutton Golf Course. Table 1: Mid 2014 Accessibility Standards in the East Area Committee Ward Total (hectares) Publicly accessible (hectares) Publicly accessible (%) Ings 137.48 28.94 21% Longhill 68.19 44.16 65% Sutton 43.96 32.79 75% Current deficiencies Deficiencies identified in the 2014 open space audit are shown in Table 2. It shows that there is a deficiency in several of the typologies within the area. This needs to be taken into account when planning future investment in open spaces infrastructure. Deficiencies in Allotments should be assessed concurrently with current waiting lists in order to assess current demand in an area; with regards to the East Area there is a slight deficiency of accessible provision within the Ings ward. There are currently plots available in the wider are , therefore, additional allotment provision is a low priority and investment should be directed at improving the quality of current provision in the neighbourhood area. 2 Table 2: Mid 2014 Deficiencies in Provision within the East Area Committee Open Space Typology Existing open Open space Hull Standard Open space surplus space provision ha/1000 (hectares) (hectares / 1000 people) Agricultural 49.93 n/a n/a Allotments 0.24 ha / 1000 people within a 20 minute 4.02 0.11 -4.64 DEFICIENCY (No waiting list) walk (960m) Amenity Green Space 0.67 ha / 1000 people within a 10 minute 55.51 1.54 31.34 SURPLUS walk (480m). Cemetery / churchyard 1.06 0.03 Children's play facility 0.030 ha / 1000 people within a 10 minute 0.92 0.025 -0.16 SLIGHT DEFICIENCY walk (480m). Civic space 0 n/a Educational grounds 39.91 1.10 n/a Green corridor 7.22 0.20 n/a Natural / semi-natural 0.62 ha / 1000 people within a 20 minute 5.80 0.16 -16.56 LARGE DEFICIENCY greenspace walk (960m). Outdoor Sports Facility 70.32 1.95 Park / garden 0.50 ha / 1000 people within a 20 minute 12.06 0.33 -5.98 DEFICIENCY walk (960m). Private grounds 1.50 0.041 n/a Unclassified 0.60 0.016 n/a Young people's facility 0.023 ha / 1000 people within a 15 minute 0.78 0.0217 -0.04 walk (720m). Golf 45.66 1.27 n/a Outdoor Sports Facility (excl 1.68 ha / 1000 people, excluding golf 64.57 1.79 3.97 SLIGHT SURPLUS golf) + Educational grounds courses 3 Community Infrastructure Projects 4 Barbara Robson The Barbara Robson Playing Field, located to the south of Sutton on Hull adjacent to Robson Way, were presented to the then Hull Corporation by the Robson family in remembrance of their daughter Barbara. The playing field is in the trust of Hull City Council. The site constitutes a playing field is equipped with five-a –side goal posts. Much of the field is uneven and it rises steeply to the south supporting tree covered slopes. A mature line of trees and bushes form the northern boundary providing a screen alongside the adjacent Robson Road and supplementary tree planting has been undertaken that complements this. The area is wet throughout the year due to the presence of natural springs that form in response to high levels of rainfall and as such the playing fields are unsuitable for formal playing pitch provision. The woodland offers a pleasant circular walk that links up with the historic core of Sutton- upon-Hull and the Hull to Hornsea former railway line. Formal play provision takes the form of a small enclosed children’s playground, an informal MUGA with basketball rings and 5 a side goals, a teen shelter and a multi gym. Assessment of the equipment on site indicated that retaining logs are rotted and need parts renewing or replacing and play bark levels are insufficient in areas. Current schemes to improve the park and the wider area include the retrofitting of a sustainable drainage scheme, the redesign of the main Church Street entrance incorporating an Art Deco style archway and additional fencing and bollards. Plans also focus on the provision of additional play equipment with improvements to both the children's playground and street furniture. Total Existing Funding Potential REF Description Justification Ward Cost Commitment gap alternative funding The alleviation of re-occurring flooding Construction of Sustainable Urban Ward budgets, on the main field. Park is persistently E37 Drainage System or similar flood TBC No TBC S106, external Sutton waterlogged even in the summer defence system. grants months. Additional play equipment and Ward budgets, improvement to the children's E38 TBC No TBC S106, external Sutton playground and street furniture will grants further complement the park. 5 Grasby Park Situated on Bellfield Avenue this small amenity area is equipped with a children’s play area, a five-a-side pitch, goal and basketball hoop and bike trail. The park underwent general improvements in 2014 with the integration of new play equipment including climbing equipment, a spinner, roundabout, balance beams and ropes. Grassed areas are maintained as amenity grassland and are supplemented by tree borders and short lengths of hedgerow. Variations in topography add interest to the play provision and the bike trail. In 2016, additional works were undertaken to remove play equipment and upgrade the fencing within the play area. Total Existing Funding Potential REF Description Justification Ward Cost Commitment gap alternative funding Ward budgets, E27 Grasby Park General park improvements TBC TBC S106, external Ings grants Alderman Kneeshaw Recreation Ground/Barham Park Situated off Barham Road in the north east of the ward area is named after former Lord Mayor Harry Kneeshaw. This large park is popular with local residents and well used, offering a range of facilities. Children’s play provision is provided by a modern, well- equipped and challenging set of equipment that include spinners, springy rockers, climbing frames and swings for both toddlers and older children and natural play provision. In summer 2015 a brand-new water play are opened complete with water jets and fed with fresh water. Two car parks offer spaces for approximately 4 cars. Sporting facilities include a football pitch, occasional rugby depending on demand, a defunct 400m cinder running track and container-based changing facilities.