Policy, Strategy & Communications Consultation & Intelligence team Parks Byelaws 2016 Report 21 March 2016 Produced by Consultation and Intelligence Team. Email [email protected] Performance, Information and Intelligence Service (Policy, Strategy and Communications) 0 Contents Executive summary ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 Results .............................................................................................................................................................................. 3 3: Are you responding as: ............................................................................................................................................ 3 4: Are you a resident of Bristol City Council local authority area? .......................................................................... 3 What is your postcode? ................................................................................................................................................. 3 5: How often do you visit Bristol's Parks and Green spaces? ................................................................................. 4 6: Which of the green spaces in Schedule 1 have you used in the last 12 months? .......................................... 4 7: Does your home have a garden? ............................................................................................................................ 5 8. Total agreement/disagreement excluding non-response .................................................................................... 5 9: Do you think byelaws should be limited only to sites where nuisance has been reported or should they cover all sites in Bristol where it is possible to have a byelaw? .............................................................................. 5 10: Do you think byelaws will stop you from doing some of the things you do now? .......................................... 5 11: Do you think byelaws will cost you money? ........................................................................................................ 6 12: Do you have any comments about any of the proposed byelaws? ................................................................. 7 13-16. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following proposals? ................................................ 44 17: Should we adopt conditions to regulate people carrying out some of the activities covered by the byelaws; for example those set out for flying model aircraft and barbecues? .................................................... 52 18: Should we apply general consent to activities relevant to any of the byelaws? For example the use of gazebos erected temporarily to provide shade, act as a gathering point – when permanent installations are not permitted? Please refer to our guide – “Answers to questions on specific byelaws” for the Council’s view on each byelaw. ............................................................................................................................................................ 53 Demographics of respondents .................................................................................................................................... 55 Produced by Consultation and Intelligence Team. Email [email protected] Performance, Information and Intelligence Service (Policy, Strategy and Communications) 0 Executive summary The consultation on Parks Byelaws was open from 18th January 2016 to 20th March 2016. 813 people responded to the Consultation. The consultation information and response method was sent directly to Parks groups, equalities groups and some community sector organisations. The consultation was published on Consultation Hub, through the ‘Our City’ and ‘Ask Bristol’ email bulletins and promoted via posters in parks. A minimum of 75% of respondents use parks & green spaces in Bristol 15% of respondents lived adjacent to a park of green space. 85% of respondents were from the Bristol City Council Local Authority area. There was some interest in the consultation from people living outside of this area. The majority of respondents were regular Park users, visiting daily or weekly. The main Parks visited were: o Ashton Court Estate o Blaise Castle estate o Eastville Park o St George Park o Brandon Hill Park o Victoria Park o Castle Park Overall, 58% of respondents agreed that byelaws would help them to enjoy Bristol green spaces. 28% of respondents thought Byelaws would make them more likely to visit green spaces they currently avoid. 53% thought that byelaws would not stop them doing some of the things they currently do now. 39% thought they would. 58% thought that byelaws would not cost them money. A third of respondents thought they would cost them money. The main reasons for this, identified in the open comments, were due to a view that byelaws would increase enforcement and administration costs. Respondents were asked to give their own comments on any of the byelaws: 23% of comments made related to the byelaw on ‘Protection of structures and plants’. This is the byelaw that caused many responses on a misconception that berry picking and foraging would be prevented by this byelaw. 10% of comments were about fires, and 9% about Cycling. Full comments are listed in this report. Four proposed byelaws were identified in the consultation for further questions. These related to barbecues, horse riding, fishing and flying model aircraft (including drones). For each of these byelaws, respondents were asked if they agree or disagree. Overall, 50% of respondents agreed with the proposal to permit barbecues on as many sites as possible within the byelaws schedule. 32% disagree. Of those who disagreed, the main themes from the comments were that barbecues should be allowed in designated areas only (75 comments), and concerns about damage to the ground (67 comments) and rubbish left Produced by Consultation and Intelligence Team. Email [email protected] Performance, Information and Intelligence Service (Policy, Strategy and Communications) 1 behind (53 comments). 36 people said barbecues should be banned at all sites. In total there were 297 comments on this proposal. 62% agreed with the proposal to permit horse riding only on sites above 4 hectares. 12% disagreed. In total there were 108 comments on this proposal. There were a high proportion of respondents who neither agreed nor disagree with the proposal to prohibit fishing on St George Park Lake only. Of those who did express and opinion, 31% agreed and 21% disagreed. There were 177 comments about fishing generally generated by this proposal. The main theme of comments (40) said fishing should be allowed at St George Park. 35 comments said fishing should be allowed at all sites. 21 comments said fishing should be banned at all sites. 40% of respondents agreed with the proposal to permit flying of Model Aircraft at Hengrove Park only. 31% disagreed. There were high levels of neither agree or disagree on this topic (30%). There were 254 comments on the proposed byelaw on flying model aircraft. The main theme (81 comments) said flying model aircraft should be allowed in more areas. 29 comments said flying model aircraft should not be allowed in any areas. 25 comments said it should be allowed in large parks. 19 comments said flying model aircraft was not a problem. We asked ‘Should we adopt conditions to regulate people carrying out some of the activities covered by the byelaws; for example those set out for flying model aircraft and barbecues?’ 61% of respondents said yes. 19% said no. We asked ‘Should we apply general consent to activities relevant to any of the byelaws? For example the use of gazebos erected temporarily to provide shade, act as a gathering point – when permanent installations are not permitted?’ 63% said yes, 18% said no. Produced by Consultation and Intelligence Team. Email [email protected] Performance, Information and Intelligence Service (Policy, Strategy and Communications) 2 Results At least 75% of respondents use parks and green spaces in Bristol. 3: Are you responding as: Frequency Percent Citizen who uses parks & green spaces in Bristol 613 75.40% Citizen who lives adjacent to a park or green space 118 14.51% A councillor 4 0.49% A representative of an organisation 16 1.97% Not Answered 62 7.63% 85% of respondents were from the Bristol City Council Local Authority area. There was some interest in the consultation from people living outside of this area. 4: Are you a resident of Bristol City Council local authority area? Frequency Percent Yes 689 84.75% No 62 7.63% Not Answered 62 7.63% What is your postcode? Complete postcodes for Bristol were people responding from the following wards. 3 no. signatures in each category 2 to 8 9 to 14 15 to 21 22 to 27 28 to 34 35 to 41 Bristol 692 South Glos 23 North Somerset 15 BANES 0 Other UK 0 Incomplete 0 TOTAL 730 Produced by Consultation and Intelligence Team. Email [email protected] Performance, Information and Intelligence Service (Policy, Strategy and Communications) 3 The majority of respondents were regular Park users, visiting daily or weekly. 5: How often do you visit Bristol's Parks and Green spaces? Frequency Percent Daily 284 34.93% Weekly 340 41.82% Monthly 79 9.72% Every few months 35 4.31% Once or twice a year 11 1.35% Not Answered 64 7.87% 6: Which of