An Open Spaces Strategy for Barnet 2016-2026 For more information: visit www.barnet.gov.uk 2 An Open Spaces Strategy for Barnet An Open Spaces Strategy for Barnet 3 Contents Executive summary 4 Why do we need an Open Spaces Strategy? 6 Policy Context 8 Baseline characteristics 10 The value of parks and open spaces 13 Assessing quality and value 15 Asset data collection 17 Engagement and future consultation 19 Future challenges 21 Capital investment strategy 23 Future funding and governance 27 4 An Open Spaces Strategy for Barnet this growth will have to be accommodated in new housing. This housing Executive summary provision will be much more dense than is currently typical for the borough. Parks in Barnet will have to fulfil a new function in supporting the development of sustainable communities and attractive neighbourhoods and in bringing Barnet has a great collection of parks and open spaces and these are an businesses and employment to town centres. important part of what makes Barnet a green borough. People who live It is now accepted that urban parks deliver a huge range of benefits for cities and work in Barnet enjoy access to formal parks and gardens, wild landscapes, and the people that live and work in them. These benefits reflect many of the extensive areas of greenbelt and leafy river valleys. Barnet’s parks are places objectives that we have established for the economic success of the borough, where people can take part in formal sport, visit a park café, take the kids to the the health of its citizens and the quality of the environment with which they playground or just walk the dog. interact on a daily basis. This strategy provides the council with a review of the quality of its parks These benefits can be broadly grouped into three categories: and open spaces and suggests a range of opportunities that green spaces » economic benefits offer to enhance the quality of life and economic success of the borough. The overall objective of the strategy is to support the council’s objectives for parks » social benefits and open spaces as set out in the Corporate Plan: ‘Barnet’s parks and green » environmental benefits. spaces will be amongst the best in London’. The strategy links to a number So that we can make well-informed decisions about how our parks and open of other pieces of work that consider health, wellbeing, sports provision spaces can deliver these outcomes, we need to understand their current and waste. All of these strategies are aimed at making Barnet a better place condition. The last audit of our greenspaces was in 2009, so a key element of to live and work. the strategy has been to survey all of the borough’s parks. Currently Barnet has a unique blend of parks, open spaces, Green Belt Parks are for people and we would like residents and businesses to play an and access to the countryside beyond London. This provision complements even greater role in determining how parks are managed and how they should an extensive pattern of housing with many residents having access to private function in future. green space. This has helped to reinforce the impression of Barnet as a leafy suburban borough with parks forming part of this fabric. To develop this strategy, we carried out an extensive engagement with local residents and key stakeholders to find out what their priorities for the future But Barnet is set to change significantly and over the next 25 years the borough are. This process of engagement will continue in a formal consultation that will will have one of the fastest rates of population growth across the capital and be conducted in the winter and spring of 2016. An Open Spaces Strategy for Barnet 5 The engagement process and the quality and value assessment have established a broad range of priorities that will guide a future investment programme to improve the condition of the borough’s parks and greenspaces. Barnet has a relatively modest record in attracting inwards investment into parks and open spaces but this presents the borough with a strong opportunity to secure significant inwards investment from external funding bodies for projects focused on sport and heritage. In common with all other local authorities, we are facing very difficult decisions in terms of the level of resources we can apply to deliver services. This strategy suggests that we should consider other options for the future management and funding of parks and open spaces. This will ensure that any investment the borough makes in it’s parks and open spaces and the positive outcomes that this investment can deliver are protected in future. These are exciting times for parks and open spaces in Barnet and this strategy establishes a road map for future investment, discussions around future funding and governance and an on-going dialogue between the council, residents, stakeholders and partners. Through committing to these policies and implementing this strategy, the council will ensure that these key assets are enhanced and continue to tell a positive story about Barnet as a place to live and work. 6 An Open Spaces Strategy for Barnet The council recognises that a clear vision is Why do we need needed to deliver a whole range of benefits for an Open Spaces people who live and work in the borough. These benefits include: Strategy? » enhancing the physical and mental health of residents » making Barnet a better place to live, work, Barnet has a great learn and play » joining communities together by creating portfolio of parks new green links between different parts of the and open spaces borough In order to deliver these outcomes the council » preparing the borough for the impacts and greenspaces are needs to understand what it has in its parks. The of climate change by controlling integral to the cultural life council last undertook a survey of this kind in 2009. flooding, reducing pollution of the borough. and moderating temperatures Over the past six months, a survey of 199 parks » protecting and enhancing the borough’s and open spaces has been undertaken. This survey cultural and natural heritage has recorded everything that each park contains – every bin, bench, gate, railing and every tree The council is facing significant funding issues and area of planting. over the next five years and the Parks service will have to make a contribution to the savings that During the survey, each asset has been the council has committed to finding. The Open photographed and its quality recorded. We have Spaces Strategy has been commissioned to help also assessed the overall quality of each park the council to consider options for alternative and open space against ‘Green Flag’ criteria (‘Green ways in which parks and open spaces services can Flag’ is the national standard for parks excellence). be managed and paid for so that people living and working on the borough can continue to enjoy the benefits of good quality parks over time. An Open Spaces Strategy for Barnet 7 The Council will use this survey information to: » make the management of parks and open spaces more efficient so that we can raise standards of maintenance » compare the condition of the borough’s parks now with their condition in 2009 so that we understand how things have changed » guide a major investment in the borough’s parks and open spaces over the next 10 years. Barnet’s parks and open spaces are extremely important to residents and the council needs to understand the aspirations of residents in terms of the future of the service. The council also wants residents to have a greater say in how parks are managed and developed in future. In preparing the Open Spaces Strategy, the council has engaged with a broad cross-section of people who live and work in the borough to gauge their views of what the borough’s parks are like today and what they should be like in future. As the strategy evolves, the council will continue this discussion so that the plans for the service as a whole and for individual parks across the borough have been thoroughly discussed and are agreed upon. 8 An Open Spaces Strategy for Barnet The following policies and strategies have » The Draft Municipal Recycling and Waste Policy context influenced and affected the development of the Strategy (2016 to 2030) (to be considered Open Spaces Strategy. in January 2016) » Barnet Community Asset Strategy This Open Spaces Strategic planning context including: (in consultation phase due to be adopted Strategy has been » National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) summer of 2016) developed in the context » The London Plan of a number of local, » Green Infrastructure and Open Environments: The All London Green Grid regional and national policies and strategies Barnet’s Local Plan including: developed and adopted by » Barnet’s Core Strategy » The Barnet Infrastructure Delivery Plan the London Borough of » Barnet Open Space, Sport and Recreational Barnet. Needs Assessment Barnet’s wider policies and strategies including: » Barnet Corporate Plan 2015-20 » Barnet Council Sport and Physical Activity (SPA) Strategy » Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2016-20 » Entrepreneurial Barnet Strategy (2015-20) » London Borough of Barnet Playing Pitch Strategy (to be delivered Spring 2016) An Open Spaces Strategy for Barnet 9 Benchmarks and standards including: Other studies including: » The London Plan (2015) London Open » ‘The State of UK Parks’ (HLF: 2014) Space Hierarchy » ‘Green Society – policies to improve the UK’s » English Nature - Accessible Green (ANGSt) urban green spaces’ (Policy Exchange; 2014) » National