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wood – a cheaper and safer option. In other areas, there have been requests for playground facilities that are suitable for children with disabilities, and so the council is working on designs with parents, Steve Munby residents and friend groups. Liverpool City Council also has a plan to tackle maintenance funds. “Every local authority is strapped for cash, and Liverpool has had some of the biggest cuts in the country, but although we’re revenue starved, we have more capital and can build a maintenance regime into the capital expenditure,” explains Steve. “Rather than spending our limited budget on parks and open spaces, which need upkeep, we can build a new set of playgrounds funded by Section 106 money and then build a maintenance regime into this capital money, reducing our ongoing maintenance costs for playgrounds.” Section 106 funding has been a lifesaver for local authorities, according to the API’s Mark Hardy, but he says it should be used as an additional resource. “As housebuilders develop new housing facilities, they have to provide appropriate play areas or facilities. If they do not want to provide these themselves, they can pass the money on to the local
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authority, who will then use it for that purpose – it has become a useful resource. My concern is that it shouldn’t be a replacement source, it should be an additional source.” This is how Sheffield City Council views its Section 106 contributions, having announced that the majority of its £1.5m parks investment over the next three years will come from the city’s Public Health budget, alongside Section 106 funding. “Having talked to the director of public health and his team, and following evidence being presented to us on how parks can help with mental health and childhood obesity, we decided that we should be using our green space,” explains Lisa Firth, head of parks and countryside at Sheffield City Council. Over the next three financial years, £500k will be invested annually, with the first year focusing on improving parks and play facilities in the communities that need it most. The council mapped Sheffield in terms of the Index of Multiple Deprivation and public health data around male life expectancy, identifying red, amber and green areas. It then looked at improving areas where Section 106 funding had been allocated to improve play or Lisa Firth
THERE IS SO MUCH EVIDENCE SHOWING THAT GREEN SPACE BENEFITS HEALTH AND WELLBEING green facilities, and those that were densely populated, with high indices of multiple deprivation and low male life expectancy. The first of these is Norfolk Park, where work to renew the park’s playgrounds began in September, in collaboration with local ward councillors and the Friends of Norfolk Heritage Park. £80k is being spent to provide new play spaces for children of all ages and abilities, following public consultations to find out what the community wanted. Improving play facilities is part of a long term plan for a healthier Sheffield, moving away from the city’s industrial heritage and rebranding it as an outdoor city. “We want to see a reduction in obesity, prescriptions, and A&E admissions, and an improvement in mental health,” says Lisa. “It’s a long term investment, but it’s a positive one, and we’re using public health money to target areas that need it most.” Commenting on the API report, Lisa recognises how fortunate Sheffield is. “The report summarises where we are as local authorities. As parks and countryside are not a statutory service, it can be less controversial to make cuts and close playgrounds – but to us and to our residents, it is counterintuitive. There is so much evidence showing that green space benefits health and wellbeing.” Though many local authorities are not in the same position as Liverpool or Sheffield, the API will be campaigning to find ways to help them fund play facilities. They have three goals, explains Mark. “The first is to get the government to realise that the closure of playgrounds is an issue,” he says. “The second is to be active in looking at alternative funding sources, such as the Big Lottery Fund or the health budget. Lastly, we want to be more inventive, and for the government to look upon play as an essential part of a child’s development and vital to their health.” We will be following the API’s campaign over the next few months, and look forward to seeing more local authorities being in a position to invest in their play facilities. Pro Landscaper / October 2017 15
21/09/2017 08:55