2018/19 Update

Harrow Lodge in use as Hornchurch Library in 1950- Havering Libraries-Local Studies

Hornchurch Library at Harrow Lodge c. 1953. (Havering Libraries-Local Studies)

7.4 Natural Ambition

In 2006 Havering council created and published Natural Ambition, a guide to Havering’s natural environment.

The purpose of the booklet was to raise awareness of the natural environment and biodiversity within the borough. It gives an overview of biodiversity in the Borough and the work being done to maintain and enhance it by all organisations. The booklet was widely distributed around Library’s, Schools and other public buildings. It can also be found on line at https://www.havering.gov.uk/downloads/download/808/natural_ambition

Harrow Lodge Park Management Plan Update 2018/19

The wildflower areas have been sowed with a different mix of wildflower seed. In the past they were rotavated and re seeded annually with an annual mix in late spring. As s trial last year they were seeded with a new mix of 20% annual and 80% perineal to reduce the seeding burden very year. This still produced a show last year and we now wait to see the results this year as the 2nd year onward should show better results. This will be monitored to this year in the meadows to see if it has been effective. In 2019 an Ecological consultant will be undertaking spring and summer surveys of the conservation areas. This is to provide data on how each area is preforming, in terms of habitats and species, but also the reports will recommend potential improvements to existing areas and any additional work that we can undertake in each park. Full details of the findings and any subsequent actions will be included in future updates of this plan.

The Parks Development team encourages community involvement as much as possible. It also works to foster good relations with the stake holders of its Parks.

Your Council Your Say Survey 2013 The Your Council Your Say Survey looks at residents’ satisfaction with Havering and the services they receive from the Council, and what their priorities are for spending and improvement over the next couple of years. In addition, the survey draws together suggestions from residents about how to improve their local area and asked residents if they would like to be kept informed about how they might become involved in their local area. Details of the survey can be found in Appendix 14.

Some of the Boroughs parks have Friends Group formed and they take the form of two types. A standard Friends group will have varying involvement in the management of their park and hold meetings as they require. Parks Officers will attend as necessary and when possible.

Groups can apply to achieve ‘Official Friends Group’ status. These groups then have an agreement with the Parks Service to meet certain criteria, e.g. carry out public consultation, carry out projects/activities in the park, have a youth representative on the committee, hold at least one event during the year, have regular minuted meetings and adopt a constitution. In return these groups are guaranteed officer attendance at their meetings, admin support, e.g. printing, laminating, and the payment of their Public Liability Insurance . These groups can also apply for a £1000 grant towards a capital project within their Park.

Harrow Lodge Park does not currently have a Friends Group however efforts have been made since 2015 to establish one. Several public meetings were held and the existing user groups (listed below) in addition to all other park users were invited. Although many individuals and groups expressed an interest and had their own opinions on certain areas of the park and particular projects, it was not possible for a group to form who wanted to have more direct involvement.

Although there is not a friends group for the park there are several user groups who contribute to the management of the park.

Harrow Lodge Conservation Group

Harrow Lodge Conservation Group have been actively involved in the park since 2002. They concentrate on the lake, river and surrounding areas. A core group attend the park on a daily basis to walk their dogs, litter pick and monitor the health of the wildfowl. They also arrange a monthly work party to carry out tasks such as clearing debris from the lake, river and silt trap.

The group also liaise with the Swan Sanctuary and the local vets with injured wildfowl.

Harrow Lodge Conservation Group helping to clear the silt trap by the lake

Elm Park Bowls Club

The club take an active management in their green and surrounding area. All maintenance is carried out by the club although they do employ a groundsman to carry out all horticultural works.

Feedback on the standards of the green and any other issues are managed through regular contact with the Parks Development Officer, formal green inspections and bi-annual meetings with the Council chaired by the Lead Member for Parks and Open Spaces.

The club’s membership is made of predominately local people and they have an active social schedule at the club in addition to bowls.

Hornchurch Cricket Club

The club maintain their main pitch at Harrow Lodge Park and also where their 3rd and 4th teams play at Fielders Sports Ground, a short distance away.

They hold regular events in the park including charity matches and fun days. In July 2016 they hosted an exhibition of cricket to promote the club and cricket in the park. To do this they played the world famous Lashings XI featuring stars such as Devon Malcolm, Chris Lewis, Kirk Edwards and Tino Best, commentated on by Henry Blofeld. Approximately 300 general public attended this event in addition to the 280 people who were in the marquee for the after match dinner.

Spectators outside the cricket pavilion

Hornchurch Cricket Club Lashings event

Parkrun Harrow Lodge

As part of Parkrun UK this group now organise a 5k run in the park every Saturday and a 2k junior run on Sundays. On average 100 people attend the 5k and 45 on the 2k. The biggest attendance for a run was 153 people. It is free to join and runners are encouraged to meet after the event and use other facilities in the park such as the café. An example of their website can be found in Appendix 15.

The Parkrun Co-ordinator liaises with the Parks Development Officer on a regular basis in regard to the management of the park, e.g. potential improvements and maintenance issues. One successful project was the installation of the route marker posts that was instigated as part of this process.

Runners in action by the Warren Drive entrance

Parkrun fun-runners

Havering Volunteer Centre (Secret Garden)

In recent years the Secret Garden has been maintained by volunteers. A group of retired gardeners were integral is establishing a good infrastructure for the gardens. As well as providing new plants and raising the standards of maintenance, they secured external funding to provide a storage container, furniture, and improved pathways and fencing. In 2010 they retired from the garden. The Sure Trust then took over carrying out the maintenance of the garden until 2015. Today the garden is maintained volunteers provided by the Havering Volunteer Centre. Network Rail has also helped out by providing staff who volunteered on a working party in 2016 to help tidy the gardens.

Volunteers working at the Secret Garden

Sanders Drapers School

Over the last 2 years the school have sent students to park to carry out conservation works as part of their SMSC (social, moral, spiritual and cultural) days. This has been very successful and the school have asked to carry on this work in future years.

Albany School

The school that are on the boundary of the park hold their annual cross country run is held in the park. They arrange for the students to help litter pick the route beforehand.

Havering MIND

MIND provide advice and support anyone experiencing a mental health problems. They provide services, raise awareness and promote understanding.

In 2016 they held the ‘Bark in the Park’ charity dog walk, ‘Paws in the Park’ Charity Dog Show and The Big Blue Run.

Havering MIND ‘Bark in the Park’ event

They help out with some maintenance tasks in the Secret Garden and allow the other volunteers to use their welfare facilities in the house.

Ward councillors

Harrow Lodge Park falls within 3 wards with most of the park in Hylands and smaller areas in St Andrews and Elm Park. Each has three councillors elected to that ward. These are;

Hylands Ward

Cllr Jody Ganly Cllr Garry Pain Cllr Carol Smith

St Andrews Ward

Cllr John Mylod Cllr Reg Whitney Cllr John Wood

Elm Park Ward Lead Member for Parks

Cllr Barry Mugglestone Cllr Stephanie Nunn Cllr Julie Wilkes Cllr Melvin Wallace

The Councillors are a good link between the public and the Council officers and the Parks Service tries to foster a good relationship between staff and the local ward Councillors and keeps them informed of information in regard to its Parks as needed. Councillor involvement, especially the Lead Member for Parks, was instrumental in ensuring the improvement plan for Harrow Lodge Park was agreed and capital investment secured. They are very supportive of the Green Flag Award and proud to have several parks in the borough that are flying the flag. It was an aspiration of the Council to secure additional Green Flags and bring more parks to a high standard by 2018. Harrow Lodge Park will be entered for the first time in 2017.

Harrow Lodge Park Management Plan Update 2018/19

Pupils from Sanders School carried out one of their work days at Harrow Lodge Park in March. During their time they carried assisted in cutting back and clearing paths in a woodland area and helped in installing a small plank bridge on a popular ditch crossing.

Park run on site have gone from strength to strength with their largest amount of runners so far on New years day at 269 runners and 24 volunteers. The Sunday morning Junior Park run is also going stong with their biggest number so far in Sept with 79 runners and 18 volunteers and they even had 30 chidren out on Christmas Day and 18 volunteers. Additional route markers for the Park run route are also being installed this year by the park Rangers. There is continual laision with the Harrow Lodge Park conservation group and new equipement has been purchesed for the group top use.

In 2018 the Communications team commissioned Ipsos MORI to carry out a residents survey which covered all services. The results were very favourable for Parks. The service received the highest satisfaction rating out of all Council services at 91% (see table below).

(Other high rated services not shown on this graph are Primary Schools – 85%, Street Lighting – 85% and Refuse – 88%)

Parks were also rated as the Council’s 3rd most important service

These results are currently being analysed and the very positive outcomes will be factored into the marketing plan for 2019 that is being led by Communications.

Planning Sports & Leisure facilities Cultural facilities (e.g. theatres and arts centres) Environmental Health (e.g. Pest Control, Food… Housing Library services Care and Support for people with mental health… Parks and Open Spaces Refuse Collection - domestic waste and recycling Care and Support for Older and Disabled people

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 Weighted ranking 1 = most important to 5 = least important

There are a range of methods of promoting the park to the public. Some of these are in conjunction with Havering Council’s corporate communications team and other are Parks Service dedicated.

The Parks Section has produced a booklet “A Guide to Havering’s Parks and Open Spaces”, covering all council run parks in the borough. This booklet includes a description of each site, a list of facilities available at each park as well as a section on park services.

These are distributed through libraries, council receptions, appropriate events and activities. The brochure can also be found on line at https://www.havering.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/3497/havering_parks_brochure.pdf

The guide was first published in 2005 and was updated and republished in 2013. An example can be found in Appendix 16.

The Park service has a dedicated Facebook page and uses this to advertise events, activities and items of interest within the Parks. See appendix 15 for an example of a page This can be found at the link https://www.facebook.com/LBH.Parks/?notif_t=page_fan&notif_id=1478507226590276

The Council also had a Twitter account and the public can communicate regarding parks issues using this form of media.

The Parks Service has a page on the Havering Council website. From this page you bring up a list and descriptions of Parks in Havering and details on the facilities and services provided, e.g. play areas, outdoor gyms, Parks Protection Service, memorial bench and tree donations, and event applications. See appendix 16 for an example of a page. This can be found at the link https://www.havering.gov.uk/info/20037/parks

New boards were installed in 2016 providing information and photos of the conservation areas, lake and woodland. It is important to explain to park users how these areas are managed as this both informative and educational. Many people need to know why areas of long grass are important for the biodiversity of the park, and why wildfowl should be fed with the correct food

Example of interpretation boards

The Parks Service receives a number of enquiries about holding events in Parks and has developed a process for this. There is an application form (both on line or paper copy) and guide available. There is also an event plan document that can be used for those that are new to the process. Non council events are subject to a charge depending on the organisation and type of activity. Events of a hazardous or unusual nature or those expecting a turnout of over 200 people are also subject to authorisation from the Safety Advisory Group which is made up of representatives from the Council and emergency services. See Appendix 17 for an example of the event application form.

Harrow Lodge Park is a key site for events in the borough due to the size of the central field, good access, car parking facilities and transport infrastructure. The site has a Premise Licence which allows several large events per year. It has been the venue for the borough’s Town Show since the 1980’s which on its own promotes the park to both borough residents and visitors.

Havering Show in 2016

Other large scale events that regularly take place in the park are funfairs, circuses and fireworks displays. These are organised externally and approved by the Parks department with the income received being paid into the parks budget.

Funfair and firework display poster

Other events in 2016 included charity dog walks, fun-runs, archery tournaments and a charity cricket match.

Havering MIND ‘Paws in the Park’ event