Date:
16/11/16
Report of:
Community Services – Active Communities
Title of Report:
The Locking of Florence Park – Consultation Results
Summary and Recommendations
Purpose of report: To present the results from the consultation to consider
the value of the daily unlocking and locking regime of Florence Park in Cowley
Report Approved by:
Policy Framework:
Florence Park Management Plan 2013-2017
Oxford City Council’s vision for Florence Park is: “To work with the community
to create a world class, vibrant and safe city park that promotes biodiversity,
health and learning, and is accessible to all.”
Corporate Plan 2016-2020
A vibrant and Sustainable Economy
Strong and Active Communities
A Clean and Green Oxford
Recommendation(s):
Ideally a trial period of not locking the park is required to collect a true
evidence based evaluation report, rather than basing conclusions on
perceived risks.
However due to the weight of opinion to keep the park locked, and the
perceived risks, this may not be acceptable.
Therefore the park should remain locked and alternative options to cover the
service should be pursued such as a local volunteer scheme.
Background.
Florence Park is the only park owned by Oxford City Council which is locked
at dusk and unlocked by 8am. A consultation to obtain the views of local
people and stakeholders was carried out on whether the park should remain
locked, open or open on a trial basis, because:
• There is a difference of opinion amongst local residents
• Cost implications with locking the park
• Lone working and conflict when clearing the park
Methodology
Consultation was from 14 June to 30 September 2016, with 222 responses.
Results
• 99% of respondents were park users, visiting 2-3 times a week.
• 25% of respondents said they would use the park more often if there
was unrestricted access, 69% said they would not.
• 64% wanted to keep the park locked at night
• 30% wanted a trial
• 6% wanted to see it left unlocked
• Respondents top three reasons to keep the park locked:
1. People drinking taking drugs (30)
2. Security risks to property/gardens (28)
3. Drug dealing / needles and sharps (23)
• Respondents top three reasons to keep the park unlocked:
1. Limits park as a cut through for commuters (4)
2. Locals use a hole in the fence anyway! (3)
3. No evidence of problems in other OCC parks (3)
• A number of respondents supported a local volunteer scheme.
“I support the proposal at a recent community meeting to recruit
a local person (paid or volunteer) to open early in the morning
(earlier than now) to allow dog walkers more access.”
• The view of Thames Valley Police Cowley Neighbourhood Team is that
the park should remain locked.
, Oxford Cowley
Neighbourhood Supervisor replied that
“The park being open at night in the view of the Police will affect the
local community. The park’s crime attractors and generators would
elevate the perceived neighbourhood crime and incivilities, and thereby
increase the local community’s fear of crime.”
• A recent APSE enquiry asked members if there had been any effect
when they stopped locking parks. The results varied from location to
location as the example from York shows:
“Two years ago the City of York Council moved from locking 5 sites to
only 1. On 2 sites there was no noticeable increase in anti-social
behaviour, a third has persistent low levels of ASB. The forth site had
enough levels of ASB, that the community decided to lock it
themselves.”
• Friends of Florence held an open meeting on 16 August attended by
approximately 25 local residents and Ward Councillors. The general
view of the group was that the park should remain locked at night.
Other factors to take into account
Park toilets and litter bins
The toilets are locked/unlocked by the same member of staff that
locks/unlocks the park. The litter bins are also emptied at this time. If this
member of staff was no-longer available an alternative solution and resources
would be required. For example: Hinksey and Bury Knowle Park’s toilets are
locked/unlocked and cleaned by Street Scene, Direct Services, as they are
located on a street frontage. In Cutteslowe Park the toilets are opened by staff
already in the park and are locked by San Remo’s kiosk staff.
The evidence from other city council owned parks
South Park, Cutteslowe, Bury Knowle and John Allen Parks all have
properties with gardens backing on to them and none of these sites are
locked. There is a small amount of anti-social behaviour in the parks, but few
complaints from residents.
Legal issues
It is not a legal obligation to lock the park.
Financial implications
The main cost is locking the park in the evenings, and opening and locking at
weekends, as at other times it is covered by the on-site gardener. This cost is
in the region of £11,221 for salary payments. This does not take into account
the cost of a vehicle/fuel or holiday/sick cover.
Parks Direct Services receives £5,000 from Councillors to contribute towards
the cost. However, this was a number of years ago, since then Parks have
had to make considerable savings so this may well have been lost in the
bigger budget now.
The City Council currently has a funding bid in with the LTA for £132k to
improve the surface of the tennis courts and provide floodlighting (which has
planning approval) to allow the courts to be used later in the evening during
the darker months. If the nightly locking regime continues at dusk a separate
access just for the tennis courts would need to be created, which is
achievable but would cost circa £20k.
Conclusions
Whilst it remains the view of Officers that a trail period of leaving the park
open should take place, the overwhelming view of local residents and TVP is
that it should stay locked. Therefore based on these results the park should
stay locked, until a time when it is acceptable to have a trial.
It would be worth pursuing the proposal for a volunteer group to open the park
in the mornings and at the weekends to help reduce the on-going cost of the
locking regime.
Name and contact details of author:
|
| Community Services | Oxford City Council | 01865 252
Document Outline