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Parks and Open Spaces
Beacon Council 2002-2003
Improving Urban Green Spaces
Our achievements (actions and outcomes)
We have undertaken a range of initiatives to improve urban green spaces. These have mainly developed from our joined-up Strategies and our site-specific management plans.
The DTLR's Advisory Panel on Beacon Councils said "Bexley showed an impressive range of actions which revealed a planned approach to creating a variety of new spaces. The efforts to ensure that local parks are well known, accessible and used by all groups of the community are excellent."
"Bexley have an impressive range of outcomes. They have a wide range of different types of green spaces and hold four green flag awards. Each major park is deliberately different in character giving a wide diversity of provision. Bexley have developed a new park from a landfill site to a sufficiently-high standard to submit for Green Flag status."
Below are some of the most interesting initiatives we have undertaken and some our achievements:
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We turned a former landfill site into a Green Flag standard open space with a mixture of innovative design approaches and community involvement. The East Wickham Open Space project was built around a symbiotic relationship allowing the local community to co-manage the site.
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Lesnes Abbey, a Scheduled Ancient Monument, has been safeguarded by a close working relationship with English Heritage. We have a joint 5 year management plan and joint annual inspections. The adjacent Site of Special Scientific Interest is managed with a Site Management Statement devised in partnership with English Nature, which aims to protect the site and maximise its educational potential. The Management Plan has led to the regeneration of heathland, a habitat rare within Greater London.
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The Parks Strategy and UDP led to a disused allotment site being identified as a prime site for the creation of new 9,000 tree 'Millennium Woodland'.
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Two 'Flora for Fauna' new gardens have been designed and constructed embracing the philosophy of Agenda 21, using plants of local origin. The first garden was planted at Hall Place on the basis of Jill Duchess of Hamiltons' and the Council's successful display at the Chelsea Flower Show. This dynamic approach to garden design embraces the concept of using local native species as an educational resource. It is an important addition to the existing series of model display gardens at Hall Place. Its success led to a second garden at Lesnes Abbey.
Three new local nature reserves have been created for Danson Park, Lesnes Abbey and Foots Cray Meadows
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A production nursery at Hall Place has been converted into a top-quality horticultural education and visitors centre. It is used to promote good practice in growing vegetables (model allotment garden), recycling, simple garden design meeting the needs of residential gardening and landscape design.· We are the holders of four Green Flag Park Awards, the highest number held concurrently by any local authority. The sites are Hall Place, Danson Park, Lesnes Abbey and East Wickham Open Space. We have also had continued success over a number of years in the London in Bloom competition and will represent the London region in the National 2002 Britain in Bloom Competition.· Annual participation in the National Spring Clean week has developed into a major community initiative attracting nearly eighty volunteers this year for litter picking throughout the Borough's parks and open spaces and highway verges.
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A positive and pro-active policy on dealing with graffiti both in the community and parks and open space with encouragement for local community groups, such as residents' associations and neighbourhood watch schemes, to play their role in dealing with graffiti has made a real difference.
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![[Flora for Fauna garden]](images/beacon7.jpg){kind=tracking}