TO:
EXECUTIVE
MEMBER FOR CULTURE, DELIVERY AND PUBLIC
PROTECTION
October 2021
Parks and Open Spaces Quality
Improvement at LILY HILL PARK
Director of
Place,
Planning and Regeneration
1.
PURPOSE
OF REPORT
1.1 To seek approval for the
allocation of S106 funding (£13,500) to support improvements
to interpretation provision at Lily Hill Park in Bullbrook.
1.2 To confirm which financial
contributions secured from developers under Section 106 of the Town
and Country Planning Act 1990 will be applied to the project (see
Annex 1).
1.3
If approved, the S106 monies will be
used to create 23 spires that contain information about key site
features and will help to educate visitors about the park’s
important history and wildlife value.
2
RECOMMENDATION(S)
2.1 That
£13,500 of S106 contributions (as summarised in
Annex 1) are allocated to fund
improvements to open space and recreation at Lily Hill
Park.
3
REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION(S)
3.1
Developer contributions are
collected through S106 agreements to support “providing,
expanding or improving open space, and/or outdoor recreational
facilities (which may include the acquisition and/or improvement of
land and/or buildings and/or carrying out or assisting in the
carrying out of nature/landscaping conservation projects) within 3
kilometres of the Site.”
3.2 The justification for
requiring developers to supporting the improvement of open space
and outdoor recreational facilities is given in
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF):
‘8. Promoting healthy and safe communities
98. Access to a network of high quality open spaces and
opportunities for sport and physical activity is important for the
health and well-being of communities, and can deliver wider
benefits for nature and support efforts to address climate
change…’
3.3
The improvements deliver key
objectives in
The Council Plan 2019-2023:
·
continue to provide easy access to the natural
environment
·
protect our highly valued green spaces and strategic green
gaps
3.4 The borough council has
adopted a
Parks and Open Spaces Strategy (2012) and the improvements at
The Chestnuts are in accordance with delivering the following two
priorities:
1. Monitor and assess
quality standards across parks and open spaces. Manage sites to a
high standard; carry out improvement works to sustain and improve
quality in line with the Bracknell Forest Council ‘Plus One
Principle’ and relevant national guidance.
6. Enhance the natural
qualities of parks and open spaces. Protect and enhance
biodiversity.
Positively manage trees
and woodlands, to include new planting to provide for future
generations.
3.5
Lily Hill Park is a good example of how Victorians emulated the
great English landscape park tradition of the 18th century.
Historic England explain the importance of our historic environment
in their report
Heritage Counts 2014: THE VALUE AND IMPACT OF HERITAGE:
‘The majority of
people in England visit heritage sites and believe that they are
important to local communities. The historic environment is valued
for its contribution to our knowledge and sense of identity, and
because it helps to make places feel
‘special.’’
4
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED
4.1 The current interpretation,
which consist of wooden spires with inlaid text, are in a poor
state of repair. In some cases they are missing altogether. Not
replacing them with improved versions that contain more text and
pictures, would be a missed opportunity to educate the public about
Lily Hill Park’s wonderful site features.
4.2 Not carrying out these
enhancements could lead to a failure to meet the objectives in The
Council Plan and Parks and Open Spaces Strategy. It would also be a
missed opportunity to preserve an important heritage feature that
could bring value to the local community.
4.3
Not using the s106 development monies could result in a failure to
mitigate the impact of development and be a missed opportunity for
‘providing, expanding or improving open space, and/or
outdoor recreational facilities.’
4.4
It could lead to funds being returned to the developers if no other
qualifying scheme was located through which to deliver enhancements
in the time available.
4.5
The wide range of S106 open space and recreation contributions
available in the borough have been assessed to eliminate those
lying outside the distance constraints of the developments as set
out in the respective s106 agreements.
4.6
Lily Hill Park is managed as part of the Bullbrook Countryside
Corridor Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG). This
provides an alternative place for recreation away from the Thames
Basin Heaths Special Protection Area. There is insufficient funding
available from SANG contributions to complete these comprehensive
works to the level they are required, which is why S106 funding is
the only viable option.
5
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
5.1
Further information about
Lily Hill Park can be found on the council’s website.
5.2
The 23 spires located around the
site are not fit for purpose. They are cracked in places, rotting
away and in some cases are missing altogether.
5.3
The spires contain basic
information, essentially naming key site features. There’s
scope to expand on this to educate the public about the important
history and wildlife of Lily Hill Park by giving more detailed
information about each feature. Further information can be found in
Annex 4.
5.4
The spires will contain photos,
which are more engaging and accessible than just text alone. They
will be made fully accessible by including text in braille for
visually impaired park users.
5.5 The spires will also
include tactile brass rubbings to create an interactive trail for
children around the park.
5.6 The new interpretation, which
will be made accessible for all to view, will increase
people’s enjoyment of the site. Encouraging use is beneficial
to the local community in many ways including promoting community
cohesion and well-being.
5.7 S106 funding is secured in
accordance with adopted planning policy. Of significance is
Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) (2015)
(ref. section 5.11 Open Space of Public Value and the ‘Plus
One’ Principle whereby works are prioritised towards
improving quality of existing open spaces over time.
5.8 In addition to being
secured to fund quality improvements, there is a requirement that
developer contributions are allocated to open spaces capable of
serving the development from which the contribution was paid.
This means that available funding needs to be allocated to a site
within close proximity of the contributing development. The
contributions to be allocated are set out in Annex 1.
6
ADVICE RECEIVED FROM STATUTORY AND OTHER OFFICERS
Borough Solicitor
6.1 The allocation of funding
proposed in this report complies with the requirements of the s106
agreements.
The approval of the
recommendation in the report falls within the decision making remit
of officers in consultation with the Executive member pursuant to
the Bracknell Forest Council Constitution March 2021 Part 2,
section 6 paragraph 6.2 (a)( vi).
Director: Resources
6.2
The financial implications are set out in the report.
Equalities Impact Assessment
6.3 An EIA scoping assessment
has been carried out for this project and included in Annex 3. There are no negative impacts
resulting from the proposed project.
Strategic Risk Management Issues
6.4 S106 contributions will
need to be refunded should they not be allocated in accordance with
the respective legal agreement. The project is designed in
such that a way that there are no significant increases to
maintenance costs and site management can still be accommodated
within existing revenue budgets.
Assistant Director: Planning
6.5
The proposed improvement to Lily Hill Park is in compliance with
the terms of the relevant S106 agreements. This will help to
improve the quality and capacity of outdoor leisure in the area,
thereby mitigating the impact of the relevant development in this
regard.
7
CONSULTATION
Principal Groups Consulted
7.1 Residents.
Representations
Received
7.2 Three consultees of the Park User Survey
provided feedback that they’d like to see more information
about wildlife in the park.
Residents have also been consulted more widely on their three
favourite things about living in the borough, and the support
they’d need to recover from the pandemic. Parks and
countryside feature were listed as one of the three favourite
things about living in the borough, and residents feel they are far
more likely to need access to green spaces and walking, cycling
opportunities.
See Annex 5 for findings from
the Coronavirus phone survey of Bracknell Forest residents - July
2020.
Background Papers:
ANNEX 1: S106 Allocation details and site
map
ANNEX 2: Application form
ANNEX 3: EIA Scoping assessment for
project
ANNEX 4: Details of improvements
ANNEX 5: Coronavirus phone survey - July
2020
Contact for further
information
Kath Moss
Email:
heritageparks@bracknell-forest.gov.uk
Tel: 01344 354441
Revision V1
13.10.2021
ANNEX
2: Parks and Countryside Service Application Form
|
Section
|
Criteria
|
Project 7
|
|
1: Contact Details
|
Name
|
Kath
Moss
|
|
|
Contact
|
Kath
Moss
Kath.Moss@bracknell-forest.gov.uk
T:01344
351874
|
|
2: Organisation Information
|
Name of organisation
|
Bracknell
Forest Council
|
|
|
Department/service area/section
|
Parks and
Countryside Service
|
|
|
Lead officer
|
Stephen
Chown
|
|
|
Lead member
|
Cllr John
Harrison
|
|
|
Lead director
|
Andrew
Hunter
|
|
|
Decision maker
|
Cllr John
Harrison
|
|
|
Date of decision
|
28
October 2021
Issue details - Release of s106
funding for improvements at Lily Hill Park | Bracknell Forest
Council (bracknell-forest.gov.uk)
|
|
|
Financial impact
|
The
project is designed in such that a way that there are no
significant increases to maintenance costs and site management can
still be accommodated within existing revenue budgets.
|
|
|
Consultation carried out?
|
Yes
|
|
|
Consultation details
|
Park users
consulted via a survey, which is available to access on BFCs
consultation portal and is signposted from BFC web pages and
various comms issued.
At least three
visitors have requested to see more information about wildlife e.g.
birds.
|
|
|
Equalities scoping report completed and provided
with the application?
|
Yes –
see Annex 3
|
|
2: Project Description
|
Type of project
|
Blue and Green
Infrastructure - Active Open Space of Public Value (Active
OSPV)
|
|
|
Project Address
|
Lily Hill Park,
Bullbrook, Bracknell RG12 2RX
|
|
|
Accompanying map
|
Yes –
see Annex 1 and Annex
4
|
|
|
Parish
|
Bracknell
|
|
|
Ward
|
Bullbrook
|
|
|
POSS reference number
|
83
|
|
|
Brief description of scheme
|
Provision of
new educational interpretation panels
|
|
|
Policy / Strategy Objectives Being
Delivered
|
·
The Parks and Open Spaces
Strategy
·
The POSS Study
·
Council Plan – protecting and
enhancing our environment
|
|
|
Total estimated cost of scheme
|
£13,500
|
|
|
Estimated amount of s106 funding
required
|
£13,500
|
|
|
Existing funding
|
Yes
|
|
|
Timeline
|
Contractor
lined up to do the work as of September 2021.
Any long delays
to the project could risk a rise in product costs.
|
|
|
Details of previous improvement
projects
|
New boardwalk
and wildlife education panel, which were funded by s106 development
monies.
(ITEM )
(bracknell-forest.gov.uk)
|
|
|
Additional information
|
The 23 spires
dotted around the site are not fit for purpose.
They are
cracked in places, rotting away and in some cases are missing
altogether.
They provide
very basic information about key site features, and there’s
scope to expand on this to educate the public about the important
history and wildlife of Lily Hill Park.
Funding is not
possible via SANGs or council capital funding, so S106 is the best
option to take these works forward, particularly as there are
development monies for open space/rec improvements nearby (within
500 metres).
Three
quotations already received from contractors. Work to begin
immediately, as soon as confirmation has been received that the
funding has been approved.
|
|
|
Project finished?
|
No.
|
Lead Contact: Kath
Moss
Position (Officer /
Member): Heritage Parks
Manager
Date:
21 September 2021
ANNEX
3: Equality Impact Assessment Scoping
Initial Equalities Screening Record
Form
|
Date of Screening:
22.09.2021
|
Directorate:
Place, Planning and
Regeneration
|
Section: Bracknell Forest
Council Parks and Countryside Service
|
|
1. Activity to be
assessed
|
Quality improvements to outdoor facilities at
Lily Hill Park
|
|
2. What is the
activity?
|
Policy/strategy
Function/procedure
Project
Review
Service
Organisational
change
|
|
3. Is it a new or
existing activity?
|
New
|
|
4. Officer responsible
for the screening
|
Kath Moss
|
|
5. Who are the members of
the screening team?
|
Kath Moss and Rose
Wicks
|
|
6. What is the purpose of
the activity?
|
The aim is to upgrade outdoor
recreation facilities at Lily Hill Park using s106 developer
contributions, in accordance with Planning Obligations SPD (section
5.11) and the BFC Parks and Open Spaces Strategy 2012.
A key part of this is to replace/upgrade the 23 interpretation
spires, which will educate people about key site features.
New interpretation, which will be made accessible for all to view,
and will increase people’s enjoyment of the site.
Encouraging use is beneficial to the local community in many ways
including promoting community cohesion and well-being.
|
|
7. Who is the activity
designed to benefit/target?
|
The improvements will benefit all users of the site.
|
|
Protected
Characteristics
|
Please tick
yes or no
|
Is there an impact?
What kind of equality impact
may there be? Is the impact positive or adverse or is there a
potential for both?
If the impact is neutral,
please give a reason.
|
What evidence do you have to
support this?
E.g. equality monitoring data,
consultation results, customer satisfaction information
etc
Please add a narrative to
justify your claims around impacts and describe the analysis and
interpretation of evidence to support your conclusion as this will
inform members decision making, include consultation
results/satisfaction information/equality monitoring
data
|
|
8. Disability
Equality – this can include physical, mental health, learning
or sensory disabilities including conditions such as dementia.
|
Y
ü
|
N
|
Lack of
accessible pre-visit and on-site information is a major
barrier to disabled people.
Information can be
provided in a variety of formats such as audio, video, pictorial
symbols such as Widgits for people with learning difficulties,
large print, Braille, tactile materials, guides, and websites.
|
How to make greenspaces more inclusive and accessible
(sensorytrust.org.uk)
How to use braille for accessible information
(sensorytrust.org.uk)
Designing with Plain language (sensorytrust.org.uk)
|
|
9. Racial
equality
|
Y
ü
|
N
|
The interpretation will be in
plain English. Whilst this isn’t everyone’s first
language, it would be impracticable to provide alternative language
formats in such a small panel and it would also detract from the
information we’re trying to communicate. Images are to be
included in the interpretation which will be more
accessible.
|
See above.
|
|
10. Gender equality
|
Y
|
N
ü
|
|
|
|
11. Sexual orientation
equality
|
Y
|
N
ü
|
|
|
|
12. Gender
re-assignment
|
Y
|
N
ü
|
|
|
|
13. Age equality
|
Y
|
N
ü
|
|
|
|
14. Religion and belief
equality
|
Y
|
N
ü
|
|
|
|
15. Pregnancy and maternity
equality
|
Y
|
N
ü
|
|
|
|
16. Marriage and civil
partnership equality
|
Y
|
N
ü
|
|
|
|
17. Please give details of
any other potential impacts on any other group (e.g. those on lower
incomes/carers/ex-offenders, armed forces communities) and on
promoting good community relations.
|
The park, and these new
educational features would be free to access, which would be an
important resource for those on lower incomes.
|
|
18. If an
adverse/negative impact has been identified can it be justified on
grounds of promoting equality of opportunity for one group or for
any other reason?
|
N/A
|
|
19. If there is any
difference in the impact of the activity when considered for each
of the equality groups listed in 8 – 14 above; how
significant is the difference in terms of its nature and the number
of people likely to be affected?
|
N/A
|
|
20. Could the impact
constitute unlawful discrimination in relation to any of the
Equality Duties?
|
Y
|
N
ü
|
|
|
21. What further
information or data is required to better understand the impact?
Where and how can that information be obtained?
|
N/A
|
|
22. On the basis of
sections 7 – 17 above is a full impact assessment
required?
|
Y
|
N
ü
|
|
|
23. If a full impact
assessment is not required; what actions will you take to reduce or
remove any potential differential/adverse impact, to further
promote equality of opportunity through this activity or to obtain
further information or data? Please complete the action plan in full,
adding more rows as needed.
|
|
Action
|
Timescale
|
Person Responsible
|
Milestone/Success
Criteria
|
|
To add braille to the new
interpretation spires.
|
Sept/Oct 2021
|
Kath Moss
|
Spires are made accessible to
the blind and partially sighted.
|
|
Plain language will be used to
make the interpretation more accessible.
|
Sept/Oct 2021
|
Rose Wicks
|
Spires are made more accessible
and there’s better engagement from site users.
|
|
24. Which service,
business or work plan will these actions be included in?
|
Parks and Open Spaces Strategy - S106 quality improvement
programme, based on the Plus 1 Principle.
Bullbrook Countryside Corridor Open Space Management Plan.
|
|
25. Please list the current
actions undertaken to advance equality or examples of good practice
identified as part of the screening?
|
When carrying out site quality improvements,
the following actions are undertaken to ensure that any new /
improved site features are made accessible to all park users:
Follow guidance from the Sensory Trust:
·
Advice
and guidance – Sensory Trust Guides
·
Developing inclusive communication - Sensory Trust
Provide appropriate specifications to
contractors, which include the need to adhere to equalities best
practice guidelines.
|
|
26. Director’s
signature.
|
Signature:
Date:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
When complete please send to
abby.thomas@bracknell-forest.gov.uk
for publication on the
Council’s website.
ANNEX
4: Details of
improvements
We are
replacing all of our ‘spires’ (there are 23 in total),
with larger versions that have more information about each. The
spires will be located at each of the points of interest shown on
the map below.
The pic below (left) shows one of them along the
historic driveway. You can see that it shows limited information
and it’s damaged and tired looking, which can be said for
many of these in the park.
The image to the right shows wooden monoliths at Bill
Hill in Bracknell, with an interpretation panel attached. We
envisage that the new ones may look something along these lines.
The interpretation panels will be made of aluminium so
they’re weatherproof, durable and have an anti-graffiti
coating. They will be A4 in size. They need to be large enough to
include a paragraph or two of text describing the feature, along
with a suitable image. The template for each sign will probably
stay the same, but it will require different text and images for
each. Rose will provide all of the text/graphics to the
interpretation company.
In July 2020 we asked 1,800 residents about
their experiences during the coronavirus pandemic through a phone
survey.
All responses were confidential and the
results are now being used to help us plan for the borough's
recovery from coronavirus over the next 3 years.
The survey was carried out by independent
company Public Perspectives. It included a range of questions on
the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on residents, their family
and the local community. Residents were asked to list their
favourite 3 things about living in the borough. The main things
residents enjoy are:
·
the borough’s parks and
countryside
·
council run sports and leisure facilities
·
highways
As part of this survey, residents
provided views about accessing healthcare and the support they need
to recover from the experience of the pandemic. Around six-in-ten
residents spent more time in nature, visiting open spaces since
lockdown began on 23 March and about half of residents tried a new
form of exercise or exercised more, while smoking and drinking
levels remained about the same.
Of the residents surveyed, 67% agreed that
they are more likely to walk or cycle and 62% agreed they are more
likely to use local parks and open spaces.
