www.haringeyfriendsofparks.org.uk
5th March 2020
SAVE HARINGEY’S PARKS AND GREEN SPACES
2,550 Haringey residents call on the Council to ensure local parks and green spaces are properly funded and staffed
Haringey’s Friends of Parks groups served a ‘Save Our Parks’ petition on Haringey Council today. [See full text below]. The petition says that Haringey’s parks – essential facilities much-loved and much-needed by all sections of our communities – ‘are suffering from a serious lack of funding, staffing and maintenance’. The petition is expected to trigger a debate at the next full Council meeting on March 16th.
The Friends Forum, the umbrella network for the borough’s 45 local Friends groups of park users, is the Council’s main partner in the management of the borough’s public green spaces. However, over the last decade, since 50% cuts to budgets and staffing in 2011, the quality of such spaces around the borough has seriously declined despite the efforts of existing staff and park users involved with Friends Groups. The 2500+ local petitioners are now calling for previous staffing levels to be restored so all the main parks can have dedicated park keepers once again, and for all spaces to be managed to a good standard that residents rightly expect. The petition also opposes ‘inappropriate commercial activities’ which are detrimental.
The petition contains 2,765 signatories, 2,552 of these being signatories from Haringey postcodes. An additional 600 people signed on paper. It should trigger a major discussion at the next Full Council meeting on March 16th, following a presentation by a deputation from the Friends of Parks Forum.
Dave, Clare, Klaus, Ceri, Joan and Phil – Haringey Friends of Parks Forum working group
‘ The Forum appreciates that local public services of all kinds have been undermined by savage funding cuts by central Government throughout the last 10 years. But the Forum also recognises that green spaces are unique free facilities which fulfil a range of essential services and needs for everyone. If they are not managed properly the health and well-being of all residents suffers. The Council has got to take action to ensure adequate investment and restore falling standards.’
– Dave Morris, Chair of Haringey Friends of Parks Forum
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PETITION FULL TEXT
Save Haringey’s Parks and Green Spaces
Haringey’s parks are crucial spaces for all local communities. They need to be properly run, but are suffering from a serious lack of funding, staffing and maintenance.
We are calling on the Council to ensure
– safe, attractive, well-managed, well-maintained and well-protected public green spaces for all
– dedicated staffing for each significant park, and a well-staffed parks service
– no inappropriate commercial activities which have a detrimental impact or exclude residents from using their local parks
Why is this important?
All Haringey residents – of all ages and interests – benefit from access to public green spaces for their local community and neighbourhood. But they must be well-run and in good condition in order to provide the many benefits all residents deserve. The parks staff do their best but don’t have the numbers or resources to manage properly.
Petition: https://bit.ly/2QQdMpk
Tw: @FoHaringeyParks #saveharingeyparks
http://www.haringeyfriendsofparks.org.uk
