Green+spaces+-+The+Friends+of+Parks+Forum+-+Forum+Minutes+-+1st+September+2007


 * Haringey Friends of Parks Forum** //the network for all the borough's local Friends groups for parks, nature sites, recreation grounds, community gardens and other green open spaces...//


 * __Report of HFoPF meeting, September 1st 2007 at Bruce Castle__**


 * Present:** Joan Curtis //[took minutes]// (Friends of Lordship Rec), Ceri Williams //[chaired]// (Friends of Chestnuts), Dave Morris (Friends of Lordhsip/Chestnuts), Sally Billot (Friends of Finsbury Park), Ros Abrams (CREOS), Michael Cordwell James and Catherine Stenzl (Friends of Woodside Park, and Pond Park), Joyce Rosser (Friends of Priory Common), David Macdonald (Friends of Downhills Park), Ulla Lefmann (Burleigh Road RA / Ducketts Common), Lucy Roots (Friends of Queens Wood), Kate Frenzmann (Friends of Finsbury Gardens), Jim Burgess (Friends of Parkland Walk). Paul Ely and Don Lawson (LBH Parks Dept) and Ashley Grey (Project Futures) - attended from 11am.


 * Apologies:** Jane Hutchinson and Monica Gort (Friends of Alexandra Park), Adrian and Elma Skrebowski (Stationers Park Friends), Matt McCabe (Friends of Belmont Rec), Quentin Given and Graham Pearce (Friends of Paddock), Seamus Carey (Down Lane Park).

- In section 10 The second paragraph should read //‘Haringey Association of Voluntary and Community Organisations (HAVCO) have set up a new organisation ‘Community Link’ for local voluntary / community groups’// - In Finsbury park report back it was mistakenly reported that the Friends of Finsbury Park run the old toilet block that has been converted into gallery and meeting room. - It is Priory Park and not Stationers Park that will have a virtual tour on the website
 * 1. Minutes of last meeting**


 * 2. Matters arising from minutes**
 * a. //Reps names//** It was discussed and agreed that names could be left in the Forum's minutes that go on the council website.


 * b. //Sustainable Haringey//** This new network and movement has taken off backed by dozens of local organisations, including the Parks Forum. There are a number of working groups, including one for those interested in sustainable green spaces. Details on:  The next organising meeting will be on October 14th at Railway Fields and there will be a public meeting on October 6th at Broadwater Farm.


 * c. //Staffing in parks//** Friends of Lordship Rec representatives reported that the inclusion of 2 permanent workers in Lordship Rec had made a huge difference to the park and had been commented on favourably by park users. Following the discussions we have been having with the Parks Dept there will now be a formal review conducted by councillors, to include wider public consultation. //Suggested action:// Since there is the threat of another £14m cuts ('efficiency savings') throughout all the Council's services, it is a matter of urgency that we make our feelings known about the importance of staffing in sustaining Haringey parks. We should prepare a press release on staffing in parks with a focus on the situation in Lordship Rec as an example.


 * d. //Standards for open space provision//** Joyce Rosser reported on the meeting where consultants hired by Haringey Council did a presentation on the method for working out open space deficiency so that developers contributions (financial and physical) can be assessed. A statement from the Haringey Federation of Residents Associations / Haringey Friends of Parks Forum was distributed calling for minimum standards for the amount and quality of provision of parks, play facilities, nature conservation etc. Council officers felt that some recognised minimum standards were not relevant to an urban environment. People present insisted on minimum standards, and anyway felt that the index proposed was much too complicated - and residents' reps and planning officers felt that this would allow developers to run rings around the system. There was general opposition to the position of the consultants.


 * e. //Better Places Partnership [BPP] - community involvement reorganisation//** Catherine requested that she step down as the Parks Forum representative as she did not feel that she could do it justice. It is essential that we are involved in the BPP as more and more of the council funds relevant to green spaces and neighbourhoods are coming under its control. Haringey Community Link has been set up by HAVCO for voluntary and community groups. We need to make sure that Community Link is open, run by community groups and effective in fighting for improvements needed in the borough. We noted that:

//a) Co-option:// thanks to lobbying by the Forum and the Haringey Federation of Residents associations, it has been agreed that specialist groups like HFoPF should be able to be co-opted onto the BPP board so that the interests of green space and parks is represented by people who have an in-depth knowledge of them and not be represented only by whichever community or voluntary group is elected onto the board.

//b) Groups without constitutions:// in order to not exclude community groups it has been agreed that groups can demonstrate they exist and function effectively by showing they have aims and principles, mission statements etc, along with basic elements like contact names and addresses

We will have to press hard to be co-opted as there is no guarantee that it will happen. HAVCO is mostly involved with voluntary organisations who have paid workers. If there are too few representatives from local community and action groups then there will be a deficiency of knowledge on local and specific interests, especially grass roots feelings. If only 3 elected organisations will be on the board then they may not have experience or knowledge of all aspects of the borough.

Hence we need someone willing to replace Catherine.

opposed the large music events in the park but this year the Mean Fiddler have done less despite the fact that they are allowed to hold 5 events a year.
 * __3. PARKS REPORTS__**
 * Finsbury Park:** The Friends are thriving after 21 years of existence. The Heritage Lottery Funding for the group is at an end. Have run art sessions in the art hut and drumming sessions. This year's Fin Fest community festival in the park celebrated the life of one of the founders of the Friends, who died this year. The friends have always


 * Queens Wood:** Started in 1989 and formally constituted in 1999. The Friends have around 200 members. Held a woodland art funday in the the summer with around 200 participants joining in art activities, music and storytelling. Hoping to carry out a bird survey if funding can be arranged. Organised a talk for October 10th on ecology of Highgate and Queens Wood (in collaboration with Highgate wood Friends). BTCV put in wooden bollards along the road edge to stop rubbish dumping. This has cost more than expected and will need some financial support from Council. Want to do a drainage survey because of flooding problems. Asked for 'Making a Difference' grant but were not successful. The draining survey is important to flag up any potential problems if anything is to be done to the old paddling pool area. There is still the ongoing problem of irratic rubbish collection. There have been 2 antisocial incidents in the wood reported to the parks constabulary - they have not interviewd witnesses and there has been no feedback on what could be criminal activity.

//LBH Response:// 1. DL suggested that the friends put in for a small grant for £400 to pay for the overspend on works carried out. 2. DL will follow up on the feedback from the Constabulary on investigations done re any criminal activity in the woods. 3. Need to get a costing for Drainage survey to see if it can be afforded.


 * Finsbury Gardens (new group, off Bounds Green Rd):** The area is partly children's playground and partly Edwardian railings around gardens. It is used by local people to cut through to the station. The play ground had been neglected and the football area was well used by teenagers. The play area has now been revamped and the target age group has changed. The friends were successful in lobbying for older childrens facilities. The railings and gates rattle badly. There has been a problem with dogs biting and there needs to be some notices. Locking of the playground being looked into. The Friends feel that the area could be really lovely if there was more maintenance of both railings and trees that are overshadowing the gardens. It is felt that it could be part of a green walk all the way to Hampstead.

//LBH Response:// Happy to hear of new Friends group starting. Agree to set up regular meetings with Tony Healy (Parks dept) to make sure things get discussed and the momentum for change is kept going.

parkland walk. There has been much consultation and on-site visits. There was an exhibition in Hornsey Town Hall with the latest proposed plans for the path but the Friends want to see these plans circulated more widely. Have sent letters to 9 councillors but as yet have had no replies.
 * Parkland Walk:** The Friends group covers the whole length of the parkland walk from Finsbury Park to Highgate. The original Friends group was very effective but went dormant for a while. Now it has re-emerged around the current Transport for London proposals to develop a 'greenway' recreational cycle/walking route through the


 * Lordship Rec:** The Friends of Lordship started in 2001 at a time when the Rec was poorly managed by the Council. It was in a very bad state of repair and hardly used by local people. There was no plan and no permanent staff despite it being the largest public green space in Tottenham. The situation has been gradually turned around with the Friends as the driving force. A Users Forum was set up to involve all stakeholders (including the Friends and the parks dept, the Broadwater Farm Community Centre, local residents associations etc), and to develop a comprehensive improvements strategy. The Friends hold regular open meetings every month in the park (as they have for the last 5 years) and the Users Forum meets 8 - 10 times a year. A new Lordship Rec Dog Club has recently been set up. Lordship Rec has benefited from the TfL 'Greenway' cycling/walking scheme and a large section of path has been refurbished. The Friends have managed a 2-yr project to restore the lake area and extend wildlife habitat which has been a great success with local people. Funding has just been received from Breathing Spaces to do a conservation project in a patch of woodland.

The vision for improvements in the Rec has been refined and developed into a £4 milliion bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund which is to go in at end of September. The Friends have spearheaded the planning and organisation of a huge community festival on Sept 8th (to promote the bid and the park generally), and are making a video to support this bid. The Big Lottery Fund has given Haringey parks a grant for new play equipment and Lordship Rec playground will be benefiting from this. The greatest recent success for the Friends is the placement of 2 permanent dedicated parks gardeners in the Rec who’ve made a huge difference to the look and feel of the Rec.


 * Woodside Park:** The Friends started in 1999 and are still going strong. There is a solid core of people and others who turn up for events and activities. A yearly Jazz picnic has been organised and local kids who have attended these over the years have now started their own band. Will be organising a voluntary park work day in October. The Friends have put in for 'Making a Difference' grants for benches, and have designed and dug borders. But they feel disillusioned with the lack of maintenance by the parks dept. The new benches put in were not varnished and are now rotting and there is a need for money to keep the infrastructure like paths, fencing etc in a better state. Young saplings that have been planted have been left to die due to lack of care. The Friends do not feel supported by the council despite all their work and feel reluctuant to carry on with further plans without some reassurance. It is easy to lose local support when things seem to be uncared for. The council could make more positive use of community garden groups.

The funding that was set aside last year for Woodside Park has been cut back, some to go to other parks and some to cover “compensatory savings” or cuts. The Friends wish to know if everyone had 20 per cent of their funding cut at the last minute. If cuts need to be made then can they be made in administration rather than in stopping positive work in parks?

//LBH Response:// As with Finsbury Gardens, Woodside Park Friends should also be having regular meetings and walkabouts with Tony Healey so that problems pertaining to Woodside can be discussed in an ongoing way with the Parks Dept rather than have to be discussed at the Friends Forum meetings.


 * White Hart Lane Rec / Pond Park:** After over 2 years of discussions, meetings, lobbying and negotiations, LBH Childrens Services now have dropped their plan to appropriate a strip of park land into their playcentre boundary. Work on the path from the park into the new playcentre playground was supposed to have been started. People running the Childrens Centre are happy to have public access to the playground but only when supervised. The agreement needs to be drafted carefully to make sure public access is sustained.

//LBH Response:// There is ongoing dialogue with the LBH property and contracts section - acknowledge that play equipment is not of a standard for wider community use and are discussing ways of rectifying this.


 * Crouch End Open Space (CREOS):** The group has been going for twenty years. The space is made up of meadows surrounded by cricket and tennis club. There are a lot of planning issues ongoing with the cricket club which could affect the nature of the open space. The group have created a wild flower garden and butterfly area and have workdays every 3 weeks. There are problems with graffitti, barbecues and rubbish dumping.


 * Friends of Priory Common + Hornsey Gardens:** The Friends have been going for about 3 years and grew out of the local residents association. Have put in for 'Making a Difference' grant for notice board and will be starting a new group, the __Friends of Hornsey Gardens__ for a nearby space that needs ongoing care and attention. It was seen as important to empahsise the name 'Hornsey'. There has been £200,000 of landscaping to Hornsey Gardens from Section 106 'planning gain' funding. The official opening will be in late september. The new Friends will also take responsibility for Hornsey Green.


 * Downhills Park:** The Friends started in 1999. Friends have worked with BTCV over the years to plant lots of trees in the park. Have held a very successful Art in the Park' community art day every year for 7 years and also a large festival to celebrate the park's centenary. Recently, Making a Difference money has been received to pay for natural screening on the unsightly metal fence between the park and adjacent Park View Academy School, and also to put in some steps up a slope used by park users as a quick cut through to the main path. An application has been made to the Tree Trust for lime trees. A 'green flag' has been granted for the second year in a row. TFL will be upgrading 2 paths as part of the 'greenway' scheme. The Council have put in a bid to the Big Lottery to pay for the replacement of the condemned and demolished bowling pavillion - the aim is to establish a community cafe and public space to be managed by a Community Interest Company (including the Friends). The Friends and local residents associations are also lobbying to bring back into public use an empty ex-wardens hut by the park gates. Friends have a good relationship with Michael Loughnane, the parks manager, and hold regular walkabouts to discuss projects.


 * Ducketts Common:** Ulla from a nearby residents association, and other concerned residents, will be meeting BTCV about starting a new Friends group for the Common. Are concerned that the new flower beds are not well maintained and also that the large plane trees need pruning.

//LBH Response:// Will look into the problem of trees covering street lighting. Trees in parks are pruned for health and safety reasons. DL to find out when the street trees are due to be pruned again (should be once every 3 years).


 * Chestnuts Park:** The Friends started in 2000. Organised a series of major community festivals. Have pushed for a planned and co-ordinated regeneration of the run down park, and chair the Chestnuts Park Strategic Forum to oversee this. It is working well, and substantial funding has been amassed from a number of sources. Work about to start on phase one of management plan (to improve play equipment, sports facilities, green areas and the cafe area). The park's paths will also benefit from the TFL 'greenway' scheme. Members lobbied for and won a new path and entrance from Cornwall Road into the park from the development of a factory sold for housing. Discussions will be ongoing on phase 2 of the management plan, especially about the future of a semi-derelict building which needs removing from the centre of the park. It is currently used by Children's Services and a new home will be needed for the playgroup. The NHS, based in St Ann's Hospital site opposite, is doing healthy walks in the park, which could be better advertised. The Friends have put a lot of effort into the Management Plan and Strategic Forum and feel they need to get back to basics regarding more events and communication with users.


 * Heartlands Project:** There will be an exhibition and public consultation about the proposed huge Haringey Heartlands development - plans to be shown in the Central Library 6-9th Sept. There are a range of concerns from local residents associations, and there's a need to push for more public open and green space in the plans.


 * Weir Hall Road Green Space:** It was suggested that this disused public green space be brought back into use.

//LBH Response:// this is a controversial space and discussions are ongoing. No more to report but local school actively hiring it for football coaching.


 * Down Lane Park:** //LBH Reported// - LBH had a meeting with new Friends group who are quite active now. Are developing a plan for the future of the site, and hoping to access some Tottenham Hale Section 106 planning gain funding to help with this.


 * The Paddock:** //LBH Reported// - DL said that he had been in touch with Friends of Paddock regarding a management plan. Could also benefit from some future planning gain funding.


 * Markfield Park:** //LBH Reported// - Plans for a major regeneration of the park with Lottery Funding are well advanced. PE said that there has been a quote for removing the temporary all-weather football pitch (put in after the adjacent school was gutted by fire) now that the school is functioning again. It will be removed as soon as practicable (including the re-siting of current users), but within the 3 year deadline set by the Planning Cttee.


 * Russell Park:** New Friends group now well established. It has been agreed to rename the park from 'Noel Park' to 'its original name of 'Russell Park'.


 * 4. Events in Parks** PE circulated a paper which was a statement on where discussions had reached so far. Definition of what are 'small events' and what are 'other' needs to be tightened up. It was agreed that we need a more detailed summary to discuss at our next meeting which should be circulated in good time. Agreed to circulate it via email and ask for comments. //Action:// LBH to provide.


 * 5. 'Parkforce' Staffing Review** There's been a year of discussions and consultation between the parks dept and the Friends Forum on the 'Parkforce' policy of dawn to dusk staffing in significant parks, the need for it and how it might be able to be implemented. Most recently we had conducted our own survey of Friends groups and sent the results to the Council. We had expected a report to have been produced. However, it was reported that there will now be a formal Review managed by a lead Councillor, and a 'project initiation document' is to be produced outlining a vision and actions need to be taken. Council are looking at budgets in the light of need for budget cuts for next year and the Parkforce review is part of this forward planning. The Review is over this winter, but decisions made throughout the process become more firm as the process goes on. Therefore we felt it important to keep lobbying for more and more effective staffing in parks by attending Councillors' surgeries, writing to the press etc.


 * 6. Development of Friends Groups in Haringey** Recognising the importance of Friends groups to the future of our parks and to the work of the parks department, PE has engaged Ashley Grey as a consultant to undertake a report which will look at how the relationship between Council and Friends groups can be developed over the next 10 years. She will also investigate how Friends groups could grow stronger, and be better supported by the Council. Ashley lives by Bruce Castle Park and is the former Head of Parks who encouraged and supported the development of Friends groups a few years ago. She recognised that most key improvements to our parks and green spaces have been driven by Friends and that if parks are not improved despite all the hard work from local people through Friends groups then people could give up heart.

A discussion document and action plan for support of Friends was proposed to be produced by end of the month and Ashley hoped to get feedback ready for the November meeting of the Forum. Council could start up a support package effective by January 2008. However, the discussion of the proposed Questionnaire for Friends groups threw up some misgivings about some of the language and questions, although it was seen as an opportunity for reflection and self evaluation. There was some confusion about the connection between some of the questions and the aim of the Questionnaire. Some of the financial and organisational questions could be viewed with suspicion by some groups, which are highly active but fairly informal associations. Ashley reassured the Forum that she would be working for the benefit of the Friends and the Forum.

There followed a detailed discussion. Friends groups vary greatly in what they do, how they are organised and what resources they have to operate with in terms of both funds and membership. Reps present felt it was better not to rush this important process and take more time to get the Questionnaire right. Friends groups collectively are a very large group in terms of membership and contacts. Friends are a very effective community force and it would be very good to compile all the relevant information together to give a clear and insightful view of what the Friends movement is.

It is crucial to understand the importance of independence for friends groups. Most Friends do not aspire to voluntary group status with paid employees, and guard against being 'professionalised'. The success of Friends groups has very much been their open and accessible nature, and their many informal ways of interacting with other park users. A Questionnaire can only get basic information and the statistics collected need to be seen in relation to what they mean in reality and practice.

//Action:// Ashley to draft a better covering letter to give a clearer context for the questions in the questionnaire. To be emailed out and discussed at the next Forum.


 * 7. Director of Adult, Culture and Community Services:** Mun Thong Phung (Phung), Director of Adult Culture and Community Department, had asked to attend the meeting but had to apologise for not being able to. It was agreed that we would welcome him to attend a future meeting. It was agreed that the January meeting would be better as we will have a lot to discuss at the next meeting with the Friends development questionnaire and Parkforce Review.


 * 8. NEXT MEETING:** Bruce Castle Museum, Lordship Lane, N17 on __Saturday November 3rd__: 10am - 1pm. Please try to send a representative to these meetings as it is always encouraging to hear about the activities of other parks groups. We are central in supporting the demand for greater resources for parks and open spaces in Haringey and are seen as an important partner by the Council.