Last updated: October 2021
The Leeds Parks and Green Space Strategy is a park protection, improvement, and creation program in Leeds under their Cultural Strategy. Main priorities are set out to achieve a vision where good quality and accessible parks and green spaces are at the heart of the community and meet the needs of everyone who lives, works, visits or invests in Leeds, now and for the future (Ref 5). The Parks and Green Space Strategy looks at the contribution made to priorities nationally and locally, and how it fits within the Leeds Cultural Strategy to develop parks and green spaces (Ref 3). Consultation is being undertaken to develop a vision for the future of Leeds City Council owned and managed public parks and green spaces beyond 2020, and a strategy for how to deliver that vision over the next 10 years. The new strategy will replace the previous strategy which runs to 2020 (Ref 9).
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Overview
Nature-based solution
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Green playgrounds and school grounds
- Institutional green space
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
- Green corridors and green belts
- Community gardens and allotments
- Allotments
- Nature in buildings (indoor)
- Atriums/Courtyards
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Regulation of built environment
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social interaction
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Maintenance and management of urban nature, Transformation of previously derelict areas, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Improved governance of green or blue areas, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity
Project objectives
The goals of the project include:
-to engage the community in promoting parks and green spaces as accessible places for everyone to experience and enjoy;
-provide good quality parks and green spaces that are well managed and provide a range of attractive facilities;
-promote parks and green spaces as places to improve health and well-being and prevent disease through physical activity, play;
-promote liveability and the economic benefits of quality parks and green space provision as an integral part of major regeneration projects;
-and engage partners in supporting and delivering the Parks and Green Space Strategy." (Ref 1)
Implementation activities
Protecting and upgrading existing parks and establishing new ones around the concept of engaging the community in and through these parks (Ref 1) So the urban parks renaissance not only aims to reverse the results of long-term vandalism but prevent any further problems with increased security by adding special lighting, park wardens and CCTV – in troublespots. Cash will be spent on everything from landscaping, seating, fencing and signposting to new leisure facilities to attract people of all ages to parks. Cash will also be spent resurfacing footpaths and car parks, revamping playgrounds and creating vibrant new borders.(Ref 2)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Create or improve outdoor spaces to help people escape from urban heat
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase green urban nature for carbon storage (wetlands, tree cover)
- Implement sustainable forest management measures to increase carbon sinks/ improve carbon storage
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
- Create new habitats
- Preserve and strengthen habitat connectivity
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect native species
- Undertake specific measures to protect endangered species
- Undertake specific measures to protect valued species
Biodiversity restoration:
- Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
- Restore valued species
- Restore ecological connectivity
- Other
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: Elderly people, Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed), People with functional diversities
- Young people and children
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Taskforce groups
- Dissemination of information and education
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
- Citizen oversight (e.g. boards, advisory)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The UK National Planning Policy Framework stipulates in Paragraphs 69 to 78 of Chapter 8 the importance of promoting healthy communities. (Ref 8) Under this, the Leeds City Council (LCC) and the Leeds public have planned this project to bring parks to the city with the local government LCC with the task of implementing and monitoring the success of the plan and its tangible benefits to the community through the Green Flag Standard management scheme. (Ref 2, 3)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(NPPF Documentation, chapter 8 paragraphs 69 to 78 stipulates the need for cities to provide and promote healthy communities (Ref 8))
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(implemented under Leeds Cultural Strategy (Ref 2) )
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Other
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
- Increased green space area
Economic impacts
- Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved liveability
- Improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved physical health
- Improved mental health
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
(1) Leeds City Council. (2011). Open Space, Sport and Recreation Development: Leeds Local Development Framework, Chapter 4 Parks and Gardens. 365 pp. Available at: Source link (Accessed 8 October 2020)
(2) [Leeds City Council]. (2008). Parks and Green Space Strategy: Draft Executive Summary. 5 pp. Available at: Source link (Accessed 8 October 2020).
(3) Leeds City Council. (n.d.) A Parks and Green Space Strategy for Leeds. Available at: Source link (Website not available in 2020, please see reference 9 for updated information)
(4) Leeds City Council. (2009). Report of the Director of City Development. 10 pp. Available at: Source link (Accessed 8 October 2020).
(5) West Leeds Country Park and Green Gateways Management Plan. (n.d.) Strategic Context - Stakeholders, Strategies, Policies and Plans. Website. Available at: Source link (Website not available in 2020, please see Reference 10 for updated information).
(6) McPhee, R. (2006). "Parks are on the up". Yorkshire Evening Post. Available at: Source link. (Website not available in 2020)
(7) UK Government. (2012). National Planning Policy Framework. Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. Available at: Source link (Accessed 8 October 2020).
(8) UK Government. (2019). UK NPPF Chapter 8 Promoting healthy and safe communities: Paragraphs 91 to 101. Available at: Source link (Accessed 8 October 2020).
2020 Revision Updated References:
(9) Leeds City Council Website. (2020). Towards a Leeds parks and green spaces strategy 2020-2030 consultation. Available at: Source link (Accessed 8 October 2020).
(10) Leeds City Council Website. (2020). Country Parks and Green Gateways. Available at: Source link (Accessed 8 October 2020).
(2) [Leeds City Council]. (2008). Parks and Green Space Strategy: Draft Executive Summary. 5 pp. Available at: Source link (Accessed 8 October 2020).
(3) Leeds City Council. (n.d.) A Parks and Green Space Strategy for Leeds. Available at: Source link (Website not available in 2020, please see reference 9 for updated information)
(4) Leeds City Council. (2009). Report of the Director of City Development. 10 pp. Available at: Source link (Accessed 8 October 2020).
(5) West Leeds Country Park and Green Gateways Management Plan. (n.d.) Strategic Context - Stakeholders, Strategies, Policies and Plans. Website. Available at: Source link (Website not available in 2020, please see Reference 10 for updated information).
(6) McPhee, R. (2006). "Parks are on the up". Yorkshire Evening Post. Available at: Source link. (Website not available in 2020)
(7) UK Government. (2012). National Planning Policy Framework. Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. Available at: Source link (Accessed 8 October 2020).
(8) UK Government. (2019). UK NPPF Chapter 8 Promoting healthy and safe communities: Paragraphs 91 to 101. Available at: Source link (Accessed 8 October 2020).
2020 Revision Updated References:
(9) Leeds City Council Website. (2020). Towards a Leeds parks and green spaces strategy 2020-2030 consultation. Available at: Source link (Accessed 8 October 2020).
(10) Leeds City Council Website. (2020). Country Parks and Green Gateways. Available at: Source link (Accessed 8 October 2020).
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