Last updated: October 2021
Hillyfields Community Park is situated in the Ward of Gillingham North in Medway (ref. 1). It is an open space with some remnant orchard. This space was in an area with high social deprivation and unemployment and was improved between 2005 and 2009 to include natural play elements, better accessibility, host community projects and recreational facilities, and be a safer space (Ref 1, 3).
Play park in the Hillyfields Community Park
http://www.paulodiasap.com/docs/jbp/plano%20de%20gestão%20de%20Hillyfields%20Community%20Park.pdf
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Green playgrounds and school grounds
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
- Community gardens and allotments
- Horticulture
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social cohesion
- Social interaction
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
Focus
Maintenance and management of urban nature
Project objectives
The regeneration plan aimed to:
- Provide a welcoming place for the local community for recreation - Maintain the Park in a healthy and safe condition - Ensure good maintenance of grounds and facilities - Manage the Park in a sustainable manner - Conserve Park features such as the Orchard and Views - Consult and involve the community on decisions at Hillyfields Community Park - Provide information to the wider community about Hillyfields to encourage its use - Regularly review the implementation of the Management Plan of Hillyfields
(ref. 1)
Implementation activities
1. Design new entrances to stop motored vehicles 2. Improve (wheelchair) access with new paths 3. Connect the old orchard and the rest of the park by opening up the orchard for community events, 4. Provide seating and tables, 5. Create a natural play area, 6. Install CCTV to overlook the play area (Ref 3)
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
Biodiversity restoration:
- Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: Elderly people
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Citizens or community group
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Hillyfield Community Park is owned by Medway Council (local government), but the intervention was enabled by the Friends of Hillyfield community group (Ref 1, 2).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(The national Sustainable Communities: Building for the future includes a national commitment to improve the quality of public spaces and local environments and materialises in the "Living Places - Cleaner, Safer, Greener" programme (Ref 4). One part of this is the Liveability fund that this projects is supported by. )
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
€500,000 - €2,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public national budget
- Public local authority budget
- Private Foundation/Trust
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Environmental quality
- Improved waste management
- Improved soil quality
- Green space and habitat
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Increased number of species present
- Restoration of derelict areas
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved social cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1: Medway Council. (2009). Hillyfields community park 5 year management and maintenance plan 2009-2014. Available at: Source link (Accessed 13 August 2020)
2: Friends of Hillyfields. (n.d.). Park Info. Available at: Source link (Accessed 13 August 2020)
3: Kent Orchards. (n.d.). Hillyfields. Available at: Source link (Accessed 13 August 2020)
4: Medway Council. (n.d.). Hillyfields Community Park. Available at: Source link (Accessed 13 August 2020)
5: Explore Kent. (n.d.) Hillyfields Community Park. Available at: Source link (Accessed 13 August 2020)
6: Just add a picnic. (n.d.) Hilly Fields Community Park. Available at: Source link (Accessed 13 August 2020)
2: Friends of Hillyfields. (n.d.). Park Info. Available at: Source link (Accessed 13 August 2020)
3: Kent Orchards. (n.d.). Hillyfields. Available at: Source link (Accessed 13 August 2020)
4: Medway Council. (n.d.). Hillyfields Community Park. Available at: Source link (Accessed 13 August 2020)
5: Explore Kent. (n.d.) Hillyfields Community Park. Available at: Source link (Accessed 13 August 2020)
6: Just add a picnic. (n.d.) Hilly Fields Community Park. Available at: Source link (Accessed 13 August 2020)