Parks, leisure and the arts Summary of our Update on Parks report

"A parklife city where all residents have access to green spaces in which they feel safe to exercise and socialise".

Part of the new vision for Manchester up to 2025 - "Our Manchester"

The full report highlights the challenges ahead, our proposed vision, and the priorities for transforming our approach and raising standards for parks over the next five-to-ten years. We'll adapt this 'strategy' in line with public consultation.

It looks at how parks and green spaces could further improve life for Manchester's communities, even as we develop new, non-traditional ways to fund and run them based on the strengths and resources of the public, businesses and volunteers in a neighbourhood. Connecting parks more closely to communities is the way to keep them cared-for and improving over the next 10 years, it says. It asks: should the Council's role change as local action strengthens. 

It also looks at alternative funding including 'park improvement districts', endowment funds and living legacies as well as radical ways of involving more people like council tax rebates and community cash-back schemes for communities managing their own local green spaces.

What should our strategy for parks contain?

We'll consult widely on these plans to develop our strategy. We'll focus on shaping a vision, principles, themes and objectives in line with the views of park users, community groups, Friends groups and others who can help make our plans happen. We'll also learn from the strong relationships that some parks already have. We'll build these strengths into a solid foundation for great parks and green spaces. 

As well as getting these basics right we must find investment for the fabric of these spaces to attract high quality partners as well as private sector investment. 

The report suggests our parks strategy could contain four specific aspects of park supply, management and maintenance:

  • the resources in parks, and how they're distributed across the city
  • a vision and four 'themes' to use in park management and provision in coming years
  • how parks can be funded and resourced
  • how to manage and maintain parks

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