our shared vision hinkler green park at the heart of a ......2.1.1 all activities undertaken by the...

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Produced by the City Services Division and key Hinkler Green Stakeholders

Updated January 2015

Our shared vision

Hinkler Green Park at the heart of a regenerated Thornhill – a valued, well used and loved green space providing a broad range of high quality family based activities for all the local community and the

wider neighbourhood

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Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... 3

Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 6

1. A Welcoming Place .......................................................................................................... 10

2. Healthy, Safe and Secure ................................................................................................. 11

3. Clean and Well Maintained ............................................................................................... 12

4. Sustainability .................................................................................................................... 14

5. Conservation and Heritage ............................................................................................... 16

6. Community Involvement ................................................................................................... 17

7. Marketing .......................................................................................................................... 21

8. Management .................................................................................................................... 22

9. Actions and Recommendations ........................................................................................ 26

Appendix 1 – Staff Structure .................................................................................................... 31

Appendix 2 – Sample Risk Assessment .................................................................................. 33

Appendix 3 – Key Stakeholders ............................................................................................... 38

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Executive Summary

Exciting developments at Hinkler Green Park During 2014 several improvements and additions to Hinkler Green Park have been welcomed by local people:

Creation and opening of community garden

Invasive plants removed from Youth Zone wild area

Successful launch of educational footway stencils to reduce dog fouling

Stabilising of children’s play area surface

Finishing touches to large artboards at either end of the skatepark

Painting of kick-around goal posts

As the Park is at the heart of an area of deprivation these improvements are particularly significant as part of the regeneration of Thornhill. The energetic Friends Group have been busy meeting, planning, prioritising and steering the improvements programme. 2015 is already buzzing with improvement projects including re-landscaping of the Tranquil Zone topography, wild flower planting in both the Youth Zone and Tranquil Zone, wild area interpretation boards, further dog fouling and litter education, and further Boston Ivy planting to cover the unsightly walk-up block courtyard walls

Exciting developments at

Hinkler Green Park

Updated Management

Plan with exciting

action plan produced

Enthusiastic Friends Group

achieving great things

Churches Peaceful Garden

outstanding success

Youth Zone even better

Community Garden launch

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Community Garden initiative The park has grown! The Friends Group saw an opportunity to develop a community garden adjacent to the main park area. They partnered with First Wessex housing association and Groundwork South to transform an overgrown shrub bed into a thriving community garden. Local residents are learning how to ‘grow their own’ and excellent, fresh fruit and veg is being served up in many more Thornhill homes as a result. Enthusiastic Friends Group achieving great things Community involvement is a high priority and has resulted in a faithful group of friends running for almost 10 years. The Friends of Hinkler Green Park are a properly constituted group led by four very keen officers who are still meeting regularly, steadily improving the park and securing external funding. Updated Management Plan with exciting action plan produced Discussions between the Friends and Stakeholders have enabled a revised management plan to be produced listing the priorities for development towards 2020. Based on this, a series of projects have been initiated to achieve higher levels of excellence. Youth Zone even better Young people (and active older ones!) swarm to the park particularly in good weather. To encourage ever more healthy activity, infant swings have been installed, trees planted to provide shade and shelter, and the children’s play area surface is being improved. Zero tolerance of graffiti on the skate park jumps and artboards is leading to Hinkler Skatepark being the best kept, least graffitied and least vandalised skatepark in Southampton.

The committee meeting at The Hinkler Pub

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The Peaceful Garden The local churches group ‘Christians in Community’ were the first to take ownership of an area of the Green and make a long term commitment to maintain their Peaceful Garden. Despite some major vandalism, the group has persevered with ongoing planting and tidying sessions to established a well used and very appreciated forerunner to the larger Tranquil Zone which has been developed below it.

Families enjoy the Youth Zone facilities

The completed Peaceful Garden

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Vision

Introduction

This management plan has been produced in consultation with key stakeholder groups to provide a framework to guide the development of Hinkler Green Park to ensure that it continues to improve and fulfil its role in meeting the social and recreational requirements of both residents and visitors. The management plan sets out the general principles that should be applied over the next three years and includes an action plan for specific developments and improvements. The management plan is a ‘live’ document in that the development of the park is guided by the plan but not limited by it. Staff working in the park and the various key stakeholders (Friends Group, young people and Thornhill Plus You) have contributed to the document and will have copies to refer to during the year. This chapter gives an overall introduction to Hinkler Green Park including the history, features and characteristics. This is followed by the management strategy, detailing aims and objectives. The third chapter contains recommendations and actions to be applied to the park in the short and longer term. The future running of Hinkler Green Park will be based upon the Management Plan, City Council Policy, and Legal Requirements as well as being based upon the views and requirements of residents, voluntary groups and local interest groups.

Thornhill residents and partner organisations are working together to achieve the vision of:

“Hinkler Green Park at the heart of a regenerated

Thornhill - a valued, well used and loved green space providing a broad range of high quality family based activities for all the local community and the wider

neighbourhood.”

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Aims Hinkler Green Park has a distinctive local character serving a range of functions for local people. The recognition and enhancement of this character is as essential to the development of the park as the maintenance of the individual components that make up the Park. There are four broad aims for the management, in partnership, of Hinkler Green Park identified in accordance with the City of Southampton Strategy, the Green Space Strategy and other key city plans;

Establish and enhance the distinctive qualities of Hinkler Green Park

Provide a service that continues to meet user needs, both locally and strategically through the objectives of the City Council

Interpret and promote the park to ensure the benefits it offers are maximised

Ensure the park is accessible to the whole community. Specific Objectives for 2015/16 The following key objectives have been derived from the strong partnership between the Friends of Hinkler Green and Southampton City Council

Involve volunteers and businesses in community to complete improvements initiated but

not completed during the past few years

Increase community involvement in the park by developing new inclusion projects and

supporting Hinkler Festival

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Hinkler Green In 2008

Hinkler Green In 2013

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1. A Welcoming Place

1.1 Description of Hinkler Green 1.1.1. Hinkler Green Park is situated at the extreme eastern edge of Southampton at the

centre of Thornhill, an area of deprivation comprising mainly council estates with some private housing and retail precincts. The northern boundary of the Green is a walkway with houses and walk-up blocks beyond and the other edges are bounded by the loop of Hinkler Road (the main route through the estates) and Ellwood Avenue. The 3.4 hectare Park comprises a central youth zone, a level sports pitch, walkways and tree and shrub areas. The topography includes some slopes downwards to the valley culvert along the Northern edge and upward to the walk-up blocks to the East with two landscaped mounds skirting the youth zone. The walkways follow the direction of ‘greenways’ linking Thornhill Park to Dumbleton’s Copse (north-south) and Kanes Hill to Weston Common (east-west). The Green is easily accessed from all sides by foot and cyclists can use the walkways. A main bus route passes along Hinkler Road which also provides car parking spaces. Maintenance is provided by the Thornhill Tidy Team based at the nearby Eastpoint Centre.

1.1.2. For the purpose of the management plan and for ease of description the Park has been divided into the following areas:- Youth Zone

1.1.3. This occupies the central third of the Park and comprises a play area to the south, a

multi-use games area (MUGA) to the north and a skate park sandwiched between the two. Benches, youth shelters and lighting are dotted around this zone and the north-south walkway skirts its western edge. These facilities were developed in liaison with local youngsters and residents and all are very well used with organised activities and general use being extended into the evening by timed floodlights. The play area has been recently upgraded and is very popular with parents and young children. Tranquil Zone

1.1.4. This occupies the eastern part of the Park and has been used as a league standard

soccer pitch in the past. It has been totally transformed during 2010 from an underused and abused ‘grass desert’ into a landscaped nature conservation area with a circular fitness and leisure pathway. The planting of wildflower swathes and a variety of new trees and shrubs will add to the colour and wildlife value of this zone.

Heritage Zone

1.1.5. The area near the Hinkler Pub and skirted by the well-used Hinkler Road is the main

access to the park, is near to Hinkler Parade (retail area) and is most open to passers by and surrounding flats and houses. It is also the favoured area for the successful and popular Thornhill Festival. This area is therefore being developed into a heritage zone which most reflects the Bert Hinkler connections and hosts community events. Included in the plans are a major welcoming feature, a propeller shaped mosaic and compass, propeller seats and the now complete and much praised Bert Hinkler Mural.

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Walkways and Peripheral Tree, Shrub and Slope Areas

1.1.6. There are two main walkways. One skirts the northern edge of the Park and provides an

east-west link through the estates whilst the second dissects the Park north-south skirting the youth zone. Trees, shrubs and steeply sloped areas are found mostly around the periphery of the Park. Many of the shrub areas have been improved to encourage wildlife and add colour and variety whilst additional trees enhance biodiversity and wildflower swathes cover some of the slopes.

About Plus You Ltd

1.1.7. Plus You Ltd is legacy organisation continuing the good work of the New Deal for Communities regeneration of this area of Southampton. The 10 year programme with government funding of around £50 million began in 2001 and has delivered many improvements to the area of Thornhill. Hinkler Green Park is the main green open space within Thornhill and has, rightly, been seen as vital to improving the overall environment of the area. Hinkler Green Park has been key to achieving programme outcomes such as improved health and well-being, improved facilities for young people and increased community involvement. Thornhill is one of the most deprived areas of Southampton and has been identified as a ‘priority neighbourhood’; these are the areas of greatest deprivation. The council is committed to targeting action and focusing resources to raise aspirations and improve the quality of life in the priority neighbourhoods.

2. Healthy, Safe and Secure

2.1 Healthy and Safe 2.1.1 All activities undertaken by the City Council at Hinkler Green Park are subject to risk

assessment. The Parks and Street Cleansing team has over 300 risk assessments in place covering the range of the teams work. The Friends of Hinkler Green Park carry out risk assessments before undertaking any work. Example risk assessments can be made available to the judges on their site visit.

2.1.2 The play area, MUGA and skate park are regularly inspected to ensure that equipment

is safe and that the immediate area is suitably clean. Any faults are soon reported to the city play area maintenance team. Neighbourhood Services Division is currently undertaking an appraisal of “mobile working” procedures, with a view to improve our working practices and make them more efficient. We are now using ‘total mobile’ technology to enable us to carry out inspections and record the results without having to return to the office. .

2.1.3 Damage or maintenance issues regarding bins, seats and signs are reported during the

regular checks of the park by the on site staff. Any health and safety issues are dealt with immediately and other repairs are undertaken by staff or contractors as needed.

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2.1.4 In addition to on site park staff, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) carry out patrols within the park to improve the perception of safety and provide a visible presence to deter anti-social behaviour.

2.1.5 The Southampton City Council dog control orders came into power in July 2011. There

are three orders that affect Hinkler Green two are blanket orders across the whole city (placing your dog on a lead when directed by an authorised Officer and failure to remove dog fouling) the third is an exclusion of dogs from the fenced play areas in the park.

2.1.6 As part of the budget setting for 2014/15 there was a proposal to delete the City Patrol

Officers in Southampton. This has stopped all enforcement within our green spaces, particularly with dog fouling and fly-tipping. As a Division we are currently looking at how we educate, in the first instance, and then enforce, as a last resort, a range of issues. We are looking at the potential for Waste, Cleansing and Parks Officers to be able to use fixed penalty notices when necessary and hopefully will be able to target “hot spot” areas in the future in house.

2.1.7 2015 should see the release of the Southampton Green Space Guide which will be a

fairly comprehensive guide to how green spaces across the city should be respected by their users. Following consultation with park users it is a guide which lets the residents and visitors know what is expected of them when using the City’s green spaces. It will also include a well publicised advertising campaign and a breadth of options for getting the information to people using every thing from social media to mobile apps to on site pictograms and QR codes.

3. Clean and Well Maintained

3.1 Service Promises 3.1.1 The City Services Division of Southampton City Council is responsible for managing,

maintaining and developing Hinkler Green. The Parks and Street Cleansing Team manages and maintains all Southampton’s parks and green spaces in line with a set of ‘Service Promises’ that define baseline standards of service that customers can expect to see delivered consistently across the city. The ‘Service Promises’ were developed in consultation with community groups and key stakeholders and are written in clear and non-technical language to enable all customers to easily recognise the standards of service they can expect to see delivered within their neighbourhood. The Green Spaces Service Promises are published on the Parks and Green Spaces page of the city council’s website. Compliance is monitored through ongoing monthly on-site inspections, with a target of >95% of sites visited maintained in line with the services published standards. Performance results form part of the Divisional performance scorecard and are reported in the Business Plan. Service Promises are included within staff’s individual and team appraisal targets, with local performance reported and reviewed at regular team meetings.

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3.2 Quality Standards 3.2.1 Park development needs and priorities are informed by user consultation and standards

set out in Southampton’s Green Space Strategy. This promotes audits to be undertaken to assess their current status and to give a baseline for future improvement and required investment. A quality audit of all of Southampton’s Parks was undertaken by an independent consultant in autumn 2009 and was recently updated in house in 2014. The data collected was based on Green Flag criteria and gives a good idea of the areas where quality needs to be improved. The Audit also gives an idea of numbers and quality of seating and bins. Hinkler Green scored 67% in 2009 and 82.9% in the most recent audit, against the Green Flag criteria.

3.3 Enviro-crime and cleanliness 3.3.1 Litter, broken glass and offensive graffiti are removed within 1 working. The Council has

a proactive approach to the removal of graffiti and fly posters on land it manages. There is a specialist citywide reactive team ready to respond to graffiti problems, prioritising racist or offensive material. Additionally protective coatings are applied to features regularly targeted facilitating rapid removal, and training and equipment is issued to key partners and community groups to enable them to tackle graffiti quickly.

3.4 Maintenance schedule 3.4.1 A typical day for the team at Hinkler Green Park involves a number of daily routine

tasks;

Early morning litter pick

Emptying litter bins

Play area inspection

MUGA and skate park inspection

General check of the park – including inspections of seats, bins and signs. Any damage identified and reported for follow up inspections / repair / maintenance as required

Responding to queries from members of the public

3.4.2 In addition other maintenance tasks are;

Mowing (various frequencies, mainly fortnightly during the peak growing season, some areas less often (banks monthly) and new wildflower regime

Seat and bin maintenance – daily check, annual maintenance visit to clean and refurbish if required

Flower and shrub bed maintenance – monthly visits to weed / prune where necessary on top of the daily litter checks. Winter maintenance visit to do any remedial / more substantial pruning.

Soccer kick-around area renovation in early summer depending on wear

Shrub bed maintenance

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3.4.3 During the winter when the amount of general maintenance is reduced the team are

able to work on minor alterations and improvements to the park and surrounding areas. 3.4.4 Equipment is maintained by the councils fleet transport team. There is a dedicated

mower service section looking after the larger grass cutting equipment and minor maintenance is undertaken by the East area team as part of the daily equipment checking routines.

4. Sustainability

4.1 SCC takes sustainability very seriously and was part of a European wide initiative to ensure city’s across Europe adopted climate adaptation plans (http://www.grabs-eu.org/) . SCC took the approach by adopting the Southampton Low Carbon City Strategy (http://www.southampton.gov.uk/s-environment/climatechange/) and this sets out how the future of Southampton can be greener, healthier and safer whilst adapting to climate change. Southampton’s parks have a major role to play in this and the Parks Service follow the 8 guiding principles which are:

I. We will invest in, strengthen and grow the city’s low carbon economy II. We will generate and use energy in a sustainable way

III. We will reduce the carbon footprint of the city IV. We will minimise the impact from flooding for the city V. We will incorporate sustainability into all of our buying decisions

VI. We will strengthen biodiversity in the city VII. We will increase low carbon travel and transport

VIII. We will use less, waste less and recycle more

4.1.1 Hinkler Green supports the 8 priorities above through such initiatives as: being an area for local water run off to settle at the times of high rain fall, preventing neighbouring housing from getting flooded, major tree planting throughout the site, introducing new working methods to encourage biodiversity. We also ensure vehicles are as new as possible and well maintained to reduce emissions.

4.2 Green Waste 4.2.1 The team recycles all green waste produced and this applies to the green arisings from

Hinkler Green. Green waste from the park and surrounding areas is collected on site and shredded for use as mulch where possible. This mulch is used in the park to suppress weeds, condition the topsoil, and retain moisture and nutrients.

4.2.2 This approach reflects the parks team’s general policy in terms of waste disposal, which is to ensure waste is collected, processed and disposed of in as sustainable a way as possible, with minimum carbon emissions. In practice this means that where feasible green waste is directly recycled at the point of origin, as in Hinkler Green. Where this approach is not viable, as next best option green waste is taken to the council’s nearest recycling bay for composting and future re-use within the city’s green spaces. Unfortunately the council’s current overall recycling capacity means that not all green

http://www.grabs-eu.org/

http://www.southampton.gov.uk/s-environment/climatechange/

http://www.southampton.gov.uk/s-environment/climatechange/

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waste produced from the city’s thousand plus hectares of green space can be processed in-house, so as a final option, the council works with out of city contractors to collect our excess green waste and compost off-site.

4.2.3 However, the Parks and Street Cleansing team is currently procuring a Eurogreen Shredder, which will take 15 cubic metres of green waste at a time and shred it to a fine compost. This will in the future enable us to shred all of our green waste and ensure it is all recycled within the city boundaries.

4.3 Recycling 4.3.1 Presently all parks non-green waste is taken to a local energy recovery facility which

recovers heat energy from waste. This heat energy is used to generate electricity for the National Grid. Therefore, of all the waste collected from Hinkler Green, gets recycled in some way.

4.3.2 A glass recycling facility is available at The Hinkler public house which is seen as part of the green.

4.4 Pesticides 4.4.1 The City Council has in place safe working procedures to ensure that all pesticides,

herbicides and fertilisers are properly applied, and their use minimised. The purpose of these procedures is to ensure that all relevant legislation is followed and that records are properly kept and maintained. The Council aims to minimise the use of chemical products and actively seeks alternative approaches where possible. Should there be no alternative to chemical usage then products are selected from an approved list, preventing the use of environmentally unfriendly products.

4.5 Peats Use 4.5.1 Hinkler Green does not have any formal flower beds and therefore does not regularly

have changes of planting grown in peat based compost. When shrub and tree planting is carried out we do our best to source from suppliers who have reduced their peat use or supply bare root stock.

4.6 Trees 4.6.1 Tree surveys were carried out on the park in 2007, which praised the number of large

mature trees within the park and their contribution to the landscape. There have been over 200 new trees planted as part of the overall improvements.

4.6.2 A system of tree management known as Southampton’s Tree Risk Management

Strategy (STORMS) is underway across the city. This ensures that council owned trees are inspected on a frequency determined by the potential usage of the area in which they are situated, and their own potential to cause a hazard. Trees in Hinkler Green are subject to an inspection at least every five years, with any high risk trees inspected biannually. At the time of writing the trees are currently being surveyed and plotted.

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4.7 High Horticultural Standards 4.7.1 The Parks and Street Cleansing Team prides itself on its high horticultural standards.

Staff skills are continuously reviewed through competency testing by their peers. Training requirements are then highlighted and staff trained accordingly to enable them to undertake their duties. In addition to this annual appraisals highlight team quality targets and individuals training needs. Where ever possible apprentices are encouraged and trained by our in house NVQ assessors and ratified through the local land management college.

5. Conservation and Heritage

5.1 Biodiversity 5.1.1 It is important that the unique characteristics of Hinkler Green are maintained and that

the local history is preserved where possible. It is also vital to continue the work to increase the biodiversity of the park that was started with the improvement works.

5.1.2 The early planting and works to improve biodiversity are now beginning to bed in and

stabilise. It is therefore now time to review the site and draw up a new biodiversity management statement.

5.1.3 The statement will be drawn up in consultation with the Council Ecology Officer and will provide a framework for the next five years to continue to provide a much needed wildlife resource in the centre of this large housing estate.

5.2 Heritage

5.2.1 Hinkler Green Park was originally a part of the ancient woodland / heathland

environment of Southern England. It became part of a local farm which is shown on historic maps until the area was developed as a council estate during the 1960s.

5.2.2 Hinkler Green Park (and adjacent Hinkler Pub and Hinkler Road) are all named in honour of Thornhill’s most celebrated resident, Bert Hinkler. Hinkler Green Park is named after Bert Hinkler, the record breaking Australian pilot. In 1919 Hinkler joined A.V. Roe & Co. in Southampton and from 1921 -1926 was Chief Test Pilot. Between 1920 and 1931 he created many aviation records. His most renowned achievements include his pioneering solo flight from England to Australia in 1928, taking 15 days, and the first solo flight across the South Atlantic in 1931.

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5.2.3 Hinkler Green Park was developed as a sports and leisure area and in 1967 became

the responsibility of the Parks and Street Cleansing team. More recently, Thornhill residents gathered together to petition for improved play facilities in the area in 2001, with Hinkler Green Park identified as the primary location. As a result of this petition, a group of residents worked with Southampton City Council, Thornhill Plus You and local youth workers to develop plans for two new facilities on Hinkler Green Park. This resulted in a skate park, opened June 2003, and a multi-use games area which opened in February 2007.

5.2.4 Hinkler Green Park was the obvious venue for the Thornhill Community Festival, which successfully takes place annually and has been running since 2001. A wide range of activities, competitions, information stands, demonstrations and displays are available as Thornhill residents gather to enjoy the community spirit.

6. Community Involvement

6.1 Friends of Hinkler Green (This section was written by Duncan House, Chairman,

Friends of Hinkler Green) 6.1.1 As Chairman of the Friends group I am delighted to include the following information

about our role within this management plan.

6.1.2 The Friends of Hinkler Green group has been active for nearly 10 years and was formally constituted in June 2008. Its aims and objectives are:

I. Improve Hinkler Green to be an ongoing high quality and valued local focus for the

leisure and pleasure of Thornhill residents and visitors. II. Involve local people in the improvement and management of the Green so that it

reflects their views and shared vision. a. To involve and consult with local residents in developing the green. b. To work with other local organisations and agencies, such as the Local Authority,

Thornhill Plus You, local Churches and Schools, The Hinkler, the Police and environmental organisations, in order to achieve the aims of the group.

Bert lived with his wife Nancy in a house called Mon Repos in Thornhill, which in 1983 was famously removed brick by brick from Southampton and rebuilt in Australia.

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c. To ensure that Hinkler Green is a leisure space that caters for all sections of the community.

d. To raise funds in support of improvements to Hinkler Green and associated activities. e. To work towards attaining and maintaining Green Flag status for Hinkler Green. f. To engage young people in making a positive contribution to Hinkler Green. g. To promote and raise the profile of Hinkler Green among local residents and the

wider community in Southampton. 6.2 Meetings 6.2.1 Our group meets quarterly at The Hinkler Pub where Tracy & John look after us all very

well! The four officers meet more regularly to keep business moving and respond to requests and problems. Special guests such as Healthkicks and Community Voice have been invited to help develop specific aspects of the Park.

6.3 Activities 6.3.1 As well as running a stall at the Thornhill Festival, we are now taking responsibility for

managing certain aspect of the Park. We are the main key holders for the main notice board and monitor the recycling bank and bird, bat and insect boxes. We are also recruiting volunteer Park Wardens to patrol the Park, phone for maintenance works and remove minor graffiti.

6.4 Grants 6.4.1 We have become very successful and increasingly ambitious grant bidders.

6.4.2 Successful small grant bids to the local Community Chest and Grass Roots were

followed by a £60k contribution from Southampton City Council cycleway development towards rebuilding the E-W path and the successful Community Spaces bid to invest £50k in developing the Tranquil Zone. A £10k Awards for All grant was also secured to fund a variety of improvements across the Park.

6.5 Resident participation 6.5.1 Local residents and businesses have regularly been consulted by the Friends group and

the members often network across the spectrum of the Thornhill community to glean views and issues. We have developed a promotional database through which potential new members are kept up-to-date and encouraged to join the group. Some of the special guests who attend meetings have joined. Many local residents are thrilled with the improvements achieved during the past few years and appreciative comments are becoming more and more frequent.

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6.5.2 Tracey Attwood, a Friend of Hinkler Green Park and landlady of The Hinkler pub which sits at the north-west corner of the Green, has lived in Thornhill all her life and recalls playing on the Green as a child. “We had some lovely play and picnic times on the Green when I was little, but in those days there was very little there apart from the grass! Now there are lots of different facilities and it’s exciting to think that the Green is improving even more to give everyone the opportunity to enjoy happy memories like me.”

6.5.3 The local community has been very much involved in the various developments at Hinkler Green Park during the past four years. Since most of the finance for the skatepark and multi-use games area has come from Thornhill Plus You, the Local Board and Living & Built Environment Committee members have been closely involved. Young people and residents who live near the Green were consulted about the design for the skatepark and multi-use games area.

6.5.4 The involvement of the local churches group, ‘Christians in Community’, to develop the Peaceful Garden has been a big step towards community group ownership of the Green.

Southampton Voluntary Services ‘Homeless’ volunteers working on the wildflower area at the Ellwood side of Hinkler Green Park

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6.6 User Feedback 6.6.1 Southampton’s parks are frequently identified as one of the most important factors in

making the city a good place to live. The most recent Place survey conducted by MORI in late 2008 indicated that overall satisfaction with parks and green spaces was 76%. This places Southampton in the top 25% of all local authorities.

6.6.2 A survey of all the Friends of Hinkler Green Park has taken place to ascertain their views about the area. Various letters have also been sent to them asking for specific feedback. Two ‘roadshow’ consultation sessions have been held at the Park and another in nearby Hinkler Parade. Suggestions from these have all been reflected in the Action Plan.

6.6.3 In January 2009 children at the nearby Hightown Primary School took part in a young person’s Spaceshaper exercise about Hinkler Green. ‘Spaceshaper’ is a CABE toolkit for assessing the quality of public spaces to help identify priorities for change. This particular workshop was a pilot for a young person’s version of Spaceshaper and was a chance for young people to;

Have a say in how they use Hinkler Green now – and how they would like to use it in future

Identify the main issues and weaknesses of Hinkler Green

Measure how the space works for different users

Stimulate new ideas for how the space could be shaped Empower young people that their views matter

6.6.4 The results are summarised here.

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6.6.5 Only maintenance and environment scored below average and the report summarised the comments from the group, “they believe that the people who maintain the park kept it clean and even praised Bob Reeve for looking after Hinkler Green. However it was the teenagers who constantly litter and treat the park badly that made Hinkler Green look poor”.

6.6.6 The group also came up with lots of ideas about how they would like to see the park change and several of these have already been acted upon. Other ideas have been incorporated into the master plan for the park.

7 Marketing

7.1 Communications 7.1.1 The council has adopted a ‘campaign’ method of managing communications to focus

and prioritise marketing and to ensure consistent messages are given to the public. Several key campaigns have been identified which will include opportunities to promote Southampton’s parks. In particular the City Pride campaign - promoting park events, positive messages about our parks, improving perception; Volunteering campaign – promoting opportunities to get more involved in your local park and volunteer to help make improvements; Highlight green credentials campaign – the value of parks and green spaces in climate change alleviation and improving biodiversity. These

The new Multi Use Games

Area & Youth Shelter

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campaigns will be high profile and will be used to deliver a number of key messages about all our Green Flag parks and will hopefully encourage more community involvement.

7.1.2 As indicated in the Green Space Strategy a key objective is to promote parks as a vital resource for enhancing the health and well-being of their visitors. This is further enhanced, at Hinkler Green, by the existence of the multi-use games area, skate park and play area, as well as the tranquil area to get peace and quiet and mental wellbeing.

7.1.3 The Green is publicised in a number of ways including the park notice board, events on the Green, Plus You Ltd and St Christopher’s newsletters.

7.2 Events 7.2.1 Events are advertised in local press and in posters, leaflets and newsletters. They tend

to be more ‘ad hoc’ now that the park is established but the annual Thornhill Festival and Friends of Hinkler Green ‘plant-ins’ continue to be well attended.

8 Management

8.1 Policy Context 8.1.1 The new Southampton City Council Strategy, which runs from 2014 to 2017, looks at

our priorities, challenges and opportunities and shows our actions over the next three years. There are seven priorities as follows;

1. Jobs for local people 2. Prevention and early intervention 3. Protecting vulnerable people 4. Good quality and affordable housing 5. Services for all 6. City pride 7. A sustainable council

8.1.2 The Hinkler Green Management Plan supports these priorities wherever possible in the

following ways;

Priority Number

How Hinkler Green Supports Priority

1, 4, 5 Hinkler Green is at the centre of the Thornhill Housing Estate. Recent regeneration of the area (including improvements to Hinkler Green) has seen an improved environment for the residents, making the estate a better place to live and work.

4, 5, 6 Hinkler Green is recognised as a top quality park by the residents of Thornhill. The park is being developed in partnership with a number of groups including residents, Friends, local businesses and church associations. It is free to use and provides a vital service for low income households.

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5 The East Area Parks team are committed to new ways of working and are constantly reviewing the priorities of the park and its extensive use by the public to ensure quality is delivered where it is most needed.

6,7 The Park offers a green resource within this busy housing estate, and acts as a key component of the estates space contributing greatly to the overall streetscene. It provides a “green lung” and helps to reduce carbon emissions, flooding and pollution. All green waste from the Park is recycled.

8.1.3 Figure 1 below shows the golden thread of plans and strategies for Southampton City

Council and shows how the Hinkler Green management plan fits into this. Southampton’s Green Space Strategy was adopted in October 2008 and can be viewed at:- http://www.southampton.gov.uk/people-places/parks-open-spaces/park-management/green-space-strategy.aspx

Figure 1: The ‘golden thread’ of performance management

City of Southampton Strategy City wide view of needs and aspirations up to 2026, developed by the Southampton Partnership.

Southampton City Council Strategy 2014-17

Key service issues for 2013-16.

Divisional and Departmental Business Plans City Services Business Plan sets out the plans, priorities and targets for the year ahead.

Staff Appraisals Individual targets and objectives set

Hinkler Green Management Plan Sets out aims, objectives and actions for the next 1-3 years.

Green Space

Strategy 2008

Core Strategy

2010

Local Development Framework A folder of local development documents that outlines how planning will be managed in Southampton

http://www.southampton.gov.uk/people-places/parks-open-spaces/park-management/green-space-strategy.aspx

http://www.southampton.gov.uk/people-places/parks-open-spaces/park-management/green-space-strategy.aspx

http://www.southampton.gov.uk/council-democracy/council-plans/council-strategy.aspx

http://www.southampton.gov.uk/council-democracy/council-plans/council-strategy.aspx

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8.1.4 There are a number of other city wide strategies and plans that directly or indirectly

affect the management of parks. The table below lists these with key areas of relevance to the management of Hinkler Green.

Council Strategy/ Plan Key theme for management of Mansel Park

Southampton’s Green Space Strategy (GSS)

The Green Space Strategy was adopted by Cabinet in October 2008. The strategy provides a classification of parks based on quality and standards. All park management plans link to the GSS. Key priorities include:

Increasing community involvement in the management and maintenance of green spaces

Encouraging more events and activities in parks

Increasing the number of Green Flag Awards across the city and using the criteria set out to inform future management plans.

Core Strategy Has specific planning policy on enhancing and increasing green space provision in Southampton. As well as policies on climate change adaptation and green infrastructure improvement. The GSS acts as an evidence base for this document.

Biodiversity Action Plan Protect, promote and improve biodiversity across the city. Pilot planting regimes to develop biodiversity in Hinkler Green have been successful and will continue.

Play Policy Making play provision welcoming and accessible. Development of the play area was undertaken following these guidelines.

Green Team Business Plan

• Playing a key part in Southampton becoming a more sustainable and attractive city

• Sustaining service outcomes with significantly reduced levels of staff and resources

• Sustaining team motivation and commitment in face of continuing pressures on service budgets and resources

• Delivering ‘zero harm’ services • Funding and maintaining fit-for purpose fleet and

machinery • Promoting key role of high quality green spaces in

addressing Health inequalities across the city

8.2 Staff Resources 8.2.1 The Parks and Street Cleansing section (P&SC) within the City Services Division of

Southampton City Council is responsible for managing and maintaining the Park. Martin Willcox (East District Manager) and Mike McSorley (East Area Co-ordinator) manage both the Park and local District Team (see appendix 1) and are supported by John Horton, (Parks and Street Cleansing Manager). Nick Yeats (Landscape and

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Development Manager) also assists with policy and strategic development of the park. Staff involved in looking after Hinkler Green, (headed up by Bob Reeve) have a wide range of experience working in parks and green spaces. This experience is invaluable in the day to day maintenance and management of the park. The team are dedicated and proud of their park.

8.2.2 Although there are no full time staff dedicated to working in Hinkler Green alone, the

East Area Team have up to 20 staff based at the Mayfield Park Depot. This team carries out the grounds maintenance within the park as well as the surrounding area. The work includes grass cutting, general cleansing and litter bin emptying. In addition, the large areas of grass are maintained via the district tractor and support on ecology and natural environment work is given by Andy Welch from the Hawthorns Urban Wildlife Centre.

8.2.3 Parks and Street Cleansing have taken on 2 apprentices during 2014, one in the east of

the City and one in the west. These apprentices will be trained in various aspects of grounds maintenance and will work with a variety of teams including the parks team.

8.3 Finance and Budget 8.3.1 The P&SC department no longer collects detailed data on individual parks. This

decision was made following an analysis of what data was important for the business compared to the staff resource and ability to collect that data. It was decided that the time and effort taken to collect such data was not cost efficient.

8.3.2 In 2013/14 the East Area Parks budget for Hinkler Green was circa £16k following a

reduction of around 30% over the last 3 years 8.3.3 Although specific data is no longer collected using percentage time allocations the

estimated budget could be split as follows:

Activity

Forecast Expenditure

13/14 (£)

Amenity grass maintenance 1050

Shrub bed and hedge maintenance 1560

Skate Park Improvement and Maintenance 3500

Play area maintenance 900

Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) improvement and maintenance

3900

Sweeping and litter collection 2100

Infrastructure repairs and maintenance 500

TOTAL 13510

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8.3.4 Capital funding for Hinkler Green is currently funded predominantly from S106 and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), developer contributions, although this is enhanced with grant funding wherever possible. There has been circa £25k Capital to spend on Hinkler Green over the past few years and we have undertaken numerous improvements using this money. However, there is currently no additional capital for Hinkler Green, however there is now an opportunity for the Parks Team or the Friends to bid to the CIL for funding for improvements.

8.3.5 With ever more challenging budget target needing to be achieved it is anticipated that there

will be need to be further savings made in this area however this is contingent on an as yet incomplete corporate budget setting process. The Parks team will be provided with the 2015/16 detail budget information in March.

8.4 Management Structures 8.4.1 The management and maintenance of Hinkler Green is the responsibility of the Parks

and Street Cleansing (P&SC) team. The P&SC team is situated in the City Services Division of the Environment and Economy Directorate. The Parks & Street Cleansing Team includes the trees, parks development and natural environment units.

8.4.2 Managers within City Services undertake MBWA (management by walking about) which

includes visits to Hinkler Green. The parks operational and development management personnel meet bi-monthly to monitor the progress on implementation of the Green Space Strategy, and actions specific to the city’s principal green spaces. Objectives detailed within Hinkler Green action plan in section 9.2 are included within the relevant staff appraisal targets.

8.4.3 The play areas within Hinkler Green is managed by Play Services which is now part of

the Parks and Street Cleansing Team, with the day to day maintenance and cleaning of play areas being carried out by out by the P&SC teams and Play Rangers.

9 Actions and Recommendations

9.1 Measuring success and progress towards Green Flag criteria 9.1.1 The following action plan provides targets and goals to work to ensuring continual

improvement of the park. It includes actions for all stakeholders and our successes are recognised within the “Progress/Comments” section of the plan.

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9.2 Action plan for 2014/19 9.2.1 This action plan is a dynamic working document that is reviewed and updated annually. Some proposed actions are

inspirational and will depend upon sourcing adequate funding, in collaboration with the Friends of Hinkler Green. Although the plan has been ordered according to Green Flag criteria, several of the actions fall under more than one heading.

9.2.2 The Friends of Hinkler Green volunteers continue to actively maintain and develop the park in liaison with local people and organisations. The local churches, responsible for the Peaceful Garden area of the park, and The Hinkler Pub (National Community Pub 2012) are very supportive of all the efforts to keep the park in excellent condition. The dog walkers group which keeps us informed about issues affecting the cleanliness and safety of the park and Trevor who lovingly keeps an eye on the wild area from his Elwood Road flat are amongst a range of locals who make an invaluable contribution to the park.

9.2.3 Probably the most pleasing development of late is the Friends Group initiation and partnership involvement in the skateboard park art boards. Both ends of the skate park have been transformed into large, colourful art boards. These have been re-constructed in sheet steel and treated with anti-graffiti coating to make them low maintenance, long-lasting and vandal resistant. One board is based on local school children’s designs around their chosen theme of ‘Fly Your Dream’. The other celebrates local heroes and groups associated with the Green and has been produced by a local artist working with young people who use the Green.

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Action plan for 2015/20

Action Lead person

Key partners and consultees

Estimated resource required, source of funding

Completion date

Comments

Welcoming place

Dog fouling signs Dog walker group

Friends Group £250 SCC October 2015

To combat the occasional spate of dog fouling, permanent metal bin signs have been produced to be placed on all the bins in the park. Pathway stencil signs to encourage proper disposal of dog waste have also been developed and trialled.

Wild area interpretation boards

Bob Reeve Friends Group £400 SCC October 2015

These signs explain why some areas are left ‘wild’

Healthy, safe and secure

Dog fouling footway stencils

Bob Reeve Dog walker group Minimal Ongoing These bright stencils remind dog owners to bag, tie and bin dog mess

Children’s play area re-surfacing

Bob Reeve Play Services £500 SCC October 2015

The play area surface is being built up, levelled and grass-seeded to be safer to play on

Clean and well maintained

Graffiti action Bob Reeve Police Officer time Ongoing We get spates of graffiti and these are dealt with efficiently and the culprits identified and dealt with by the Police

Dog fouling bin signs Bob Reeve Dog walking group

Officer time October 2015

These new signs will educate dog walkers about use of bins

Sustainability

Topography and re-plants for Tranquil and Youth Zone wild areas

Bob Reeve Friends Group £2.5k Friends Group £2k SCC

March 2015 To make the centre of the Tranquil Zone more interesting, the topography is being made more uneven and planted with new grasses and wildflowers

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Action Lead person



Completion date

Comments

Nature conservation area signs

Bob Reeve Friends Group £500 SCC July 2015 Small signs to explain the ‘wild look’ of the 3 nature conservation areas have been installed

Conservation and heritage

Draw up new Biodiversity Management Statement for site

Bob Reeve/Andy Welch

Friends Group Officer time May 2015

Metal artboards and artwork

Bob Reeve Friends Group £2.5k SCC Ongoing The ground-breaking wooden art boards lasted for 3 years before becoming badly weathered and dangerous. Metal boards were put in their place and a new Bert Hinkler theme art board developed. A second metal board with a street art anecdotal theme is complete

Community involvement

Active, constituted Friends of Hinkler Green Park with re-elected officers continuing to move improvements forward

Friends of Hinkler Green

Bob Reeve, Local residents and businesses, Plus You Ltd

Officer Time From July 2008 and Ongoing

Group established and busily active

Regular community events to encourage people to join the Friends group and give their views on proposals

Bob Reeve Friends Group, Thornhill Plus You, Hilary Bradley, Hawthorns Centre

Officer time Ongoing Hinkler Festival, volunteer wildflower planting and nature conservation

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Action Lead person



Completion date

Comments

Marketing

Friends Group networking

Friends of Hinkler Green

Community groups and businesses

Minimal Ongoing The group works hard to keep others informed about the park

News items in Thornhill Newsletter and St Christopher’s Newsletter

Mike Nightingale

Plus You Ltd, St Christopher’s, Friends

Officer Time Ongoing Features on Hinkler Green Park appear in these publications

The Hinkler Pub display

Tracey & John, Landlords

Friends Group £1k SCC Ongoing Many historical Bert Hinkler memorabilia on display on pub wall

Management

Continue to involve stakeholders in the development of the Management Plan

Bob Reeve Friends Group Plus You Ltd, St Christopher’s, Friends, Community groups and businesses

Officer time Ongoing

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Appendix 1 – Staff Structure

Staff Structure

East District Manager

Martin Willcox

East District Housing Area Co-ordinator

Mike McSorley

East District Parks Area Co-ordinator

Dave Butcher

East District Housing

Area Team

East District Parks

Area Team

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More specifically for Hinkler Green the structure looks like this:

John Horton Parks and Street Cleansing

Manager

Nick Yeats Landscape and

Development Manager

East Green Team

Martin Willcox District Manager (E)

Friends of Hinkler Green Park

Bob Reeve Project Officer

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Appendix 2 – Sample Risk Assessment

Southampton City Council Health and Safety Risk Assessment Form GENERIC ASSESSMENT – MOWING WITH A RIDE ON ROTARY, OR FLAIL MOWER

Location of Task: Assessment No:

Directorate/Section: Assessors Name: Ken Prior Assessment Date: Assessor’s Signature:

Task/Activity/Process description:

Mowing with a Ride on Rotary, or Flail Mower

No Hazard (H) description Paint a pen picture of how the hazard could be realised, i.e. describe the potential accident. Include a description of the reasonable foreseeable injury (Broken arm). Rate the overall severity score on a scale of 1-5 (once)

1-5

Likelihood (L) Factors Detail the following - Existing controls (Do they work?); Frequency; Environmental factors; Evidence of previous hazardous events; Numbers and pattern of people exposed (Who? Staff/Public). Rate the overall likelihood score on a scale of 1-6 (once)

1-6

Risk =

HxL e.g. 4x5= H(20)

Further control req’d? Y/N

Re

sid

ua

l

Ris

k

1

Mowing with a:- Jacobsen Sabo Ransomes Huxley Kubota Walker flail or rotary mowers Injuries to staff consistent with slips, trips and falls

2

Training, full PPE which includes appropriate footwear. Keep floor areas clear of debris

3

L(6)

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2 2 3 3 2

4 2 2 3 2

M(8) L(4) L(6) M (9) L(4)

2

Public & staff being struck by objects thrown from cutting deck ie: stones, glass or litter. Objects and trapped fingers/hands in the cutting head. Contamination with faeces – disease

Check area and clear objects before mowing Care to be taken when mowing, ensure that members of the public are a safe distance away from the machine when working. PPE which includes gloves must be worn. Machine to be switched off. Care must be taken when rotating the cutting head Full PPE which includes gloves must be worn. Wash before eating/drinking. INOCULATION AGAINST TETANUS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY ALL OPERATIVES.

4

Injuries to staff consistent with machine overturning in ditches, slopes etc.

All drivers are given instruction on safe use of machinery. Only appropriate machines must be used

5

Road traffic accidents causing injury to staff & public

All drivers are required to have a current driving licence. Drivers are to wear high visibility clothing. Licences are to be checked annually. Wear seat belts where fitted.

6

Mowing with a ride on: Dust – disease, asthma, respiratory problems.

Dust masks are provided. Wash before eating/drinking.

7

Skin related problems to staff from oil spilling out of hydraulic pipes

2

Ensure pipes are inspected visually before each use, ensure all fitting are in place and secure

2

L(4)

8

Slips, trips and falls from oil spillage

2

Contain spillage, spread sand or other absorbent material

2

L(4)

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9

Physical injury – back related problems to staff caused by a defective seat.

2

Ensure that the seat is in full working order. Full use of drop kerbs to be made.

3

L(6)

10

Medical problems associated with exposure to vibration from riding on mower.

2

See SWP no. 43 ‘Hand arm vibration syndrome’. Vibration levels are considered as part of purchasing policy. Health surveillance arranged where necessary

2

L(4)

11

Fire – burns/smoke inhalation when refuelling the machine.

3

Operators are instructed not to re-fuel machines whilst hot or near sources of ignition. All ride on machines carry a fire extinguisher.

2

L(6)

12

Noise – ear damage/hearing loss

3

Appropriate ear protection provided. Noise assessments carried out.

2

L(6)

13

Abuse, threats, violence, stress and physical injury to staff when dealing with the public

3

See SWP no. 28 ‘Prevention of Violence and Intimidation at Work’.

3

L(9)

14

Exposure to weather, Sun burn and skin cancer

2

SWP issued. Full PPE provided including sun block.

2

L(4)

15

Illness and discomfort due to cold and rain

2

Full PPE inc waterproof and warm clothing available.

2

L(4)

16

Contact with asbestos – hazardous to health

2

Staff trained to recognise asbestos and are fully aware of the procedures listed in SWP 21

1

L(2)

17

Being struck by a falling object – head injury & dizziness to staff causing loss of control

2

Cabs fitted or wear hard hat in areas where there is a risk of being struck by a falling object

1

L(4)

18

Accident and injury caused by losing control of machine or being struck by low branches when operating near trees.

3

Do not operate mower near trees where there is a risk of being struck by a branch. Crown lift trees, remove low branches.

2

L(6)

19

Mower becoming stuck and losing traction. Injury, damage during recovery process

3

Refer to RA for towing and recovery of stuck or abandoned vehicles

2

L(6)

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20

Losing control of Mower resulting in mower sliding or overturning on bank causing serious physical injury to staff or public

3

Follow advice in the manufacturers handbook Do not work on slopes which have a gradient greater than the safe level advised in the handbook. Do not work near the top of a steep gradient especially in wet conditions where there is a risk of mower slipping over the edge of bank. Avoid temptation to use a mowing deck over edge of bank.

3

M(9)

21

Road traffic accident causing injury to staff/public when working near or adjacent to road.

3

Assess safety measures required, coning, exclamation mark warning triangle. Wear high visibility jacket refer to list of “high risk locations” and RA for placing signs

3

M(9)

Do any procedures/processes/plans relating to the task need to be amended or update in light of your risk assessment findings? Yes/No If ‘yes’ give details in table below

Health surveillance or medical screening required? Yes/No: If ‘Yes’ give details in table below

Are current control measures adequate? Yes/No: If ‘No’ give details in table below If ‘yes’ then risk assessment is complete subject to Management confirmation

Are additional controls needed to reduce the risk? Yes/No If ‘yes’ give details in table below

Where further action needs to be taken, then the boxes below should be used to identify deficiencies and outline additional plans.

No Priority Identified Deficiency Additional Control Measures

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No Action by whom

Comments Target date Completion date

Signature (when completed)

Have the target dates been agreed? Yes/No If ‘No’ then specify reasons: .

Has the risk assessment detail been entered onto the H&S register of risks? Yes/No

Management Confirmation I have noted the above assessment and will take appropriate steps to ensure all the actions raised are completed satisfactorily.

Name (Block capitals):

(Manager responsible for activity)

Signed: Date:

Risk Assessment Review I confirm that the assessment remains valid, controls remain effective and there has been no increase in the risk.

1st Review date: Name: Signed:

2nd Review date: Name: Signed:

3rd Review date: Name: Signed: NB If the above statement cannot be verified then a re-assessment will be required to confirm that there has been no significant change to the activity/process.

Appendix 3 – Consultation

HHHiiinnnkkkllleeerrr GGGrrreeeeeennn PPPaaarrrkkk

Consultation about proposed developments

Spring 2009

Analysis of questionnaire:

Attitudes of local residents towards proposed developments at Hinkler Green, Thornhill, Southampton Report prepared by:

Dr. Matthew Amesbury Project contributors:

Alaine Duffy Dr. Joanne Moodie Laura James 11th May 2009 14 – 15 Brunswick Place, Southampton, SO15 2AQ tel: 023 8033 6172 fax: 023 8033 6191 www.environmentcentre.com

Registered charity in England & Wales No. 1031482 Environmental Body No. 024168 Company Limited by Guarantee No. 2881225 Vat No. 631 5962 36

http://www.environmentcentre.com/

Contents

Executive summary ……………………………………………………………………. p. 2

1.0. Introduction ………………………………………………………………………... p. 3

2.0. Specific Objectives ………………………………………………………………. p. 4

3.0. Methodology ………………………………………………………………………. p. 4

4.0. Results ………………………………………………………………………………… p. 5

5.0. Discussion …………………………………………………………………………… p. 15

Copy of questionnaire ……………………………………………………………….. p. 16

Executive summary This survey has indicated a high level of support for the proposed developments on Hinkler Green. 185 local residents from a number of specifically targeted groups returned questionnaires and all four of the main features of the re-development plans received the support of 70 – 84% of respondents, with only a small percentage in opposition to particular aspects of the plans. The various potential designs for entrance features all received support and many respondents provided their own designs. There were some stated concerns over vandalism of the new developments but the number of people willing to volunteer to maintain the landscaped area in the future suggests that locals will take ownership and pride in the changes to Hinkler Green, potentially reducing the risk of vandalism occurring.

Analysis of questionnaire:

Attitudes of local residents towards proposed developments at Hinkler Green, Thornhill, Southampton

1.0 . Introduction Hinkler Green is a large open space at the centre of Thornhill; an area of deprivation in Southampton comprising mainly of council estates. The Green currently has a tired appearance, is under-used and suffers from vandalism. The Friends of Hinkler Green (FoHG), in partnership with Southampton City Council (SCC), have developed an action plan with priorities to improve the park in order to better utilise its size, central location and accessibility. Ascertaining the attitudes of local residents and park users towards the proposed developments will be crucial in improving the park and its usage rates. Within the proposals, a Community Spaces grant would be used to define a ‘tranquil zone’ with landscaping and a variety of attractive and bio-diverse planting. A walkway with lighting, seating and disabled-friendly trim trail facilities would form a circuit around the ‘tranquil zone’. Provision of a ‘kick-around’ zone with 5-a-side goalmouths is also included and finally, the western end of the park would be developed into a ‘heritage zone’ linked to the story of Bert Hinkler, for whom the park is named, and providing a space for future community events. Following an application to the Big Lottery Fund Community Spaces programme to fund the proposals outlined above, the application received support but FoHG and SCC were advised that more evidence of public support for the proposals was needed. The Environment Centre (tEC) was therefore commissioned as an independent organisation to consult local residents and the results are presented in this report. A questionnaire was used to assess the attitudes of local residents towards developing Hinkler Green, to identify any preferences towards the design of proposed entrance features, to identify local volunteers to assist in development and maintenance of the park and to encourage any other suggestions that residents and users had for the future of the Green.

2.0. Specific Objectives The overall objective of the questionnaire was to assess the attitudes and perception of local residents in the surrounding Thornhill area towards park development and to identify community support for maintaining the park improvements. The key areas explored included:

Opinions on the specific proposals to develop Hinkler Green outlined in the Community Spaces grant application;

Thoughts on potential designs for the heritage themed wrought iron artwork to be placed at three entrances to the park;

Identification of local residents willing to volunteer to help maintain the landscaped areas.

3.0. Methodology A wide range of user groups were targeted with delivery of a self-completion questionnaire that could be returned by freepost to tEC or returned to a number of community drop-off locations as follows:

Natterbox Community drop-in centre;

East Point Centre;

Hightown and Thornhill Youth Clubs;

The Hinkler Pub;

Any of the 3 local primary schools . A total of ca. 150 questionnaires were distributed to all of the flats in the walk-up blocks that immediately surround the Green and to other houses and flats in close proximity. Follow-up calls were made after approximately two weeks when residents were spoken to and further encouraged to complete and return their questionnaires. On three separate occasions, users of the park were questioned face-to-face at various times throughout the day (including during the school holidays to target young people). A public meeting was advertised in and held at the Hinkler pub. All three local primary schools were visited and sessions held with children and teachers. Finally, questionnaires were completed with local residents on the nearby Hinkler parade of shops. The user groups targeted during the consultation were as follows:

Residents living in the walk-up blocks of flats directly surrounding Hinklers Green;

Young people who use the green, especially for playing sport;

Dog walkers who regularly use the park;

Three local primary schools;

The Hinkler pub, which is adjacent to the green, and the users of the pub;

Local parent toddler groups;

Local residents who are members of the “Thornhill Voice” group – these are residents who, through the “Thornhill and You” magazine have expressed a willingness to be consulted on local matters.

4.0. Results A total of 185 completed questionnaires were received; the breakdown of these is given in Table 1. The following section summarises those results. A copy of the questionnaire is included at the end of the report for reference.

Group name Number received

Local residents and park users 56

Thornhill Voice 57 Kane’s Hill primary school 11 Thornhill primary school 18 Hightown primary school 28 Baby Bee’s Baby Group 5

Tumble and Tunes Toddler Group 5

Vineyard Church Group 5

TOTAL: 185

Table 1: Number of questionnaires received back from various interest groups throughout the consultation

Question 1: Please indicate your level of support for the following features of the proposed improvements Figure 1 and Table 2 indicate the summary of responses from all participants to this question. Figure 2 provides further breakdown of these per user group. Figure 1 and Table 1 illustrate that there is strong support for all of the proposed measures, showing community support for the park development. Between 70 – 84% of respondents strongly or mildly supported all four proposals, with only 5 – 12% strongly or mildly opposing the proposals. The circular or looped walkway with lighting and seating returned the strongest level of support with 63% of participants strongly supporting its development, followed by the landscaping with wild flower, shrub and tree planting and the disabled-friendly trim trail (60% and 61% respectively). The largest opposition was received for the kick-around area at 12% total opposition; this aspect of the proposal also received the lowest % of ‘strongly support’ responses (70%) but these figures should not been seen as opposition to the kick-around area.

Total Participants

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Strongly support Mildly support Indifferent Mildly oppose Strongly oppose

Landscaping with wild flower, shrub and tree planting

A circular or looped walkway with lighting and seating

Disabled-friendly trim trail (5 or 6 exercise stations positioned along walkway)

Kick-around area with 3 goals at the Ellwood side of the MUGA

Figure 1: Responses to Question 1 by all participants in the consultation

Str

on

gly

Su

pp

ort

Mild

ly

Su

pp

ort

Ind

iffe

ren

t

Mild

ly

Op

po

se

Str

on

gly

Op

po

se


60% 24% 10% 1% 4%


63% 21% 8% 4% 4%


61% 22% 8% 4% 2%


49% 21% 15% 4% 8%

Table 1: Responses to Question 1 by all participants in the consultation

Local Residents and Park Users

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45






Thornhill Voice

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40






Kanes Hill primary school

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10






Thornhill priamry school

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10






HIghtown primary school

0

5

10

15

20

25






Baby Bee's Baby Group

0

1

2

3

4

5






Tumble and Tunes Toddler Group

0

1

2

3

4

5






Vineyard Church Group

0

1

2

3

4

5

6






Figure 2: Responses to Question 1 split by user group

Question 2: Please tick the boxes below to indicate which of these possible design features you would like to see on the entrances This question assessed support for different design options for the new wrought iron entrance features that will form part of the park re-developments. The following four options were provided and participants were also encouraged to come up with their own potetntial designs.

Shapes of the UK and Australia to visualise Hinkler’s journey

Old-fashioned aircraft

Aeroplane features such as a propeller

“Welcome to Hinkler Green” wording

Figure 3 illustrates the level of support for various designs for all participants. Figure 4 splits these per user group. All four design ideas returned high support. Overall, no one design was heavily preferred to the others, but the old fashioned aircraft received the highest support. A small number of respondents requested a plaque with a more detailed description of Bert Hinkler and his links to the area. Some respondents would also have preferred to see the entrance ways have a nature theme, as they did not relate to the Hinkler heritage. Concerns of possible vandalism issues were also voiced in the survey.

“I like all the proposals and hope that it lasts and is not vandalised.” “Would like developments but feel it would be wrecked by vandals.” “I hope the community support officers will be able to police the green.” “Don’t put anything up that people can write on and deface.”

In addition, a minority of respondents felt the money allocated to the sign construction could be better used on other improvements for the Green.

“Don’t waste money on [the entrance features] as the existing monument cannot be bettered and has stood the test of time, weather and anti-social behaviour” “Don’t bother with the entrance way – too costly and not needed”

Total Participants

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Shapes of the

UK and

Australia to

visulise

Hinkler's

journey

Old fashioned

aircraft

Aeroplane

features such

as a propeller

"Welcome to

Hinkler Green"

or similar

w ording

Other

Nu

mb

er

of

Su

pp

ort

ers

Figure 3: Responses to Question 2 by all participants in the consultation

Local Residents and Park Users

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Shapes of the

UK and

Australia to

visulise

Hinkler's

journey

Old fashioned

aircraft

Aeroplane

features such

as a propeller

"Welcome to

Hinkler Green"

or similar

w ording

Other

Nu

mb

er

of

Su

pp

ort

ers

Thornhill Voice

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Shapes of the

UK and

Australia to

visulise

Hinkler's

journey

Old fashioned

aircraft

Aeroplane

features such

as a propeller

"Welcome to

Hinkler Green"

or similar

w ording

Other

Nu

mb

er

of

Su

pp

ort

ers

Kanes Hill Primary School

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Shapes of the

UK and

Australia to

visulise

Hinkler's

journey

Old fashioned

aircraft

Aeroplane

features such

as a propeller

"Welcome to

Hinkler Green"

or similar

w ording

Other

Nu

mb

er

of

Su

pp

ort

ers

Thornhill Primary School

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Shapes of the

UK and

Australia to

visulise

Hinkler's

journey

Old fashioned

aircraft

Aeroplane

features such

as a propeller

"Welcome to

Hinkler Green"

or similar

w ording

Other

Nu

mb

er

of

Su

pp

ort

ers

Hightown Primary School

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Shapes of the

UK and

Australia to

visulise

Hinkler's

journey

Old fashioned

aircraft

Aeroplane

features such

as a propeller

"Welcome to

Hinkler Green"

or similar

w ording

Other

Nu

mb

er

of

Su

pp

ort

ers

Baby Bee's Baby Group

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

Shapes of the

UK and

Australia to

visulise

Hinkler's

journey

Old fashioned

aircraft

Aeroplane

features such

as a propeller

"Welcome to

Hinkler Green"

or similar

w ording

Other

Nu

mb

er

of

Su

pp

ort

ers

Tumble and Tunes Toddler Group

0

1

2

3

4

Shapes of the

UK and

Australia to

visulise

Hinkler's

journey

Old fashioned

aircraft

Aeroplane

features such

as a propeller

"Welcome to

Hinkler Green"

or similar

w ording

Other

Nu

mb

er

of

Su

pp

ort

ers

Vineyard Church Group

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

Shapes of the

UK and

Australia to

visulise

Hinkler's

journey

Old fashioned

aircraft

Aeroplane

features such

as a propeller

"Welcome to

Hinkler Green"

or similar

w ording

OtherN

um

ber

of

Su

pp

ort

ers

Figure 4: Responses to Question 2 split by user group

Question 3: Please use the following space to sketch a design for the Hinkler-inspired wrought-iron entrance sculptures or to sketch a possible layout for the 3

kick-around goals to be located on the Ellwood side of the MUGA. A space was provided in the survey for respondents to sketch a design for the entrance features or lay out for the kick-around goals. This opportunity was taken by all of the school children that took part, but only a small proportion of adult respondents. A selection of sketches are shown below.

A: (from Thornhill Voice) Tree of Life or Tree of Thornhill entrance feature B: (from Thornhill Voice) Propeller entrance feature with ivy and twisted wrought iron C: (from Tumble and Tunes Toddler Group) Plane with trailing banner, globe gates entrance feature D: (from Vineyard Church Group) Welcome to Hinkler Green entrance feature E: (from Hightown primary) Welcome to Hinkler Green entrance feature F: (from Kane’s Hill primary) Welcome to Hinkler Green entrance feature with signposts and aeroplane

A

B

C

D

Question 4: Please indicate if you would be interested in becoming a nature conservation volunteer to maintain the landscaped and planted areas of the Green

G

F

E

H

The survey identified interested individuals willing to volunteer in order to help maintain the landscaped and planted areas of the Green into the future. 32 people (17% of respondents) displayed an interest by providing their name and contact details. These are provided below:

Name Group Address Telephone E-mail

Terry Pickering Local residents and park users

[email protected]

Beth Butler Local residents and park users

023 8040 6406

Philip O’Donovan Local residents and park users

[email protected]

Lee Sparshott Local residents and park users

07950 253989

Mandy Crook Local residents and park users

11 Ellwood Avenue, Thornhill

[email protected]

Kirstie Porter Local residents and park users

023 8042 0714 [email protected]

Kris Holland Local residents and park users

07704 310801 [email protected]

Rev. Duncan Jennings

Local residents and park users

023 8040 5313

Jean Lecarpentier Local residents and park users

023 8047 1972

Frank Clarkson Local residents and park users

023 8044 3397

Mr K. G. Crocker Local residents and park users

50 Farringford Road, Thornhill

John Carum Local residents and park users

023 8040 5750

Hattie Vineyard Church Group

[email protected]

Angela Whitmore Vineyard Church Group

07939 938512

Paul Whitmore Vineyard Church Group

27 Medway Green 023 8044 0633

Bowen family Vineyard Church Group

[email protected]

Sarah Christie Baby Bee’s Baby Group

[email protected]

Emma Walker T & T Toddler Group

07505 447141

Derek Webber Thornhill Voice 023 8040 7295 07905 826433

Albert Young Thornhill Voice [email protected]

Nick Hart Thornhill Voice 023 8090 8450

Melissa Woods Thornhill Voice 07731 075616 [email protected]

Vanessa Hillman Thornhill Voice 102 Lydgate Road, SO19 6WA

Ruth Mould Thornhill Voice 07708 837268

mailto:[email protected]










Ron Maslon Thornhill Voice 72 Chettle Road, Thornhill, SO19 6HW

K. Chapman Thornhill Voice 023 8090 1662

IMPACT 023 8040 5236

Kirsty McCubbin Hightown primary school

294 Lydgate Road, Thornhill

Danielle Dyer Hightown primary school

c/o school

Sean Raven Hightown primary school

c/o school

Kayleigh Keighbury

Hightown primary school

c/o school

Rebecca Jones Hightown primary school

c/o school

Lauryn Henry Hightown primary school

c/o school

Further Comments At the end of the questionnaire, respondents were invited to make additional comments regarding the proposed developments on Hinkler Green. Many comments made reflect a concern about vandalism in the park. It is worried that vandalism will continue after the improvements are made. Suggestions given to counteract this included a fence around the perimeter that could be locked at night, increased surveillance by Community Officers and banning alcoholic drinks in the park. A few respondents suggested a graffiti board to provide a designated area in the hope that other areas of the park would be left alone.

“I believe some kind of curfew or security contingency should be put in place to help maintain safety…” “Please do not waste good money for vandalism fodder” “Would like developments but feel it would be wrecked by vandals”

Play areas for younger children and toddlers were also a common suggestion, such as a paddling pool, a toy aeroplane and swings. One respondent included the locations of Teignmouth seafront and the Hedge End library park in Southampton as exemplars to follow. There were also suggestions for organised activities to take place in the kick-around area.

“Something for little people to do pre-school age” “More play equipment for young children” “Please bring the swings back” “An aeroplane that could be used by children to play in” “A parent shelter for watching children when it is raining” “More activities for toddlers e.g. a paddling pool, play house or small trampolines…” “Toy aeroplane for toddlers to climb in and out of”

There were a range of other specific comments on a variety of issues which included:

“Put a notice for picking up dog’s mess” “Something should be done about dog’s mess all over the field”

“I would like to see lots of English trees planted [such as] chestnut and oak”

“I support idea of including references to Bert Hinkler because it promotes local heritage.”

“A path for cycle users should be formed as an extension of the Shoreburs Greenway via Holcroft Road and Kinsbourne Way through to Hanes Hill”

“Would like to see a slow sign of 20 mph, especially by entrance and off path opposite Baxter Road”

“A useful feature would be one that prevented cars and motorbikes racing on the Green and the path between the Green and blocks of flats”

“Every month Bursledon car boot sale could be moved to Hinkler Green – I feel this would be popular”

Finally, through discussion with a community worker at the Natterbox Community Drop-in centre, it was ascertained that many local residents have concerns that children are being ‘herded’ into the centre of the green and that the football pitch is a good facility that is often used at weekends during the summer for large games of football.

5.0. Discussion Results from the questionnaires suggest that overall, the planned re-developments at Hinkler Green are strongly supported in the local community. 70 – 84% of respondents supported each of the proposed measures. In each case there were respondents who did not favour a particular measure, however it was often the case that a person supported the measure which best fitted their own user group and opposed measures that may detract from their use of the park. For example, dog walkers strongly favoured the walkway but were sometimes less keen on the kick-around zone, whereas the was opposite was true for young people who would like to see more facilities for themselves. The designs for Hinkler related entrance features all proved popular and many participants welcomed the chance to celebrate local heritage. It was highlighted in questionnaire responses and also through speaking to local people during the consultation that awareness of who Bert Hinkler was, or what his links to the local area are were not universal; therefore the recommendation of several respondents that the entrance features should be accompanied by an explanatory plaque is supported here. The key concern highlighted by many participants was that of possible future vandalism. SCC and FoHG should ensure that where possible any re-developments are as resistant to this as possible. As stated above, the number of potential volunteers is encouraging and suggests that a degree of local ownership will develop; something that is widely recognised may reduce the risk of vandalism. Situated as it is at the heart of a socially deprived area, Hinkler Green has the capacity to unite a community, celebrate its common heritage and provide recreational facilities for a wide range of users. As in any public consultation, this report has highlighted the concerns and suggestions of local residents, but importantly has also identified wide ranging support for the proposed changes, suggesting that in years to come Hinkler Green can fulfil the important role identified above.

Please indicate your level of support for the following features of the proposed improvements:

Strongly support

Mildly support

Indifferent Mildly

oppose Strongly oppose





Please tick the boxes below to indicate which of these possible design features you would like to see on the entrances:

Shapes of the UK and Australia to visualise Hinkler’s journey

Old-fashioned aircraft

Aeroplane features such as a propeller

“Welcome to Hinkler Green” wording

Do you have any other ideas?

The Friends of Hinkler Green in partnership with Southampton City Council have applied for funds to develop the football pitch area, at the Ellwood Avenue end of Hinkler Green into a “tranquil zone” with a

proposed landscaped walkway, trim trail and new entrance features.

The Environment Centre (tEC) have been asked to consult local residents about the plans in order to encourage involvement in the venture and ensure that any changes are supported by local residents and users of the Green. Please take a moment to answer the following questions and use one of the

return options highlighted at the end of the questionnaire. Thank you for your time.

Bert Hinkler was a famous pioneering aviator who was the first person to fly solo from England to Australia. He worked for many years in Southampton and Hinkler Green is named after him. The new

wrought-iron, welcoming entrance features will be designed to celebrate this aviation heritage.

Please use the following space to sketch a design for the Hinkler-inspired wrought-iron entrance sculptures or to sketch a possible layout for the 3 kick-around goals to be located on the Ellwood side of the MUGA.

In order to maintain the landscaped and planted areas of the Green into the future it is important that local residents and users accept a degree of ownership for its upkeep. Please indicate here if you would be interested in becoming a nature conservation volunteer for this purpose in the future. Yes No If yes, please provide your name and a contact telephone number or e-mail address to be kept informed about this in the future.

If you have any other comments on the proposed improvements to the Green or would like to make any other suggestions, please let us know here. Thank you for taking the time to fill in this questionnaire. You can return your questionnaire to the following FREEPOST address: The Environment Centre (tEC), FREEPOST SO4875, Southampton, SO15 2RA Alternatively, please take your completed questionnaire to any of the following local community buildings who will be pleased to accept it:

Natterbox Community Drop-In centre

East Point Centre (Bob Reeve’s pigeon hole)

High Town Youth Club (Gary)

Thornhill Youth Club (Karen)

Any of the local primary school offices

The Hinkler Pub (Tracey & John)

14 – 15 Brunswick Place, Southampton, SO15 2AQ tel 023 8033 6172 fax 023 8033 6191 www.environmentcentre.com

Registered charity in England & Wales No. 1031482 Environmental Body No. 024168 Company Limited by Guarantee No. 2881225 Vat No. 631 5962 36

http://www.environmentcentre.com/

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