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Cabepage 23
housing growth area in the Government’s Sustainable
Communities programme. A strategic approach to the
type, location and standard of green space is essential
in ensuring that both existing and new residents have
access to the best possible parks and open spaces.
CABE Space has appointed two advisors to assist
Gateshead Borough Council in preparing its first green
space strategy. Through a substantial grant from the
Heritage Lottery Fund, the council has already
embarked on restoring Saltwell Park, one of its finest
Victorian parks. Work on the strategy will endeavour to
Harlow’s green spaces are set to
serve a growing population
Gateshead is making plans for its parks to
become better suited to users’ needs
put this project within a strategic framework that
addresses a wider range of green spaces.
Advisory work during the next few months will focus
on the process of auditing Gateshead’s green spaces
and a stakeholder visioning workshop to explore how
the city’s significant park heritage can meet
increasingly diverse needs and expectations.
The enabling programme and its training days are
fully subscribed for this financial year although it is
planned to continue the scheme next year to assist
more local authorities.
“CABE Space aims
to significantly
increase the number
of councils with a
green space strategy
and to ensure that
new strategies are
robust and effective.”
CABE Space’s current programmes:
Policy and Research
• all of CABE Space’s work to be underpinned by
empirical research and clear policy positions,
aiming to demonstrate the value of parks and
urban public space
• three current research projects (findings to be
published from spring 2004 onwards):
• examination of the economic value of high
quality parks by looking at their beneficial impact
on local residents, businesses and services
• investigation into international practice for
transferable lessons to improve maintenance
and management
• a bringing together of the wealth of existing research
on the benefits of high quality urban public space
Enabling and Delivery
• running an advisory scheme to provide expert
assistance to local authorities and other open
space providers, with the aim of driving up the
standard of England’s public realm; green spaces
are the focus this year
• offering detailed guidance to 30 local authorities
preparing green space strategies
• assisting a further 60 local authorities with their
green space strategies through training days
• green space strategy good practice guide to be
published in spring 2004
• providing assistance on up to 10 individual sitebased
open space projects across the country
Standards and Best Practice
• publishing good practice guides with the aim
of raising the standard of parks and open spaces
in England
• first two guides to be published in April 2004:
involving young people in the design and
management of urban open spaces, and a framework
for the management of individual green spaces
• establishing national standards to measure the
quality of parks and open spaces with CABE
Space’s partners, particularly through development
of the Green Flag Awards Scheme
Campaigns and advocacy
• running campaigns in national and local media to
raise aspirations for urban open space
• the ‘Wasted Space?’ campaign run in autumn 2003
highlighted derelict and disused urban spaces,
attracting over 2,000 nominations around the country
• a campaign is in spring 2004 will encourage
communities to get involved in improving their
local environment