Parks and open spaces strategy consultation 2023

Share your views on Portsmouth’s parks and open spaces. This consultation will determine how parks and open spaces will be maintained and protected over the next 15 years.

Read the full draft document (the full suite of documents are available below at ‘View the strategy documents’), which lays out the themes and priorities that the council has identified, and give your response in the survey.

This survey is open until 11:59pm on Wednesday 19 April 2023.

The Parks and Open Spaces strategy identifies current policy priorities for parks and open spaces in Portsmouth and how we will plan our spaces in the future.

Portsmouth’s previous strategy ran from 2012-2022, so this now needs to be refreshed. This new strategy looks ahead to the next 15 years. It is part of wider plans both nationally and regionally to protect parks and open spaces, most notably under the Environment Act 2021, National Planning Policy Framework, Public Health England, Partnership for South Hampshire and Wilder 2030 (Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust)

The strategy covers:

• the role of parks and open spaces
• the current position in the city
• the action principles for moving forward
• an overview of some of the city’s principal sites

The strategy does not include all the actions that need to be carried out as these are embedded in individual sites’ operational plans.

View the strategy documents

In developing the latest draft strategy, the council has:

• Undertaken over 180 site quality audits of the city’s parks and open spaces
• Undertaken over 110 assessments of playgrounds, also known as ‘play value assessments’
• Considered other local authority parks and open spaces plans and priorities
• Reviewed the latest relevant national guidance, strategies and plans
• Received insight from local residents, via online surveys and ‘conversation’ events at two of the city libraries

Taken into account learning from the pandemic

The strategy will be an important document in the management of the city’s parks and open spaces. It will assist with:

• external funding
• grant applications
• how the council prioritises its spending for its parks and open spaces
• influence decisions that are taken across wider city services, such as planning and development, for example.

For the new draft strategy, the priority themes that have been identified are:

• Parks as community spaces
• Parks for celebrating and protecting our environment
• Parks as spaces for lifelong learning
• Parks for our health and wellbeing
• Access to parks and open spaces
• Safety within parks and open spaces
• Resourcing parks and open spaces

From these themes, we have identified the following action principles:

• To ensure that all communities are welcome to use our parks and open spaces
• To protect biodiversity, tree coverage and increase wildflower habitat
• To support Parks Friends, volunteering and opportunities for children
• To provide opportunities for outdoor fitness and the enjoyment of flora and fauna
• To provide welcoming spaces for all users
• To provide safe facilities for all users
• To financially resource our parks and open spaces

After Wednesday 19 April 2023, we will review all the results and consider what they mean for the draft strategy. Where we need to make changes to reflect consultation responses, we will do so. The final draft document will then be presented to the council’s Cabinet. Where agreed, the Cabinet will then recommend that this is adopted by the council.

We know that not everyone is happy using electronic surveys.

Call our friendly team on 023 9261 6708 if you prefer taking part over the phone. The phone line is open Monday to Friday, 9am-4pm.

You can also send your response in writing to:

• Parks Consultation,
  Cultural Services, Fifth Floor,
  Civic Offices, Guildhall Square,
  Portsmouth, PO1 2AL.

We must receive your comments by Wednesday 19 April 2023.

For more information or any questions, you can contact the parks and open spaces team at parks@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or culturalservices@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or by telephoning 0239 283 4180.