Have your say on Haringey parks supervision plans
Thursday 7 August 2008
Residents are being invited to give their views on Haringey Council proposals to increase supervision at parks across the borough by filling out a new questionnaire.
In April this year the council agreed in principle to introduce a new "Parkforce" scheme, which would see the Parks Constabulary replaced with an alternative partnership system.
The proposals, drawn up with input from the Haringey Friends of Parks Forum and individual Friends groups, include a major increase in the number of parks staff within the borough's parks, along with much closer working links with police Safer Neighbourhood Teams, other agencies and local residents.
The council hopes this increased supervision will make parks more welcoming and safer places, and so encourage more residents to make use of them throughout the day.
Now residents can learn more about the proposals and give their views by filling out a new online survey at www.haringey.gov.uk/parkforce.
Alternatively, you can request a hard copy of the survey by calling Haringey's Parks Service on 020 8489 5662 or emailing parks@haringey.gov.uk. The questionnaires will also be made available at cafes in Finsbury Park, Priory Park, Albert Road Recreation Ground and Bruce Castle Museum.
The deadline for responses is Friday 26 September.
Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Lifelong Learning, Cllr Dhiren Basu, said:
"The new Parkforce scheme is quite a radical change from our previous staffing and policing system and we would welcome as much feedback as possible on our proposals.
"These plans are all about trying to reduce crime and fear of crime in our parks. There is no doubting the dedication of our current Parks Constabulary officers, but it is unrealistic to expect them to effectively police more than 600 acres of open space in the borough.
"Instead we want to make greater use of the police's ward-based Safer Neighbourhoods Teams, while also increasing our own staffing levels in parks and developing much closer working links with voluntary organisations.
"Haringey's parks are among the best in London. We're proud of them and we want more people to use them. But we're very aware that currently some people are reluctant to go into their local park at certain times of day because they feel that no one is around to supervise it. That's what we're trying to address through these plans.
"But we'd now like to hear the views of residents. I would encourage everyone to fill out the new questionnaire to tell us about your experiences and the improvements you would like to see."
The new Parkforce scheme is supported by the Metropolitan Police and is in line with government policy to encourage more people to make regular use of parks.
It would be administrated through five new parks zones, linked to current Area Assembly areas and based on the number and area of open spaces in each zone.
The scheme includes:
- A new cross-borough Parks Response Unit (managed by the Metropolitan Police) based at Finsbury Park, to support Safer Neighbourhood Teams across the proposed five new parks zones.
- Outreach Officers covering each zone, responsible for delivering a wide variety of programmes and activity across the five Parkforce areas, such as conservation works, organised sports sessions, supervised play and arts activities.
- Increased frontline parks staff (more than 17,000 additional hours per year) to engage with users, Friends Groups and Safer Neighbourhood Teams and provide increased presence at the busiest times of the year.
- Plans to work with the Parks Friends Forum to establish new Parkforce Community Warden volunteering opportunities, aimed at monitoring and improving standards.
The council has also agreed to enter negotiations with Hackney and Islington councils around funding for more police officers for Finsbury Park, which borders both boroughs.
A final decision on the Parkforce proposals is expected to be made by Haringey Council's Cabinet later this year.
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