Acomb Green Improvement Plan

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Acomb Green Development Plan (Draft)

The following draft development plan is based upon the Green Flag Award judging criteria, which is the standard management plan structure for formal green spaces across York, and the rest of the country. These management and development proposals aim to bring together the needs and desire of the local community, the City of York Council Parks & Open Spaces Service, The Friends of Acomb Green and the local Ward Committees. Once agreed, we will all then have a shared vision for the Green that we can work towards. Some of the proposals will take significant investment and so should be seen as aspirations rather than firm management commitments.

Please give feedback either direct to the Parks & Open Spaces Service by emailing rangers@york.gov.uk or calling 0777 194 1155, or go through the Friends of Acomb Green by contacting John Henderson (Secretary) at johnhenderson1971@googlemail.com 

The Plan:

A Welcoming Place:
– Improve entrance at NW corner.
– Add extra flag stones or replace existing flags with crushed stone or other hard surface       
– Improve entrance to war memorial to allow disabled access. Current paved entrance is not accessible. Link path to gate at top of play area to enjoy views across the green    
– Add extra barriers at entrances without them to deter children from running straight onto the roads. Simple 1m wide wooden fence set back from the main fence (as in other areas of the green) would suffice (these need to be large enough for scooters and prams)       
– Add just 1 signs to entrances. Format yet to be decided – whether small signs or full size interpretation panels. No need for more than 1 sign.       
– Install more benches but space these out to deter groups hanging out on them. Utilise the existing bench donation scheme to raise funds. Look at the possibility of adding a path inside the fence, around the perimeter of the green 

Healthy, Safe & Secure:       
– Replace concrete steps and assess the possibility of adding a method of pushing cycles up and down (like on the Cinder Lane path)    
– Replace handrails along steps from southern edge   
– Install handrail along steps on northern edge      
– Resurface path inbetween the two steps
– Maintain the ‘thin’ shrub beds around the War Memorial to keep an open feel to deter antisocial behaviour·    
– Add small signs on the exit (facing out) to warn of exit direct onto roads 

Clean & Well Maintained:       
– Remove the privet ‘Daleks’ (single bushes) from bank on southern perimeter.       
– Remove grass and clear mud from the concrete steps
– Gap up privet hedge around war memorial
– Replace or restore damaged bins and dog bins. Paint red dog bin green, like the others on the green.
– Add dog bin to NW corner entrance      
– Paint railings around play area       
– Clean (and paint??) perimeter wooden fence       
– Asses the vehicular entrance gate (half way along western edge) for suitability of hosting larger events such as the summer fair. Does it need a drop kerb or hard surface?       
– Replace missing bench tops at NW corner and in play area       
– Edge off the turf at borders with shrub beds. Carry out at least annually     
– Longer term plan to improve the play equipment in the play area

Sustainability:       
– Re-use woodchips from trees work on shrub beds in war memorial
– If none available, replace wood chips in war memorial with chips from locally felled trees
– Use peat free grown plants when sourcing new plants 

Conservation & Heritage:
– Plant native Bluebells under trees in SW corner of Green      
– Plant extra trees on the banks along southern and northern boundaries       
– Restore the ‘Silver Jubilee’ memorial in the NW corner      
– Add bird boxes and bat boxes to trees around the Green       
– Remove gappy privet hedges from the perimeter       
– Add wildflower plugs to the bank on southern edge. Try to establish a wildflower bank with suitable native species. To be cut and raked in August. Try for a few years before looking at more radical options of establishment     
– Replace the dated street lights along path across the green with something more sympathetic to the green and local area     
– Where safe and appropriate, leave standing dead wood when arboricultural work is necessary 

Community Involvement:
– Continuation of the Friends group. Expand the group to include more local residents.
– Support as needed by the Parks & Open Spaces Service and Ward Committees
– Improve communications between the friends, ward committees and Parks Service.
– Offer educational sessions to local schools and informal sessions with scout groups etc       
– Investigate the possibility of using Brunswick Organic Nurseries to carry out annual management of the wildflower bank       
– Organise work parties as necessary with the Friends group for practical site management       
– Use the Community Payback Team for some site maintenance tasks such as painting railings       
– Organise one summer fair per year       
– Circulate this document throughout the local community for feedback on a shared vision for the green

Marketing:
– Install one interpretation board for the site detailing various points of interest       
– Improve CYC web site information about the green      
– Friends of Acomb Green to develop a web site       
– Friends of Acomb Green to produce a newsletter (annually or more frequent?) to keep members are residents informed