Consultation on the Draft Green Spaces and Playing Pitch & Outdoor Sports
Strategies (2012 - 2026) - closed 21 Feb 2012
Comments submitted on 21 02 2012 by Marilyn Cox, Secretary, Jack Straw's Lane Association,
on behalf of Jack Straw's Lane Association:
Part 1 - Draft Green Spaces Strategy:
• With a predicted population growth for Oxford of 11.3% from the 2010 level by 2026
(p. 4, 1.10), every effort should certainly be made to protect green space available to
the public, given the health benefits/mental health benefits, of such access, and also
the importance of the accessibility of green space for university research and
schools.
• Protection of green space should be considered in conjunction with the City
Councils 'Housing Strategy' and other development plans. There is a limit to
how much further development of any kind Oxford can take without a significant
deterioration in the quality of life of residents. Unreasonable plans for development
will make impossible the Oxford City Leisure and Parks Service Plan 2011-2015's
'vision to [...] enhance the quality of life for everyone living, visiting or working in
Oxford' (p.4, 1.7).
• As regards utilising 'inaccessible green space by opening it up for public
access', or any 'enhancement' of existing accessible green space, care should
be taken to avoid destroying wildlife habitat or plant species in the process.
This applies equally to the suggestion that developer's contributions can help to
'improve the quality of existing green space, so that it can be used more intensively'
[...] and provide access to 'open up new areas of green space to the general public'
(p. 7, 3.2).
Certain parts of these newly accessible areas might need to be protected. Here, too,
pressure of population growth could prove detrimental to the quality of green space
and biodiversity.
• Objective 15: Adapting to Climate Change Table - Aim 4, p. 25 - 'Use water
retaining pellets in flower beds, hanging baskets, shrub beds, to reduce the amount
of watering required' - we endorse this. "Where possible plant perennials and
reduce bedding plants": this is essential. The labour employed in raising, planting
and digging up plants could be more productively employed in other aspects of green
space management. By choosing an appropriate mix of perennial plants, it should be
possible to avoid a large proportion of the bedding plants used in the city's parks and
still create attractive displays throughout the growing season.
• “Local authorities have a statutory duty on biodiversity” (p. 15, 6.4) A particularly
significant aspect of the need to protect biodiversity is the worrying decline of
pollinators: “If bees and other pollinators were to disappear completely, the cost to
the UK economy could be up to £440m per year” - see
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/science_and_environment/10371300.stm
Consequently, efforts should be made to select plants that are particularly valuable in
providing food for pollinators.
• Tree planting to replace the large number of trees felled across the city is important
but to keep new trees alive, a clear plan for watering and after care (checking
stakes, etc) is essential. Perhaps local communities could help with this after-care,
particularly watering. Also, pollarding of mature trees considered a safety risk,
rather than cutting them down, would reduce the number of trees needing to be
replaced at any given time.
• Objective 04: 'ensure that people do not have to walk more than 1900 m to their
nearest Large Park' (p. 10, 4.1). Proximity of green space is essential, if people are to
use it regularly. Also, the beneficial effects of smaller areas of green space,
closer to homes, should not be underestimated. Elderly people who are unable
to go out much (a growing proportion of the population) will get more benefit
from the view of a small green area and trees from a window of their home than
from a large park 1900 m away.
• Dogs left to run in parks off the lead are a problem. Dog mess is unpleasant and a
health-hazard.
• Encouraging work with schools should be given high priority, given the worrying
instances of vandalism in the city’s parks and nature reserves. It would get the
parents involved too, which would bring benefits for the community.
• Allotments – increasing interest in community food growing (Page 9 - 3.6) – need to
maximise use of current sites ‘before any costly changes, such as bringing back
disused allotments, are considered’ (p. 9 – 3.7). But allotments not currently in
use should not be given over to development (for example, those at East
Minchery Farm), given both the inevitable growth in the interest in food growing and
the need for additional green space in the city.
Indeed, the Local Government Association's guidance document, ‘A Place to Grow’
(2010) recommends that, wherever possible, land that has previously been used for
allotments or other forms of cultivation should be kept in a condition that allows it to
be returned to cultivation at a future date. Furthermore, Policy SR8 Protection of
Allotments – a ‘saved policy’ from the Oxford Local Plan 2001-2016, states that
‘where allotments are no longer in active cultivation, development will only be
permitted where […] there is no need for the allotments to be used for other outdoor
recreational purposes’. With the rising cost of food and a growing population, more
allotment space will be required. Once built on, allotments are gone for good!
Part 2: Draft Playing Pitch & Outdoor Sports Strategy
JSLA did not submit any comments on this part of the consultation.
Strategies (2012 - 2026) - closed 21 Feb 2012
Comments submitted on 21 02 2012 by Marilyn Cox, Secretary, Jack Straw's Lane Association,
on behalf of Jack Straw's Lane Association:
Part 1 - Draft Green Spaces Strategy:
• With a predicted population growth for Oxford of 11.3% from the 2010 level by 2026
(p. 4, 1.10), every effort should certainly be made to protect green space available to
the public, given the health benefits/mental health benefits, of such access, and also
the importance of the accessibility of green space for university research and
schools.
• Protection of green space should be considered in conjunction with the City
Councils 'Housing Strategy' and other development plans. There is a limit to
how much further development of any kind Oxford can take without a significant
deterioration in the quality of life of residents. Unreasonable plans for development
will make impossible the Oxford City Leisure and Parks Service Plan 2011-2015's
'vision to [...] enhance the quality of life for everyone living, visiting or working in
Oxford' (p.4, 1.7).
• As regards utilising 'inaccessible green space by opening it up for public
access', or any 'enhancement' of existing accessible green space, care should
be taken to avoid destroying wildlife habitat or plant species in the process.
This applies equally to the suggestion that developer's contributions can help to
'improve the quality of existing green space, so that it can be used more intensively'
[...] and provide access to 'open up new areas of green space to the general public'
(p. 7, 3.2).
Certain parts of these newly accessible areas might need to be protected. Here, too,
pressure of population growth could prove detrimental to the quality of green space
and biodiversity.
• Objective 15: Adapting to Climate Change Table - Aim 4, p. 25 - 'Use water
retaining pellets in flower beds, hanging baskets, shrub beds, to reduce the amount
of watering required' - we endorse this. "Where possible plant perennials and
reduce bedding plants": this is essential. The labour employed in raising, planting
and digging up plants could be more productively employed in other aspects of green
space management. By choosing an appropriate mix of perennial plants, it should be
possible to avoid a large proportion of the bedding plants used in the city's parks and
still create attractive displays throughout the growing season.
• “Local authorities have a statutory duty on biodiversity” (p. 15, 6.4) A particularly
significant aspect of the need to protect biodiversity is the worrying decline of
pollinators: “If bees and other pollinators were to disappear completely, the cost to
the UK economy could be up to £440m per year” - see
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/science_and_environment/10371300.stm
Consequently, efforts should be made to select plants that are particularly valuable in
providing food for pollinators.
• Tree planting to replace the large number of trees felled across the city is important
but to keep new trees alive, a clear plan for watering and after care (checking
stakes, etc) is essential. Perhaps local communities could help with this after-care,
particularly watering. Also, pollarding of mature trees considered a safety risk,
rather than cutting them down, would reduce the number of trees needing to be
replaced at any given time.
• Objective 04: 'ensure that people do not have to walk more than 1900 m to their
nearest Large Park' (p. 10, 4.1). Proximity of green space is essential, if people are to
use it regularly. Also, the beneficial effects of smaller areas of green space,
closer to homes, should not be underestimated. Elderly people who are unable
to go out much (a growing proportion of the population) will get more benefit
from the view of a small green area and trees from a window of their home than
from a large park 1900 m away.
• Dogs left to run in parks off the lead are a problem. Dog mess is unpleasant and a
health-hazard.
• Encouraging work with schools should be given high priority, given the worrying
instances of vandalism in the city’s parks and nature reserves. It would get the
parents involved too, which would bring benefits for the community.
• Allotments – increasing interest in community food growing (Page 9 - 3.6) – need to
maximise use of current sites ‘before any costly changes, such as bringing back
disused allotments, are considered’ (p. 9 – 3.7). But allotments not currently in
use should not be given over to development (for example, those at East
Minchery Farm), given both the inevitable growth in the interest in food growing and
the need for additional green space in the city.
Indeed, the Local Government Association's guidance document, ‘A Place to Grow’
(2010) recommends that, wherever possible, land that has previously been used for
allotments or other forms of cultivation should be kept in a condition that allows it to
be returned to cultivation at a future date. Furthermore, Policy SR8 Protection of
Allotments – a ‘saved policy’ from the Oxford Local Plan 2001-2016, states that
‘where allotments are no longer in active cultivation, development will only be
permitted where […] there is no need for the allotments to be used for other outdoor
recreational purposes’. With the rising cost of food and a growing population, more
allotment space will be required. Once built on, allotments are gone for good!
Part 2: Draft Playing Pitch & Outdoor Sports Strategy
JSLA did not submit any comments on this part of the consultation.