Agenda item

The report provides an update on the Bersted Brooks Park project, including a summary of the stakeholder engagement and public consultation, and outlines proposals to be taken forward.

[Councillor Greenway re-declared his Personal Interest during discussion of this Item]

Upon the invitation of the Chair, the Principal Landscape Officer presented the report, which summarised the project background and provided an update on the Bersted Brooks Park project. This included a summary of the stakeholder engagement and public consultation, and it outlined proposals to be taken forward. The aims of the project were to enhance the open spaces in terms of biodiversity and accessibility for the public. It created the opportunity to mitigate the effects of climate change and flooding. The main messages taken from the consultation were that people were supportive of individual improvement proposals, but there were concerns about including areas of Bersted Park, which largely related to encouraging more people into the residential area and the impact this would have on parking locally. The main responses were summarised in Appendix 2. The principles of enhancing the open spaces were supported by the public, with results showing most people responded positively to the proposals presented. 86% of people wanted to see the creation of natural flood interventions, with 85% of people supporting the idea of wetland planting to improve flood resilience. The masterplan had been changed in response to the consultation feedback, and the new proposed areas were shown in Appendix 5. The benefits of the proposals included increasing accessibility to visitors, creating the opportunity for learning about the natural environment, enhanced wildlife habitats and mitigating the impact of future flooding.

          The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Greenway and seconded by Councillor Bower.

          Members then took part in a debate and the following points were raised:

• Page 27 mentioned ‘Raised walkways / improved access’. It was asked that it be made clear this would improve access for people with disabilities. The Principal Landscape Officer confirmed Officers had taken note of this.
• Could it be confirmed that the ‘Improved Parking’ would make use of permeable surface? The Principal Landscape Officer confirmed Officers had taken note of this.
• Waymarking and signage – could this include a braille interpretation? The Principal Landscape Officer confirmed Officers had taken note of this.
• Natural Play – could this include sensory elements to ensure children would get the most out of this? The Principal Landscape Officer confirmed Officers had taken note of this.
• Clarification was sought regarding the budget for the project. This was provided by the Group Head of Finance and Section 151 Officer, and the detail of this was contained within the Quarter 3 Budget Monitoring Report.
• Support was offered for the masterplan and the positives the project would bring such as flood mitigation, learning opportunities for school children, and it was acknowledged the project was generally supported by the public.
• It was noted that this project was currently at masterplan stage, and changes could still be made.
• There was concern raised about the cost, and Officers were asked to obtain external funding from partners to assist with costs wherever possible.
• It was asked whether an update report could be brought back to the Committee. The Group Head of Environment and Climate Change confirmed Members would be updated on progress of the project.

A discussion took place around the name of the completed project and the Chair suggested this be changed to Bersted Brooks Local Nature Reserve and Park. The Group Head of Environment and Climate Change suggested an alternative of ‘Bersted Brooks’ which was supported by Members.

The Committee gave permission for non-Committee Members to speak. Support was offered for the project in general, however there was concern regarding the section towards the Bersted Park Community Centre, which was a distance from the main site and required people to cross a busy 50mph road. There was also concern people would park at the Bersted Park Community Centre and other locations that were unsuitable. It was felt this area along the South of the A259 did not need to be included, and it would be a concern for local residents. The Group Head of Environment and Climate Change explained that if this area was not included, it would limit what could be achieved in the rest of the project, and would mean these areas would be less accessible. Officers recognised there were concerns around parking, however confirmed there would be suitable locations for visitors to park. Visitors would not be encouraged to park in the Bersted Park housing development area, and signage would point people away from this. One of the reasons for the proposed new area of the project was to encourage people to park elsewhere at the other end of the site. If the area South of the A259 was included in the project, it may make obtaining funding from external agencies more achievable.

          The Committee

RESOLVED

That the revised area of the Bersted Brooks masterplan as shown in Appendix 5, be endorsed