Tag: Parks

Enjoying Edinburgh’s green spaces this summer

Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walker writes about enjoying Edinburgh’s green spaces this summer:

With the warm weather upon us (for now at least!), offering a glimpse of the summer ahead, I feel incredibly fortunate to live in a city like Edinburgh – not least given how much green space we have to enjoy.

With 144 parks and green spaces across the city – making up an incredible 49 per cent of Edinburgh’s total area – it’s easy to see why we’re considered the UK’s greenest city.

Of course, we already knew the positive impact our parks on people’s physical and mental health and wellbeing by providing space for exercise, relaxation, social contact with friends and family, and opportunities for children and young people to play – but the Covid pandemic truly highlighted this.

With 38 of our parks recognised by the Green Flag Award scheme, which highlights the quality of our parks and the efforts of those who maintain them (more than the rest of Scotland put together), it’s a case of quantity and quality. And with more trees per resident than any other UK city (712,000 trees vs. 526,000 people), we’re well on our way to becoming a Million Tree City by 2030.

But there’s always more we can do and, through our Edinburgh’s Thriving Green spaces 2050 strategy, we’re committed to safeguarding, preserving, and improving these areas so that people can continue to enjoy them, and communities feel involved in their upkeep. And through our ongoing partnership with Fields in Trust, we’re working hard to ensure our residents are within a ten-minute walk from a protected green space.

However, while people rightly recognise the value of local parks that are convenient to them, they can become places to be avoided or underused if they feel unsafe or if the facilities are of poor quality.

That’s why, when setting the annual council budget in February, we approved an additional £3.5m investment in our infrastructure and facilities.

This includes close to £1.5m on projects to repair and improve paths, walls and bridges across the city, £800,000 committed to permanent toilets in Leith Links, Meadows, and Inverleith park (with further investment in installing temporary facilities across the city until the end of October), ongoing in play parks, with over £200,000 set aside for the new play area and equipment at West Princes Street Gardens, and a further £200,000 allocated to the introduction of a number of park lighting projects.

Hopefully, this highlights our ongoing commitment to preserving and improving our city’s for now and future generations.

If you’re out and about and enjoying these spaces, can I please ask that you to:

  • Bin your litter: If a bin is full, please take your litter home.
  • Don’t get caught short: Check where public toilets are located.
  • Pick up after your dog: We love seeing furry friends enjoying our parks, but remember, the city is a shared space.
  • Extinguish and bin your BBQ: When enjoying a BBQ, please do not put it directly on the grass, and always fully extinguish BBQs before disposing of them (some parks have BBQ-only bins).
  • Respect our parks and other users: Our parks are for everyone, young and old.

Please help us to ensure our parks and green spaces thrive and remain clean and welcoming for all this summer.

Park Portraits campaign launched to help safeguard our Parks and Greenspaces for the future 

– greenspace scotland announces new photography series to help raise vital funds for Scotland’s parks – 

greenspace scotland is today announcing the launch of Parks4Life: Scotland’s first ever fund for parks and greenspaces, with a goal to raise one million pounds by the end of 2023 to help support Scotland’s parks with a sustainable fund for the future. 

To celebrate the launch of the Parks4Life fund, the greenspace charity is launching Park Portraits, a digital photo gallery bringing to life the stories of a dozen Scottish people and the ways that parks have enriched their lives.

From Aberdeen to Cumbernauld, Edinburgh to Dumbarton, and across to the Hebrides, greenspace scotland has worked with talented Scottish photographer David Anderson to capture soulful portraits of people who exemplify the value that parks provide. 

The funds raised through Parks4Life will be invested to provide an endowment to provide an ongoing source of funds for parks. The endowment will be used by communities across Scotland to support local park improvements, activities and events; making sure local parks from large cities to small towns are nurtured and cherished for the future. 

Parks and greenspaces are amazing places at the heart of our communities. They give us breathing spaces where we can take time out from the stresses of our everyday lives, places where we can relax and spend time with family and friends, and spaces where nature can flourish in the heart of our towns and cities.

Local greenspaces make a huge contribution to our health, our quality of life and our community spirit. And we really love them: each year, Scots make over 162 million visits to local parks and greenspaces.

Free to use, open and available to everyone, parks are great community assets, but not everyone has easy access to quality local greenspaces. 

The Park Portrait series celebrates people from a wide range of backgrounds and uncovers their special reasons for enjoying parks, like Willie Mungall, a veteran Royal Marine Commando who has improved his health with a weekly walking group in Edinburgh’s Saughton Park as part of the ‘Walk with a Doc’ programme led by Health All Round.  

Also featured is Greg Borthwick from Dads Rock, a peer support network for dads in Edinburgh. Greg is thrilled to share his love of the outdoors with other dads and often takes his group to the woods at Roslin Glen.    

Other subjects in the series include ‘fire spinner’ Iga Sobieraj learning her craft in Pilrig Park, a Team Great Britain Paralympian with a pre-competition ritual to clear his head, and three generations of family that visit the park which holds special childhood memories for each of them.  

The Park Portraits gallery is available to view online here. The portraits will also be making their way through some of Scotland’s parks this autumn in a travelling exhibition aimed at inspiring the public to donate to the Parks4Life fund. 

greenspace scotland is inviting park lovers from across Scotland to get involved with Parks4Life by taking their own Park Portrait and sharing their park story here, or by making a donation to the Parks4Life Fund. 

Julie Procter, Chief Executive of greenspace scotland, said: ““Greenspace is a universal service for all of Scotland’s urban residents – we know that access to these spaces is a massive factor in quality of life, and can be a game changer in creating healthier, happier and stronger communities.  

“The Park Portraits project has allowed us to tell the real stories of everyday park users, from those with fond family memories to the volunteers that enable these greenspaces to provide an oasis for their visitors. It’s been an absolute pleasure to hear how many people have a deep connection with their local park and are keen to share their stories. 

“Our hope is the Park Portraits series will inspire other people who love their parks to support the Parks4Life fund by donating, as well as sharing their own park stories online. Together, we can help keep Scotland’s parks in good heart for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.” 

Development of the Parks4Life Fund has been supported by a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Using money raised by The National Lottery, the Heritage Fund inspires, leads and resources the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. 

Donations to Parks4Life can be made online or by texting PARK to 70450 to make a one-off donation of £5. 

People across Scotland who would like to share their own Park Portrait and park story are invited to post on social media using the hashtag #Parks4LifePortraits and submit to the greenspace scotland page here. 

West Pilton Park development meeting

GET INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING EXCITING NEW PLANS FOR LOCAL GREEN SPACE

West Pilton Park Development Meeting

Tuesday 13th June, 5.30 – 7pm at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre

West Pilton Park has received significant funding for development. We need your help to guide issues such as paths & access, play & leisure, nature & wildlife, and security.

Come along, get involved, and help guide the development of your local greenspace.

West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre

West Pilton Parklife

West Pilton and West Granton Community Council

Funding boost for parks lighting

Plans for how over £500,000 for park and open space lighting improvements across the city have been approved by the City of Edinburgh Council’s Culture and Communities Committee.

A prioritisation framework has been developed to identify where lighting improvements could benefit the city’s parks and open spaces for further assessment. The ranking comprises 58 sites across the city with Hailes Quarry Park  considered first for developing a detailed lighting design.

In recent years, requests for park lighting have increased. This is in part due to increased numbers of people having enjoyed opportunities for exploring local parks and open spaces during the pandemic, as well as improving safety within and through parks, particularly for women and young girls who often feel most at risk at night when walking alone in or near open spaces.

The proposed framework follows an audit of the formal paths used for walking, wheeling, and cycling across city greenspaces. The endorsed priority listing will determine the order in which lighting projects in parks and open spaces will be further developed.

Through the councillors’ agreement to allocate this funding, it is hoped the new lighting in these popular areas can help reassure park users and encourage people to visit or travel through parks and open spaces.

However, there are additional considerations to be taken in parks compared to streets and roads as lighting outdoor space has to combine technical solutions with the unique features of green space environments. This can include supporting valuable habitats for wildlife, trees, historic buildings and monuments, as well as spaces for events, sport, active travel routes and traffic-free places.

Each of the proposed lighting designs must also consider improving lines of sight, proximity of entrances and exits, vegetation overgrowth, use of the space, and the importance of routes to local communities.

In order to meet the full plans, match funding will be sought to supplement the Council’s allocation.

The first 10 sites identified for improvements are:

  • Hailes Quarry Park (Sighthill/Gorgie)
  • Gyle Park (Drum Brae/Gyle)
  • Hunter’s Hall Park (Portobello/Craigmillar)
  • Ferniehill Community Park (Liberton/Gilmerton)
  • Roseburn Park (Corstorphine/Murrayfield)
  • Calton Hill (City Centre)
  • Princes Street Gardens (City Centre)
  • Harrison Park (Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart)
  • Leith Links (Leith
  • Pilrig Park (Leith Walk).

Culture and Communities Convener Councillor Val Walker, said: “In Edinburgh we’re extremely fortunate to have nearly 200 parks and open spaces to visit across the city and we want to make sure that they all remain accessible, safe, sustainable and of course open to the public for generations to come.

“Post-pandemic our parks and open spaces throughout the city have increased even further in popularity and continue be essential to modern life in the capital. They also provide havens for wildlife as well as important routes for people to move around the city by cycle and on foot.

“However, for many, these can be unwelcoming places, especially after dark, when fear of crime and concerns for personal safety are heightened. We of course recognise the community’s concerns and the need for these spaces to be safe and accessible for all users so I’m delighted that we are able to progress with illuminating existing paths in many of our parks and open spaces. We know where the first changes will be made but I hope through match funding we can roll these improvements out further across the city.

“We must also of course consider getting the right balance for needs of people and wildlife and steps will be taken to ensure the new lighting is not at the expense of biodiversity.”

Following Thursday’s approval, work will commence on the design of the first scheme for Hailes Quarry Park. Each lighting project in turn will include public engagement in the design process.

New partnership provides more protected green space in Edinburgh

= Nearly two in three people in Edinburgh live in flats compared to one in five in the UK
= One in seven residents currently has no access to private outdoor space

Residents in Edinburgh can be confident that they will always have access to green space, thanks to a partnership between charity Fields in Trust and the City of Edinburgh Council.

The landmark agreement will see the capital’s local authority become the first in Scotland to ensure that around 84% of residents who live in the city, are within a 10-minute walk of a permanently protected space.

Over and above the 36 parks already protected in Edinburgh, the council has committed to safeguarding an additional 19 green spaces across the city.

This initiative comes as pressure on existing green space is set to rise, with the population of Edinburgh predicted to increase by 10% over the next 20 years. 

Fields in Trust will now use a Holyrood reception hosted by Sarah Boyack MSP on 8 February, to call for local authorities, business and communities across the capital to collaborate and back the innovative partnership to protect the city’s green spaces and secure better access to them for generations to come.

The charity also wants to see other cities take the same approach, as the number of people living in cities is expected to rise over the next 20 years.

Overall, Scotland rates 1.21 on Fields in Trust’s Green Space Index against a benchmark standard of 1.0, making it the highest performing of the three home nations covered. However, the City of Edinburgh falls slightly short of the threshold overall at 0.9, with significant variances between wards ranging from 0.1 all the way up to 2.9. 

Helen Griffiths, chief executive of Fields in Trust, said: “We all understand the pressures faced by cities as the world changes. You don’t need to be a research scientist to work out that having access to parks and other green space is good for people’s physical and mental health and well-being.

“Whether you’re playing organised sport or just enjoying the sights and sounds of the park, it is imperative that as cities grow and new homes and infrastructure are built, legal steps are taken to protect these special places over the long-term. Parks do us all a world of good, so it’s up to us – all of us, to protect our parks for good.

“We look forward to sharing our experiences with MSPs and others in Holyrood and showcasing this important partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council, whose enlightened approach will mean that nearly everyone in the city is within ten minutes of a park or green space.”

Culture and Communities Convener Cllr Val Walker, said: “Edinburgh is already a wonderfully green city and we want to ensure it remains that way for generations to come.

“Through our partnership with Fields in Trust we will make sure that almost everyone in Edinburgh will be within a ten-minute walk of a protected green space, ensuring that for years to come citizens are guaranteed a lifetime of opportunity for activity, play, learning, recuperation and community. We hope other cities follow suit.”

Sarah Boyack MSP for Lothian, added:“Green spaces are vital for our mental and physical wellbeing. They offer a break from our sedentary lives and a chance to enjoy our natural environment.

“Green spaces are breathing spaces and should be accessible to everyone, regardless of the area they live, their income or background. That’s why I’m proud to host the Fields in Trust reception at the Scottish Parliament.

“Their campaign is inspiring – the pandemic has shown that green spaces have become increasingly important for people of all ages, whether for leisure or community gardening. We need action so that everyone can benefit from parks, gardens and green spaces across Scotland.”

The first ten parks and green spaces of the nineteen to be protected in Edinburgh under the partnership are:

Inch Park
Muirhouse
Roseburn
Gyle
Pikes Pool
Clermiston
Joppa Quarry Park
Spylaw
Sighthill
Fairmilehead

Record number of Green Flag Awards for Scotland’s green spaces

85 Scottish green spaces presented with a Green Flag Award

At a ceremony in Duthie Park, Aberdeen yesterday (26 July), Keep Scotland Beautiful has announced that 85 Scottish green spaces achieved the international Green Flag Award – and 36 of them are in Edinburgh.

The accolade acknowledges quality green open spaces across the country and recognises those who manage these sites, be they local authority staff, volunteers from the local community, or a combination.

The international Green Flag Award acts as a benchmark for recreational outdoor space. The award celebrates well maintained parks and green spaces and supports the opportunities that they provide to enable exercise, improve mental wellbeing and provide safe areas for play – something that has been particularly important to everyone over the last few years. Across the UK 2,208 parks have achieved the award this year.

Amongst the 2022 award winners are spaces managed by local authorities, community groups and various other organisations including NHS Lothian and Scottish Power Renewables.

Amongst others, first time awards have been presented to Lews Castle Grounds in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis; Ninewells Community Garden in Dundee, and Viewfield Park Orchard in Nairn.

A full list of Scotland’s 2022 award winners can be found on our Green Flag Award webpages here.

Jamie Ormiston, our Beaches and Parks Officer, commented: “I would like to congratulate all of Scotland’s award-winning parks. Receiving this prestigious international benchmark recognises all the hard work that has gone into maintaining and managing these precious green open spaces.

“As the only accreditation for park management of its kind in Scotland, we have supported local authority teams, land managers and communities across Scotland to drive up environmental standards at many of our parks and open spaces for residents and visitors alike.

“Parks attract a diverse range of visitors, all of whom look for different facilities and have different expectations. The Green Flag Award, and the collective expertise of managers and communities across Scotland, drives improvements through a framework which supports the management of our environment, our wildlife and the people who visit. 

“Scotland’s parks and open spaces attract thousands of visitors every year and I’d encourage everyone to #RespectProtectEnjoy them this summer.”

Edinburgh’s volunteers are working to keep our parks green

Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, Culture and Communities Vice Convener, writes about Love Parks Week and thanks the Friends of the City’s parks:

Throughout the last 18 months, our parks and green spaces have been a vital lifeline to many of us during the pandemic (writes Cllr Amy McNeese-Mechan).  

As we hopefully continue to enjoy the summer weather, Keep Britain Tidy’s annual Love Parks Week provides the opportunity to send a rallying cry; to Love, Respect, and Protect our parks throughout the summer of 2021 and beyond.

With an increase in number of visitors our green spaces have been under immense pressure, I would like to use this opportunity to thank not only our parks and greenspaces team for their continued hard work but all those volunteers and friends group whose support has been invaluable. 

For example, the Water of Leith Conservation Trust and team of volunteers have helped maintain the entire length of the Water of Leith Walkway.

Over the last year Friends of Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill funded and installed five picnic benches on their site and Friends of Burdiehouse Burn Valley Park have been fully redeveloping their bothy into a volunteer centre and base with facilities for groups to use.

Our friends have also helped us tackle litter. The Pentland Hills Litter Watch group was created during the pandemic when a group of local residents took it upon themselves to litter pick various locations in the Regional Park.

The Craigmillar and Niddrie Litter Busters was formed online in February and brought together a small group of local people who wanted to help inspire, advise and organise events for community clean ups whilst campaigning and promoting environmental concerns in the Craigmillar area.

They also help to co-ordinate solo or family group litter picks and tidy up local parks and streetscape areas during the COVID lockdown and ongoing pandemic. Our team support their efforts, providing equipment and advice, it’s a fantastic working partnership between the community and Council. 

Friends of Little France Park are a relatively new group, but they were keen to help the parks site officer during lockdown in keeping a close eye on activities in the park and provided feedback to staff working from home.

Regular communications with staff managing the park helped hugely to allow us to be informed and manage what was happening. The passion of the communities driven by local knowledge and love of their greenspaces made this a useful and genuine partnership between council parks officers and the community connected to the park. 

This week we’ll be highlighting more of this amazing work on our social media accounts but I would like to thank them all again. 

I am very proud of all our award-winning parks and of those who work all year round, and in all weathers to keep our parks beautiful. The parks belong to the people of Edinburgh and we’re so grateful for the support from our citizens. 

This article first appeared in Edinburgh Evening News

City council agrees programme of improvements for green spaces

Plans for how over £4m will be invested in parks, green spaces and cemeteries in a programme of priority works being rolled out across 2021 and 2022 have been approved by councillors.

The Parks and Greenspace Investment report follows the allocation of additional capital budget earlier this year and provides updates on projects either planned, already under way or already completed. The approved report also outlines how funds will be prioritised to make key improvements across the city.

Parks, green space and cemetery structures across the city are being surveyed to ensure that the investment is allocated where need is greatest and to ensure that features remain safe.

As well as hearing about completed and ongoing projects, councillors gave approval to progress works that have been identified as priority rated category 1 urgent (within one year) and priority category 2 (essential within one to two years). The works include making improvements to walls, fences, gates, paths, roads, drainage, bridges and tunnels.

Culture and Communities Convener Councillor Donald Wilson said: “In Edinburgh we’re fortunate to have nearly 200 parks, including 34 with green flag status, recreational green spaces and cemeteries to visit across the city and we want to make sure that they all remain accessible, safe, sustainable and of course open to the public for generations to come.

“Through this capital investment programme we will be able to make immediate and important improvements to the places most in need. Funding will be used to help with landslips, mend walls and fences and improve accessibility.

“I’m delighted that we are able to progress with this work and following further detailed surveys will aim to ensure the spread of investment across the city.

Culture and Communities Vice Convener Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan said: “We’ve seen over the past year just how important our parks and greenspaces continue to be and it’s so important that we invest in them – for us, now and for future generations.

“We want to make sure Edinburgh remains the beautiful green city that it is and this commitment will bring those most in need of urgent investment back to looking their best. I’m excited that work can get under way and these surveys give us a plan for the next stages, which will help keep us focused as we make improvements throughout the city.”

Progress on the programme of improvements will be reported to the Culture and Communities Committee in its regular business bulletin.

Voting opens to find the UK’s top ten parks

Scots urged to vote for their favourite Green Flag Award park

Scotland’s treasured green spaces are going to the polls, as the vote opens to choose the UK’s top award winning parks. The People’s Choice vote allows members of the public to have their say – selecting the parks that will be crowned the top ten in the country.

Following expert-led judging, Scotland has 77 parks this year with a Green Flag Award to choose from. These include spaces managed by community groups, universities and local authorities.

The voting is open from 30 October to 25 November with winners announced on 3 December.  To vote for your favourite, simply find it on the map at www.greenflagaward.org and click on the vote button.

Last year, Strathaven Park in South Lanarkshire placed in the top ten for the sixth time in seven years and was awarded the accolade of “Scotland’s favorite park”. This year, parks stretching from the Western Isles to the Scottish Borders are all in with a chance.

Jamie Ormiston, Beaches and Parks Officer at Keep Scotland Beautiful said, “Living through a pandemic has made this year particularly challenging, and it has shown us the vital role our green spaces play to our health and wellbeing.

“The Green Flag Award acknowledges the hard work that goes on to keep these important greenspaces available for us to enjoy. We encourage everyone to vote for their favourite Green Flag Awarded park and we look forward to finding out the results later this year.”

A list of Scotland’s Green Flag Award parks is attached.

Park-list-2020Download