Green Spaces study day - doc.housing.org.uk.s3.amazonaws.comdoc.housing.org.uk.s3.amazonaws.com/Presentations/Alison Weller.… · • 2003 CityWest Homes (ALMO) took over managing

On behalf ofQUALITY HOMES IN GREAT COMMUNITIES

Green Spaces study day


Lillington and Longmoore Gardens has

achieved a Green Flag Award for 5 years

Green spaces study day


• winning London in Bloom in 1999 and 2000

• second place in Britain in Bloom in 2001

• winning the best kept housing estate in Westminster in Bloom

2001-2003

• second in Westminster in Bloom in 2004, and third in 2005

• RHS Neighbourhood Award at London in Bloom 2006 to 2009

• first place for best garden for wildlife at Westminster in Bloom in

2006, 2008

• second place for Best Garden for Wildlife at Westminster in

Bloom 2007

Green Space study day


Green Flag Award

Green Flag Award time line:

• 2003 Green Pennant Award (this was set up to encourage

communities who were improving their local environment,

usually by a dedicated group who volunteered their time. The

estate was managed by a TMO at this time)

• 2003 CityWest Homes (ALMO) took over managing the estate

• 2004 and 2006 First attempts

• 2007 First received the Green Flag Award


Green Flag Award

• It encourages us to continue raising the bar and comparing our standards to parks and private sector gardens as opposed to focussing on social housing standards.

• Also keep us focussed on pursuing the areas we would not normally pursue such as encouraging the biodiversity of the location and encouraging community participation, in particular with the children in the community via linking in with local schools etc.

• We see the Green Flag as a really important measure on how we are continuing to improve and develop the green areas within our stock.

• It also looks nice added onto our set of excellent credentials!!

• Maria Gillies South area manager CityWest Direct


Green Flag Award


Green Flag Award

To achieve a Green Flag Award:

• The site must be freely accessible to the public

• A management plan

• Actions/ projects with a realistic timetable and a budget

• Changes and improvements need to be visible to the judges

• Respond to feed back reports from the judges


In order to achieve the award you need to meet the

8 criteria:

1. Healthy, safe, and secure

2. Clean and well A welcoming place

3. maintained

4. Sustainability

5. Conservation and hertitage

6. Community involvement

7. Marketing

8. Management

Green Flag Award


A welcoming place

The overall impressions for any member of the community

approaching and entering the green space, should be positive

and inviting, regardless of the purpose for which they are

visiting. Features of particular importance are:

• Good and safe access

• Good signage to and in the green space

• Equal access for all members of the community


A welcoming place


A welcoming place

What we do:

• Provide beautiful gardens

• Hanging baskets

• Good for wildlife

• Estate office to meet the needs of the community

• Notice boards-for information for residents and visitors

• Interpretation- to explain the different areas

• Site accessibility- easy assess for all

• Estate provides a green space that improves the health of the

community

• A green space for all the residents and visitors to enjoy.


Healthy, safe and secure



Relevant issues must be addressed in management plans and

implemented on the ground. New issues that arise must be

addressed promptly and appropriately. Particularly important

issues are:

• Equipment and facilities must be safe to use

• Must be a secure place for all members of the community to use

• Dog fouling must be adequately addressed

• Health and safety polices should be in place, in practice and

regularly reviewed





What we do:

• Estate is not gated, so the estate office has procedures in place

to make the community feel safe

• Dogs policy- re homing nuisance dogs

• Estate office has in place Health and Safety policy and

procedures

• Regular safety inspections of buildings

• Fire awareness policy


Clean and well maintained



For aesthetic as well as Health and Safety reasons, issues of

cleanliness and maintenance must be adequately addressed, in

particular:

• Litter and other waste management issues must be adequately

addressed

• Grounds, buildings, equipment and other features must be well

maintained

• A policy on litter, vandalism and maintenance should be in

place, in practice and regularly reviewed





What we do:

• Estate office with well trained staff

• In house gardening team with trainee gardener and volunteers

• Estate services team

• Litter and waste management

• Our response to graffiti

• Standards of cleaning

• Standards of gardening/ horticulture

• Growing our own using our glasshouse

• How we maintain our trees




Sustainability


Sustainability

What we do:

• Improving biodiversity to meet national and local guidelines

• Environmental policy

• Composting

• Mulching

• Recycling green waste

• Minimal use of peat

• Self watering hanging baskets

• Rain water collection off glass house

• Pesticide policy, use of fertilisers and weed killers


Conservation and heritage



Particular attention should be paid to the conservation and

appropriate management of:

• Natural features, wildlife and fauna

• Landscape features

• Buildings and structural features

• These features should serve their function well without placing

undue pressure on the surrounding environment







What we have is:

• Buildings consists of 946 flats

• English Heritage, Grade 2* listing for Lillington Gardens and the

Housing design awards

• A special place in the history of British housing

• Make use of the existing designed landscape

• Biodiversity and nature conservation such as the pond and

perennial meadow

• Planting to encourage wildlife

• Plants and bulbs that provide year round interest


Community involvement





Management should actively pursue the involvement of

members of the community who represent as many green space

users as possible. Management should be able to demonstrate:

• Knowledge of user community levels and patterns of use

• Evidence of community involvement in management and/or

developments and results achieved

• Appropriate levels of provision of recreational facilities for all

sectors of the community





What we do:

• Community consultation

• Residents Association LaLGRA

• Estate Services sub committee

• Pimlico in Bloom and Awards evening

• Garden Club and Children’s growing garden

• Discovering Nature LWT

• Local Service Improvement Compact

• Provision of facilities-playground; youth club; community centre






Marketing


Marketing

Marketing strategy in place, in practice and regularly reviewed:

• Good provision of information to users, e.g. about management

strategies, activities, features, ways to get involved

• Promotion of green space as a community resource


Marketing

What we do:

• The residents and gardeners have opened the gardens for the

London Squares Open Weekend for the last 6 years

• Newsletters, both local, and for Westminster

• Publicity for the estate in local newspapers, Horticulture Week,

Inside Housing

• House Mark, Neighbourhoods Green web sites


Management

A Green Flag Award application must have a management plan

or strategy in place which reflects the aspirations of:

• Local Agenda 21

• Clearly and adequately addresses all the above criteria

• Addresses any other relevant aspects of the green space’s

management

• Plan must be actively implemented and regularly reviewed

• Financially sound management of the green space must also be

demonstrated


Management

There is a 5 year management plan for the estate:

• It reflects CityWest Homes purpose, vision and values

• Shows how we achieve the criteria

• Our achievements so far

• Our projects and actions with target dates

• Response to judge’s feedback report

• Maximising funding

• Value for money

• Copies of policies

Documents

Green Spaces study day - doc.housing.org.uk.s3.amazonaws.comdoc.housing.org.uk.s3.amazonaws.com/Presentations/Alison Weller.… · • 2003 CityWest Homes (ALMO) took over managing