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Medway Wildlife, Countryside and Open Spaces Strategy 2008-16

Greenspace strategy

In January 2008, Medway Council adopted the Wildlife, Countryside and Open Space Strategy 2008-16 (pdf 7,174KB) to provide a strategic framework for investment and improvement in Medway's Greenspace Estate.

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This strategy, produced in consultation with residents and organisations stakeholder organisations has a vision of:

"By 2016, Medway will be characterised by and celebrated for its attractive, distinctive estuarine, down land, woodland and farmed countryside, its rich diversity of wildlife and its high quality open space network. These will be protected to meet the needs of local communities, to improve levels of customer satisfaction and usage and improved for present and future generations to enjoy and use."

To deliver this, the following six key outcomes are identified:

Photo of trees in Gillingham Park

  • provide more high quality facilities;
  • improve monitoring and management;
  • prioritise investments;
  • improve protection and conservation;
  • let more open spaces contribute directly to regeneration;
  • have greater celebration and engagement.

 

To deliver this strategy, the council's Greenspace Development Team is working in partnership with national, regional and local agencies, as well as volunteers and community groups, to inform policy making and funding applications for prioritised improvements to open space facilities.

 

The strategy is delivered through an annual action plan with an annual review published on the council's website every June.

Key achievements since strategy adoption include:

  • delivery of the Big Lottery Fund programme and Playbuilder play investment programmes with resulting increase in satisfaction with play areas from 14 to 53 per cent;
  • development of community volunteering with more than 7,000 hours in 2010/11 financial year;
  • secured four Green Flag awards in 2010;
  • invested more than £300,000 in improving existing allotments and creating new sites;
  • secured developer contributions to improve play provision at Hillyfields Community Park, Copperfields Open Space, Gillingham Park, and Luton Recreation Ground.

For more information contact Greenspace Services by telephone: 01634 306000 or by email: info@medway.gov.uk

Write to: Greenspace Services, Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TR

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