Do you value the green spaces where you live?

Many people take the green areas, such as roadside verges, playing fields, footpaths and parks within their community for granted.  However, unless we look after these spaces they may become damaged or developed, lost under a sea of cars or concrete. 

The Heritage lottery funded Our Green Space project, is working to promote and enhance the cultural, heritage, environmental and community value of open green spaces in Cumbria.  Earlier this month the project  brought together 27 individuals from organisations and councils across the county to explore ways of overcoming the challenges faced by those working to protect, manage and enhance the green spaces within our towns and villages.  The workshop was the first step in a long term process to develop ways to help protect green spaces within towns and villages for the future.
 
There are several ways in which our community green spaces may be protected but there is a lack of accurate knowledge and accessible information for those that manage them.  The Our Green Space project is working to overcome this.  At the workshop Richard Newman, the Environmental Planning Manager at Cumbria County Council agreed to ensure that all planning applications in future would be screened to check for land registered as town and village greens.  This status provides considerable legal protection to these important community spaces.   
 
Another outcome of the day was that individuals and organisations across the county agreed to campaign to place green space issues as a higher priority on policymakers' agendas.  
 
Andrew Forsyth, Executive Director for Friends of the Lake District said:
 
"In these economically challenging times, issues such as poverty and affordable housing rightly take centre stage.  It is essential, therefore, that we all acknowledge the benefits that green spaces provide and recognise the value they can add to regeneration and development in Cumbria so that they are not lost as part of the process."
 
Editor's notes:
Project Summary

Our Green Space is a Cumbria-wide three-year partnership project running from January 2008 to December 2010. The project is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund's 'Your Heritage' grant scheme.

Aims
The Our Green Space project aims to protect, enhance and celebrate the open green spaces of Cumbria's towns and villages and the heritage, culture and environmental values they represent to all.  The project will achieve these aims by supporting and enabling five communities to restore, protect, better manage and celebrate the green spaces where they live. This will include restoration work on the ground, interpretation and access provision and a range of celebratory events and activities engaging the local community and beyond. The heritage and culture of the locale will have been identified, conserved, enhanced and made accessible. The communities will be strengthened and local culture nurtured to establish the heritage of the future.
 
Partners
The project organisational partners are Friends of the Lake District (FLD) and Action with Communities in Cumbria (ACT) and the project is supported by a spectrum of local, regional and national organisations including Cumbria County Council, Lake District National Park Authority, The National Trust and the Open Spaces Society.  FLD and ACT will drive the project, administer the project activities and finances and host the two project officers.

Communities
There are five project community partners representing varied communities across the county. Each community has a project plan to carry out a mixture of groundwork, access and interpretation, historical research, activities and events on and about their green space.

Asby
The community of Great and Little Asby which lies across the fell have devised a mainly historical documentary based project working closely with the village school, local crafts people and volunteers.

Marsh St Arches, Barrow-in-Furness;
Working with schools, youth and community groups to regenerate an old rail yard to create public access and a landscaped community garden to celebrate its social and industrial history

Burgh By Sands (Carlisle);

Landscaping of a new village green for recreation, sports, events, wildlife and access, and to celebrate its cultural and historical importance (Hadrian's Wall, Romans, old Carlisle Canal, Edward I).

Newbiggin (Eden)
Restoration of two wells, and their surroundings for wildlife, access, village events and heritage interpretation.

Wasdale (Copeland) x2:  Nether Wasdale and Wasdale Head
Restoration and interpretation of two Village Greens and celebration of their heritage and culture.
 
Outcomes
The project will enable and empower the communities to make enduring improvements to their areas. It will raise awareness of the issues, and of potential solutions, throughout Cumbria and probably beyond, using the experiences of the communities to illustrate the opportunities that are available to communities. At a strategic level it is hoped to develop a greater understanding, within statutory and other key stakeholder bodies, of the importance, value and potential of green spaces.
 
For further information, please contact:
Carol Douglas or Roe Baker Our Green Space project officers on Tel: 01539 720788.
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.ourgreenspace.org.uk