Happy New Year 2008 to you all

Happy New Year 2008

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers, friends and associates, as well as our enemies, a very happy & prosperous New Year 2008.

SHOW PROGRAMME CONFIRMED AND SHOW DEALS START TO ADD UP!

Show organiser Brintex has released programme details today for its New Products LIVE demonstration theatre and Sales Improvement sessions.

The demo theatre will run six 20 minute sessions during each of the show’s three days. They will start at 10.30am and run every hour through to 3.30pm.

The team of presenters have chosen products from Everbuild, Mirka Abrasives, Johnstone’s, Mac & Bell, Plug Pal, Olympia Tools, Avon Equipment, RB UK, Wolfcraft, Ali Industries, Sandtex, IBP Conex, Ledco, Butterick, Original Tools, Ironclad, Kinzo and Titan to demonstrate, ranging from peel and stick wall decorations, to a great range of tools and some garden shelving! In addition, they’ll also be on the look out for ‘pick of the show’ new products to bring to their audiences’ attention.

The presenting team this year will be joined by interior designer Chrissi Baldwin, who comes fresh to the show, having just worked with famous TV designers Justin and Colin on their ‘How Not To Decorate’ road show. She is an experienced interior designer and colour consultant for both companies and individuals, and replaces Clare Steel on the New Products LIVE presenting team.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall Presenta Connect will run its Sales Improvement sessions at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. Each session will last 30 minutes, and build upon the information given in the previous talk. Key topics will be ‘What a difference a £ makes’, ‘Big ticket items – yes please!’ and ‘Your till staff – the best sales people you have?’

In addition, candidates for the show’s new ‘Show Super Deals’ display area are coming in, with many exhibitors also confirming the final details of their show offers. The Brintex team is hoping to compile a full list of all the deals around the show to hand out to visitors as they arrive to ensure no-one misses out!

The DIY & Garden Show and Totally Tools take place on the 13, 14 and 15 January 2008 in Earls Court, London. Visitors can register online using either of the show websites www.diyandgardenshow.com or www.totallytools.co.uk, which contain full exhibitor and show information, and gives them a chance of winning a trip for two, to visit the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas!

Small increase in green spaces can offset temperature rise

Scientists at the University of Manchester have conducted a study looking at the effect global warming will have on our major cities, and say a modest increase in the number of urban parks and street trees could offset decades of predicted temperature rises. The study has calculated that a mere 10% increase in the amount of green space in cities would reduce average urban surface temperatures by as much as 4°C.

This 4°C drop in temperature, which is equivalent to the average predicted rise through global warming by the 2080s, is caused by the cooling effect of water as it evaporates into the air from leaves and vegetation through a process called transpiration.

Green spaces collect and retain water much better than concrete, and as the water evaporates from the leaves of plants and trees the surrounding air is cooled. This process, called transpiration, is similar to the human cooling effect of perspiration.

“Urban areas can be up to 12°C warmer than more rural surroundings due to the heat given off by buildings, roads and traffic, as well as reduced evaporative cooling, in what is commonly referred to as an ‘urban heat island’,” said Dr Roland Ennos, who worked on the project with Professor John Handley and Dr Susannah Gill in the School of Environment and Development.

“We discovered that a modest increase of 10% green space reduced surface temperatures in the urban environment by 4°C, which would overcome temperature rises caused by global warming over the next 75 years, effectively ‘climate proofing’ our cities.

“Such a reduction has important implications for human comfort and health within urban areas and opportunities need to be taken to increase green space cover wherever structural changes are occurring within urban areas, as well as planting street trees or developing green roofs.”

Increased green spaces in urban areas would have multiple other benefits, such as increased rainwater retention and carbon capture. Currently most of the rainwater that falls on urban areas is lost as “run-off” through storm drains, which increases the city’s sewage treatment load as well as increasing the need for irrigation. A 10% increase in green space will only have a minimal impact on precipitation capture however, as the overall climate model predicts that towards the end of this century, our summers will be hotter and drier but winters are expected to be wetter. This results in insufficient water during the time of the year when the plants need it the most, which leads to reduced transpiration; effectively cancelling out that benefit of the green spaces. Winters, on the other hand, are expected to become much wetter, producing an excess of precipitation when the trees are unable to use it to their best advantage. In order to maximize the benefits of green spaces, cities would require an infrastructure to store water in winter months to irrigate the green spaces in warmer months. Given the advantages of the cooling effects of the green spaces as well as the air purification benefits, the cost of updating urban infrastructure becomes very minimal.

Additionally, buildings could divert greywater to irrigate green roofs and nearby green spaces, which would lessen the need for city water piping changes, and provide an additional source of nutrients to the plants.

Source: Built Environment, University of Manchester

FELCO TO LAUNCH NEW ESSENTIEL RANGE AIMED AT AMATEUR GARDENERS

Stand F59 - DIY & Garden Show and Totally Tools

Felco are renowned for being manufacturers of world-class garden tools, in particular, secateurs, which are the choice of professionals worldwide. Felco is now setting out to reach enthusiastic amateur gardeners too through their new essentiel range of secateurs.

New for January 2008 and to be launched at the DIY and Garden Show by UK distributors Burton McCall Ltd, the Essentiel range of secateurs offer the same high Felco standards but a lower price point, allowing amateur gardeners to experience the quality of Felco.

Available in two sizes – both with similar cutting ability but one for the larger and one for the smaller hand – they integrate the ergonomics, durability and spare parts concept for which Felco are renowned.

Essentiel secateurs have sturdy red and black coloured handles made of an ultra-lightweight composite material and the cutting heads are a high quality hardened steel. The blade adjustment system is easy-to-use and every part of the Essentiel secateurs is replaceable.

Felco have also invested in the Essentiel range packaging. The stylish try-me anti-theft recyclable packaging allows consumers to try both models for fit, while in store.

Felco secateurs are made in Switzerland, with precision, and each pair comes with a lifetime guarantee against manufacturing defects. Essentiel secateurs have a trade price of £13.80 and a RRP of £24.99.

Patrolling of Parks and Open Spaces

The patrolling of Parks and Open Spaces, regardless of size, should be conducted and carried out in such a manner as for the Ranger or Warden to be able to fully interact with visitors and other members of the public.

Therefore, ideally, any such patrols should be undertaken, in this author's opinion, on foot and/or, where feasible, also by (patrol) bicycle, where, obviously, patrol cycles are available to officers. Where they are not the acquisition and introduction of such human-powered vehicles might be an idea.

I am well aware of recent stories that some police forces are considering, after only just having gotten their officers back onto bicycles, to stop using cycle patrols because of the fact that risk assessments have shown that officers might be able to fall off their bikes and injure themselves. Obviously, there is no such risk with motorbikes then?!? I doubt we will be hearing that the police is going to stop using motorbikes.

Patrols in cars and vans do NOT allow for the kind of personal direct interaction with the public that is possible with foot- or cycle patrols.

The Ranger on foot patrol, or on a patrol bicycle, appears to be and indeed is far more approachable than the Ranger on patrol driving through a Park in a car or van.



Patrolling on foot or on bicycle gives the Ranger a change to interact on a much more personal level with the public by, already, the simple “good day” acknowledgement when passing (other) users of the Park he or she is patrolling. This gives any visitor an opening to a conversation about the Park and its facilities, or to ask questions, or to even report an incident or such.

While the Ranger patrol in a motorcar, or on a motorbike, is able to respond to specific incidents that may occur during its patrol faster than on foot or even on bicycle the level of interaction that is possible on foot or on bicycle is lost when using car or van.

In my opinion, foot- or cycle patrols, especially with “resident” Rangers and Wardens, and the ideal, according to CABE/Parkforce is the return of the “resident” Park Keeper/-Warden/-Ranger to all individual parks, are superior to any vehicle drive-through patrols, for that is what it mostly only amounts to; namely a drive-through and little more.

In more “wild” parks and open spaces vehicle patrols will never reach many of the “dark”, “hidden” and “out of the way” places and cannot (quietly) approach such places. But it is in such areas that are basically unreachable by car where things happen that need policing.

So, let's here it for foot patrols and the cycle-mounted Ranger.

© Michael Smith, December 2007

Creating a greener, safer environment

Trials of Syngenta’s turf growth regulator Primo MAXX carried out by Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council, clearly showed that the product has much wider implications, and can bring environmental benefits when used on a diverse range of areas such as nature trails, green spaces and roadside landscaping.

Mark Dempsey (support services manager) for the council attended a seminar at BTME 2006 and was interested to hear how it was capable of not only significantly slowing grass growth, but also improving the general health of the sward.

Scotts Professional

Keeping plants healthy

Amberol Aquafeed™ Self Watering system keeps plants permanently watered, releasing the vital nutrients in the soil helping keep plant material alive and healthy. They have nation-wide ‘on the road’ product specialist’s available to advise and help choose and design the best floral displays to make every type of environment a welcoming, happy and comfortable place to be.

Amberol

Quality compost: an effective tool

Quality compost: an effective tool against climate change

According to the Met Office, last summer was the warmest extended period in 350 years and for the first time in more than a decade, the government granted three drought orders. Hotter summers, milder winters, storms, and unexpected heavy rain or snow showers appear to be becoming the norm.

With scientists warning of rising sea levels, extreme weather conditions could become ever increasing occurrences. So now is the time for landscapers to adopt methods that will support more effective water usage and, on a broader environmental theme, conserve levels of carbon in the soil. Compost made from recycled garden waste can play its part as a simple and effective defence against some of the challenges of climate change.

Here WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) highlights the key ways in which quality compost can help tackle the effects of changing weather patterns and protect our natural environment.

Retaining soil moisture
Compost improves soil structure through the addition of organic matter, leaving soil better able to soak up and retain water and therefore reducing the frequency with which plants need to be watered.

Taking steps to reduce water usage is a sensible business move and an important environmental consideration in today’s climate. When compared to expensive irrigation systems or time spent salvaging dried out parks, the potential cost and labour savings are very significant.

Cardiff County Council’s parks department has been putting locally made compost to good use in landscaping and seasonal planting projects across the city centre for a number of years. Robert Jones, Parks Maintenance Manager at Cardiff County Council, said: “Last summer was the driest and hottest I can remember in recent years. However, despite the dry weather conditions our flowerbeds thrived. We put this down to compost. Not only does it make the soil much easier to cultivate, but the soil is more friable, drains better and manages to hold moisture in dry conditions which means less watering is needed.”

Preventing soil erosion
Wind, rain, and pounding feet pose a significant threat to the condition of soil and these factors all increase the rate at which soil can erode.

Compost, however, contains the chemical building blocks which are the precursors to the creation of strong soil. Organic matter supports the creation of humic substances which bind soil particles into aggregates. These groups of particles bind to each other more strongly than to adjacent particles, keeping soil grounded and more resistant to erosion.



Counteracting climate change
Compost not only reduces the impact of climate change, it can play a direct role in counteracting carbon emissions. Work carried out by Cranfield University indicates that soils in England and Wales have been losing carbon at a rate of four million tonnes per year over the last 25 years. Soil acts as a huge ‘sink’ for long term storage and cycling of carbon. As organic matter levels fall, carbon is released into the environment. Compost can be used as part of a series of soil management activities to add organic matter to the soil and keep carbon locked in.
Professor Guy Kirk of Cranfield University said, “At least part of the losses we measured were due to climate change. With warmer conditions and changes in soil moisture, microbes in the soil turn over carbon faster, leading to more losses of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and this is a big contributor to global warming.”

A recent study from The Composting Association suggests that adding compost to the soil, and thereby significantly increasing the organic matter within it and helping contain carbon, has the potential to reduce the release of green house gases in the UK by up to 1.4Mt per year. That’s equivalent to removing over a million cars off our road each year.

Availability of quality compost
Quality compost is now readily available and easy to specify thanks to a number of initiatives. For more information visit www.wrap.org.uk

WRAP

Green waste disposal solution

Garden designers, horticulturists and landscape contractors now have an eco-friendly, practical alternative to the traditional skip for the removal, disposal and recycling of differing quantities of project waste.

The HIPPOBAG™ is an exceptionally strong polypropylene waste bag and is available in two convenient sizes – the MIDIBAG and the MEGABAG – and can hold up to 1.5 tonnes of waste.

Once full, HIPPOWASTE™ – the company behind the innovative product – will collect, transport and dispose of the bag and its contents in an environmentally friendly way from across the UK, recycling over 80%.

The HIPPOBAG™ can hold a wide variety of waste including building rubble, grass cuttings, soil, rubble and hardcore wastes.

It is stored flat-packed ready for use so avoids delays waiting for the arrival of skips and you can use as few or as many bags required for the job.

Hippowaste

Pushing Parks Forward conference programme announced

GreenSpace’s next conference, Pushing Parks Forward, focuses on marketing parks. It takes place on Tuesday 20 November 2007 at The Royal Armouries, Leeds, and is supported by IPGS and Leeds City Council.

Paul Bramhill, Chief Executive of GreenSpace, said “Marketing parks is about far more than just promotion; it’s about providing the parks that people want in the way that they want them.

“Pushing Parks Forward will focus on the varied skills and techniques required to successfully market and raise awareness of parks and green spaces.”

Presentations will include:

Understanding park users
Denise Preston, Chief Recreation Officer, Leeds City Council
Finding out what customers want from their parks is an essential first stage of developing a marketing strategy. Denise Preston will discuss the importance of market research, explore different research methods and advise on how to interpret and use the data that is gathered to improve park services.

More than pamphlets and posters
Jane Greenaway, Marketing Officer, Bristol City Council
Marketing parks is about more than just promotion. Jane Greenaway will present Bristol City Council’s holistic approach to marketing, explaining the importance of embedding marketing in green space strategies and providing the type of park service that customers want.

Spinning parks
Tony Leach, Director, London Parks and Green Spaces Forum
Being aware of government agendas and using the right language to align the benefits of parks with government priorities is a useful skill for park managers. Tony Leach will discuss ways of engaging with politicians to make a case for parks.

Engaging with the media
Kate Lowe, Editor, Horticulture Week
A good relationship with the trade press can prove invaluable in getting good publicity for your parks. Kate Lowe will reveal what makes a good story and advise on how to work to maximise media impact.

A range of workshops will look at topics including the role of park events, using Green Flag as a marketing tool, getting the most out of visitor feedback and branding parks. Delegates will also have the opportunities to undertake site tours to two Leeds parks.

Managing green waste

Global warming is the biggest issue which confronts the world today and recycling on any form can only be encouraged. On Top Of That Municipal Park Managers, also face the double edge sword of how to manage green waste issues, and conform to stringent environmental regulations within tight financial constraints all at the same time, Calderdale council in West Yorkshire are proactively managing to find some solutions to this difficult and complex problem.

Calderdale Parks and street section have managed to go a stage further and attempt to collect and turn into useable compost 1000 tonnes of leaves collected on the roads around the borough of Calderdale.

The project has been simmering away for a few years with Mark Dempsey Parks and street Section Support services Manager who states” we initially had the idea after seeing a project in Epping, Essex where a Golf course was being top dressed with recycled compost, other influences over the years have been a visit to Sita’s processing area at Clifton Moor, Preston, an amenity sports trial set up by Bingley sports turf institute and seeing municipal compost production facilities in Voorschoten in the Netherlands”.

The Parks and street section have spent £130,000 on a capital investment to improve Calderdale park depots with schemes such as holding bays for materials used regularly in parks such as horse manure and green waste and address foul and contaminated run off leachates to sewerage and drains. Another significant breakthrough for the section was being allowed to use a facility at Milner road, Sowerby Bridge which was basically a concrete bund 20 metres by 30 metres and 3 meters high. Having this has meant that we can now start to process up to 1000 tonnes of leaf cleaning waste into compost, the process takes only 6 weeks to complete initially mixing leaf waste with woodchip at a rate of 4 to 1, stacking, turning and screening to remove large items of debris and litter contamination, temperatures of 55degree C have been recorded.

“We are already seeking to find alternative storage sites for the processed compost”, states Mark. Recycling Action in Yorkshire granted £20,000 towards the project. The compost material is going to be used in many different ways as end product with most being used as top dressing at two of Calderdale’s green flag parks at Manor Heath and Wellholme. Other uses include to establish wildflower planting schemes.

Calderdale Recycling

Giving young people their own space

Providing young people with a safe and regulated area to congregate can be an important tool in helping to reduce levels of anti-social behaviour and improving community safety.

Popular with local councils and in accordance with The Crime and Disorder Act 1998, Youth Shelters can provide teenagers with a designated area of their own to meet and socialise with friends, which can be easily policed, rather than meeting on street corners, outside takeaways or bus stops.

One recommendation is to design and install a Youth Shelter in consultation with young people, enabling them to feel involved in the project from the start and hopefully lead to long-term use of the facility.

Urban Engineering has worked closely with a number of local authorities in the past, resulting in a comprehensive range of Youth Shelters designed to suit a number of modern urban environments. Urban Engineering can also design bespoke Youth Shelters to meet the requirements of the site or local young people.

Urban Engineering

PET Bottles – The modern Park Keeper's bane

Everywhere that we look in these days in parks and open spaces there are litter bins nigh on overflowing – on a (more or less) daily basis – with discarded PET bottles. The great majority of those come from bottled water – which is a scam anyway – and also to a lesser extent and degree from soda pop, such as Coke, Pepsi, Dr Pepper, Lilt, etc.

Not only, though, do we see empty bottles in the litter bins; nay, even full, often unopened, bottles of water of different sizes are found on a rather regular basis.

While rehydration during any activity, even including simply walking, especially in warn and hot weather (but also during cold and winter), is essential to good health there is no need whatsoever to go and buy bottled water.

Bottled water is NOT better for you than tap water (unless, maybe you happen to be abroad in foreign climes where the local tap water may be suspect) as, as research has shown now more than once by now that much, probably up to 75%, of all bottled water is in fact nothing but repackaged tap water and that therefore drinking bottled water is no more beneficial for you than drinking just plain old tap water. Is is also a fact that the hygiene standard of tap water, say Thames Water's water, is much higher than that of bottled spring water.

It would be more beneficial to both people's pocketbooks and the environment if they'd get refillable sports bottles of a good quality for a couple of bucks and just filled them up with tap water. Why would I pay say 60pence (about US$ 1) or thereabouts for a small 250ml bottle of water if I can fill a bottle up at home for nothing and simply take along with me. That way there is no bottle left behind either for once it is empty it does not weigh much.

But it would appear that people require education on this subject and therefore an educational campaign from the side of parks departments and possibly even organizations such as CABE might be called for.

© M V Smith, May 2007

QUICKFENCE SYSTEM SET TO TAKE THE UK BY STORM

An innovative fencing system manufactured in China is shortly to be available nationally in the UK after initial trials by distributor, B Rourke & Co. Ltd, the Burnley-based wrought ironwork specialists, has revealed a vast potential market.

Initially the ŒQuickFence system will offer specifiers two heights of post and rail system at 1200 mm and 1800 mm, in standard lengths of 2320 mm with flat, bow or spike tops and matching gates. With prices starting from just £31.00 per metre and a quality product manufactured from galvanised and powder coated steel, Rourke's trials have given the company confidence to begin mass imports of the fencing into the UK.

Barrie Ogden, Sales Director of Rourke's Urban Craft Division, commented, "We have been looking for a high quality economical system for some time and met the manufacturer of the system on one of our frequent supply chain trips to the Far East. We have been trialing it with various regional distributors for over a year before taking the plunge!"

"We now have a network of 30 regional distributors, all of whom also offer installation, across the country and are starting to place bulk orders to satisfy the demand that is beginning to develop."

"We were very impressed by the quality of the product and the ease of installation which will allow contractors to rapidly complete projects. The system incorporates an ingenious fixing system which allows angled joints and multiple steps of up to 100 mm per panel and also allows the actual width to be adjusted some 40 mm per panel."

"The potential market for such a cost-effective and easy to install system is huge and we're already supplying our regional distributors with repeat orders only a few weeks after receiving their initial stock. We already have plans for a flexible and Play Safe system to be launched in the middle of the year with several other developments at design stages."

For further details of the QuickFence system and your local distributor, please contact B Rourke & Co Ltd on (01282) 431405

B Rourke & Co. Ltd

Staying safe in the work place

Work and Safety Wear are part of the growing range of products from Course Care. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is part of a range carefully selected and designed to meet requirements of The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 in relation to greenkeepers and all those working in the turf maintenance industry.

The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (PPEW Regulations) came into force on 1st January 1993 with the main requirement being that personal protective equipment is to be supplied and used at work wherever there are risks to health and safety that cannot be adequately controlled by other means.

To ensure adequate protection is afforded to employees and legislation is met, risk assessments should be carried out and equipment carefully chosen and supplied by the employer. Ask your PPE supplier for advice if you are unsure, as various options may be available depending on the nature of the risks involved. All equipment purchased, however, should be ‘CE’ marked and comply with the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2002.

Risk assessments should include the following six main hazard areas. Types of PPE are shown in each case;

Eyes

Hazards: chemical or metal splash, dust, projectiles, gas and vapour, radiation. Options: safety spectacles, goggles, faceshields, visors.

Head

Hazards: impact from falling or flying objects, risk of head bumping, hair entanglement.
Options: a range of helmets and bump caps.

Breathing

Hazards: dust, vapour, gas, oxygen-deficient atmospheres.
Options: disposable filtering facepiece or respirator, half or full face respirators, air-fed helmets, breathing apparatus.

Protecting the body

Hazards: temperature extremes, adverse weather, chemical or metal splash, spray from pressure leaks or spray guns, impact or penetration, contaminated dust, excessive wear or entanglement of own clothing.
Options: conventional or disposable overalls, boiler suits, waterproof jackets and trousers, specialist protective clothing, e.g. Hi-vis clothing, spraysuits, chainsaw wear.

Hands and arms

Hazards: abrasion , temperature extremes, cuts and punctures, impact, chemicals, electric shock, skin infection, disease or contamination. Options: gloves, gauntlets, mitts, wristcuffs, armlets.

Feet and legs

Hazards: wet, electrostatic build-up, slipping, cuts and punctures, falling objects, metal and chemical splash, abrasion.
Options: safety boots and shoes with protective toecaps and penetration resistant mid-sole, gaiters, leggings, spats.

N.B. Hearing protection and respiratory protective equipment provided for most work situations are not covered by PPEW Regulations because other regulations apply to them.

A full range of PPE to meet the needs of the hazards listed above is available from Course Care and staff will provide free advice.

CourseCare

Recycle, Recycle, Reuse it

As we are all aware, there has been a great deal of movement away from using land-fill sites for waste disposal. That coupled with the threat of climatic changes and diminishing sources of raw materials, means we have to recycle any material we are able too.

The greatest component in the waste we all produce is plastic, which unlike traditional kitchen waste will not degrade. Playquest Adventure Play Ltd has striven to improve the structural properties of KLP© recycled plastic; this combined with its resistance to environmental forces has resulted in a material, which is an excellent replacement for timber in most circumstances including a range of play schemes.

Playquest Adventure Play

Why use recycled......?

Low maintenance, durability and cost-effectiveness are important considerations when identifying products for general landscaping projects. There are a number of recycled products which provide these benefits and more.

Specifying these products will also help to achieve sustainability or recycled content targets on landscaping projects and may even help to win tenders.

Some examples of products and applications:

BSI PAS 100 compost derived from garden waste which can be used for soil improvement, turf establishment and repair, top dressing, planting, topsoil manufacturing, or as a mulch;

recycled plastic which can be used in a variety of general landscaping applications including walkways, outdoor furniture, gates and fencing, and paving;

recycled woodchip which can be used as a surfacing material or as natural and decorative mulch;

processed sand made using 100% recycled glass which can be used as top dressing and in root zone construction;

recycled rubber which can be used within surfacing applications, within planting schemes as a mulch or a turf additive, and also (as whole tyres) on larger scale landscaping projects.

WRAP

Parks renaissance faces uncertain future

Date: 6 October 2006

In its latest report, CABE Space has warned that new ways to pay for the long term management and maintenance of parks are needed to give parks longer term security, and to sustain the improvement we have seen in parks over recent years.

Without this funding, parks run the risk of enduring a gradual decline in quality in time - requiring further large injections of capital if they are to be restored again. Local authorities need to explore new methods of paying for ongoing maintenance, and central government should encourage councils to pursue innovative funding methods.

The Paying for parks report points out that although parks have undergone a remarkable renaissance in recent years, maintaining this improvement is a major challenge. The huge areas of new and restored green space due to be created in coming years (as part of housing growth and housing market renewal schemes, or as part of the Olympic preparations) are at risk of an uncertain future unless mechanisms to generate their long term revenue funding are built into decisions being made now.

This research shows that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to funding parks. Different models will suit different circumstances and traditional local authority funding is likely to remain key for most parks. The report considers eight models in use in the UK and elsewhere to fund the management and maintenance of urban green space. It encourages local authorities and green space managers to think more imaginatively about what funding mechanisms might be available to them.