1.  Minutes of last meeting:   OK.

2.  Various Issues: We discussed our views on a range of matters that were due to come up later in the agenda when Council officers would be present. This included advertising, parkforce, Review of how to strengthen Friends Groups and Friends/ Council partnership working, Open Space Deficiencies, Contractors, Encroachment into green spaces, See more detail below.

3. Events in parks: The proposed new forms are being trialled till September. Any concerns/views should be fed back to our email list and Martin Hall (Parks Dept).

4. Parks Signage:  The parks dept want Friends group's emails/websites on new signage in parks (eg the recent Chestnuits Park signs). It was agreed that if a local Friends group dont have any contact/website then the Friends of Parks Forum website could be substituted. Its up to us all to help Catherine update our site!

5. Our website and elist:  Catherine of Woodside Park is now managing our elist, and our new website: http://haringeyfriendsofparks.org.uk. Please use them! If you need to please contact her: info@haringeyfriendsofparks.org.uk

6. Community Link Forum and the Better Places Partnership: The Friends Forum has helped set up the new Community Link Forum, and there are now in place new arrangements for electing reps onto the the Better Places Partnership Board. There is a provision for co-optation of strategic borough-wide organisations (like ours), which we have asked for. But this has not been sorted out, despite our efforts. Hence at the moment there is no longer any representation on the Board speaking up for parks.

  --  LBH reps joined the meeting  --

7. PARKS REPORTS

Paddock:  Illegal campers have now left. A weasel has been sighted.

Ducketts Common:  New play facilities planned. Problem with EDF not fixing the supply for the lighting on the basketball court. Friends group need keys to noticeboards.

LBH Response: Lighting will be fixed. Keys will be sorted out. Tree officer will discuss tree issues with the Friends.

Lordship Rec:  After years of effort from the Friends, and partnership working with the parks dept and others (via the Lordship Rec Users Forum chaired by the Friends), the Heritage Lottery Fund have agreed, subject to conditions, to hand over £4.1m grant. The centrality and strength of community involvement was noted as a key factor in this decision. Now the work really starts to ensure that the £2.5m additional match funding is raised, plans are developed, and the works are completed satisfactorily in 2011/12. Friends held a celebration day to promote the new path and features they created through the woods. Started planning for this years Festival (Sept 13th).

Downhills Park:  Their recent bulletin noted a whole range of positive improvements and activities, including bulb, tree and shrub planting, completion of new paths for recreational cycling and walking, a reconfigured and safer entrance, new steps, and new conservation areas. But concerns: the bid to the Big Lottery Fund for a new building to replace the demolished Bowling Club pavillion was turned down, but the Friends are pushing for other possibilities; main entrance is poor; new railings needed; bureaucracy unneccessarily restricting use of the ex-wardens cabin for Friends meetings.

Chestnuts Park:   The new playground, youth facilities, paths and terrace area around the cafe all completed successfully - the culmination of years of effort by the Friends and the Chestnuts Park Strategy Group (chaired by the Friends). Friends are co-ordinating the launch festival for the improvements on May 10th.

Muswell Hill and Coldfall Woods:  Friends group doing OK. Woodland has been 'opened up' lately. Not enough activities in the woods for youth, leading to anti-social activity problems. LBH respond that some recent 'S106' planning gain funding could be channelled into new facilities, including some youth provision. A 'masterplan'/vision for the space is needed.

Crouch End Open Spaces: Have recently planted flowers, made steps, and are improving the paths. Some problems with drink and vandalism. Controversial 'cricket club' now have drinks license till 3am, despite local residents' protests.

Priory Common: The daffodils which the Friends planted now look great! Are planting 2 new fruit trees. Took part in borough-wide walk through parks and conservation areas.

Finsbury Park:  Friends organised a children's easter egg hunt. Have some funding for a Users Forum. Issue of who is best to manage a former toilet block converted to an arts space.


8.  Advertising    There was concerned expressed again about the Council's plans to erect advertising boards in flower beds around the borough and sell space to private companies. John Morris stated that this had arisen as a result of recent cuts in funding for parks, but it would not be used on parks' flower beds - just roadside verges etc. However it was still felt to be highly inappropriate and a retrogade step, and one in which there had been no consultation with Friends groups or the Forum. A press release about this had been sent out and some publicity achieved for the Forum's concerns.

9.  Parkforce    The reorganisation of staffing arrangements, and abolition of the parks' constabulary to ensure more on-site staffing, is still awaiting approval by the Council cabinet. John Morris explained things further, including:

- an extra 9 1/2 posts should be created
- staff will be encouraged to work with community, and be 'flexible'
- the expanded role for BTCV and volunteering
- the arrangements for the Met Police and local Safer Neighbourhood Teams to take over the enforcement work of the parks constabulary (including a special SNT, with a remit to focus on parks, to be based at Finsbury Park).
- 'area-based working' in which Council officers in various Area Assembly areas are now expected to work together to improve community involvement and general management of services (including parks) in that area. Some of the new park's dept areas dont quite correspond to the Area Assemblies due to differences in volume of open space and for staffing reasons
- cafes in parks to have a greater role
- the new Volunteers In Parks scheme which was being floated as an idea

Regarding the last point, there was some concern expressed that last time this was proposed a few years back it collapsed as volunteers became disillusioned that they were seen as para-enforcement patrols. John Morris said that this was definitely not the case this time round, and that he would drop the words 'Community Wardens' in favour of Volunteers if that clarified things... it was an idea being floated to encourage people to get actively involved in a range of volunteering to improve their parks, working with BTCV on various projects.

The Friends were also keen to ensure the parks dept would continue to make small grants available to them each year for certain activities. John said this would continue (£30,000 total?), plus there may be an extra £30,000 of 'area based grants' in future. To be clarified...

It was agreed that aspects of the Parkforce proposals above could be still be discussed at the next meeting and views fed back to the department.

10.  Finances for parks: John Morris explained the complex 'Capital Improvements Programme' for parks, which included specific resources set aside for sites in greatest need, plus mainstream funding for basic infrastructure. There was a Strategic Annual Plan, but he was open to the idea of a 3-5 year plan. He was happy to discuss this all with the Friends Forum. We responded that we would be happy to discuss financial strategies but are committed to supporting all parks and open spaces and so would need to remain strictly 'neutral' over what should be earmarked for which spaces. The basic issue is there clearly needs to be a greater level of funding.

John Morris recognised that Friends groups are central to the development of local Management Plans for each park. In the future neighbourhood management and other officers and community groups in each Area Assembly area will produce broad Area Plans for a range of improvements throughout their areas (neighbourhoods, parks, shopping streets etc).

11.  Review regarding strengthening Friends groups and Friends/Council partnership-working:  We were looking forward to the report from Ashley Gray.

12. Open Space Deficiencies:  In the light of the new Standards for Open Space Provision binding on all major development in Haringey we felt it essential that LBH Recreation Services have a dedicated officer to ensure and co-ordinate the maximum benefit from 'Section 106' planning agreements (including promised revenue and capital funding, improvements to existing open space, and identification and a register of potential new sites all over the borough where new public open space, pocket parks and nature reserves can be created). John Morris agreed and said he would try to identify whose responsibility this could be.

13.  Contractors In Parks:  As previously discussed John Morris agreed to look into some kind of review of issues to do with contractors in parks - policies, supervision, contract clauses, best practice etc.

14.  National Open Spaces Forum:  This new national network of local area Friends Forums like ours is now up and running. Dave Morris has helped set it up and is currently the London area contact for the NOSF. We agreed he should continue as our 'external liaison / link' officer.