Introduction by Councillor Barrie Hargrove, Cabinet Member for Public Health, Parks and Leisure.
Introductions by various Green Spaces groups in attendance
Jon Best, Ecology Officer
Q&A followed by ward based workshop discussions on improving local green spaces.
Minutes:
Councillor Barrie Hargrove, cabinet member for public health, parks and leisure, emphasised the importance of parks for all people in the borough. In 2014, the cabinet had agreed to invest significant capital in the parks. In Camberwell, Greendale was being brought back into use. Burgess Park had been transformed in recent years. Camberwell Green was currently being worked on ahead of re-opening in March 2016. The voluntary friends groups were an essential part of the work undertaken on parks and green spaces. As a borough, Southwark had the second highest number of green flags in London.
John Best, Ecology Officer, gave an overview of biodiversity in Southwark. He explained that among Southwark’s natural assets were the following:
- 516 hectares of natural green space
- Over 130 parks and open spaces
- 5 nature reserves
- 57,000+ trees in the public realm.
The five themes of the Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) 2013 – 2019 were:
- Wildlife and ecosystem services
- The urban forest
- The built environment
- Climate change and sustainability
- Connecting with nature.
Several local “friends of” groups briefly outlined their work in the Camberwell area. The groups were keen to recruit volunteers to join in their activities. Among the groups in attendance were:
- Friends of Greendale
- Ben Hill Road Nature Garden
- London Wildlife Trust
- Caspian Street Allotments Association
- Friends of Lucas Gardens
- Friends of Camberwell Green.
The meeting broke out into 3 ward based workshop discussions on improving local green spaces.