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Green Spaces Management Plan

Sticklepath Green Spaces Management Plan 2023-26

Report to Sticklepath Parish Council 5th December 2022 

Cllr Sales       Cllr Moore

Background

In 2020, it was recognised that there needed to be a review of the way that the Parish Council (SPC) addressed issues around green spaces within the Parish. Some of these areas have been the direct responsibility as assumed by the PC, i.e. the additional grass cutting of west end verges.

However, some of the verges and green spaces are managed by DCC Highways or West Devon Borough Council (WDBC), whilst the parish contains some green spaces/edges that have no ownership and which have been managed informally.

SPC accepted the Devon Climate Emergency Declaration in September 2019 and has subsequently reviewed ways in which they can promote actions which respond to environmental risks. There have been subsequent attempts to find new ways to manage green spaces and to control of weeds on pavements and kerbsides.

Devon County Council is now encouraging communities to manage verges for wildlife where safe to do so and not in conflict with health and safety management of verges.    (https://www.devon.gov.uk/environment/wildlife/managing-verges-for-wildlife )

DCC have the responsibility to ensure that there is safety on highways, including visibility splays for the safety of road users. Within this they get the support of, or delegation to, a District or Parish Council.

Subsequently councils are looking at ‘wilding’ and a reduction in verge cutting across much of the county. It is acknowledged that there are also some pressures on public spending for this at all levels.

SPC designed a community consultation exercise which was aimed at securing views on how our residents would like the village green spaces to be managed. This took into account views about what the SPC could manage themselves or through volunteers, and how SPC might influence other agencies. The exercise was delayed by the pandemic and wasn’t completed until the Autumn 2022.

The consultation would assist SPC to decide on the following:

  • Management of the highway verges
  • Weed control on pavements and the highway
  • Design for open spaces.

 Consultation responses:

Verge cutting

SPC could not expect total consensus in the responses. However, within a 5% return from residents, 50% voted for an Autumnal, single cut programme for the verges for which SPC have assumed responsibility. However, these responses included suggestions:

  • Ensuring safe sightlines for traffic, which remain the responsibility of DCC Highways
  • Adequate/expert management of verges: weed and grass control, planting wildflowers etc
  • Mown paths for access and to indicate that the changes were being managed.

30% of respondents preferred 2 cuts to the verges i.e. Spring and Autumn. Responses included the suggestion to delay the Spring cut to allow wildflowers to be pollinated and to seed.

20% wanted verges to be mown regularly to present a tidy and cared-for village.

Other suggestions were made:

  • To manage Oak Tree Green with one cut, but with managed/mown ‘desire line’ rides/paths ( This would require SPC negotiating with WDBC)
  • Maintain village planters but with Village Workdays to clear ‘west end’ bus stops
  • Repair Sticklepath road signs ( referring to DCC Highways)
  • Encourage wilding in less used areas of the playing field and burying ground

Management of pavement and kerb weeds etc

There was a strong response for not resuming the use of herbicides by SPC. There was some preference for the use of pelargonic acid, but the strongest response was for manual weeding.   Many suggested:

  • That residents be asked to weed the areas adjacent to their own properties
  • That 2 village workdays be organised each year to include weeding of public areas by volunteers

There were not many references to the Road Warden scheme, but where it was mentioned, it appeared to involve the role as a coordinator for volunteers.

It should be noted that there was also no consultation relating to Sticklepath Moor, although one respondent noted that a well-attended annual village workday has maintained an improved, sustainable ecosystem therein, with the guidance of the Dartmoor Ranger.

Other suggestions included:

  • To manage hedging that obstructs pavements/paths, SPC should consider:
  • Issuing a reminder to homeowners whose hedges encroach
  • Village Workdays to cut back hedges/overhanging branches in public areas.

 Other considerations

SPC has valued the responses and suggestions but has other considerations: including the Devon Declaration and our limited budgets:

  • SPC uses a contractor for 2 verge cuts per year with a projected cost of £160 pa
  • Billy Green mowing costs £110 pa
  • The Playing Field requires more regular grass cuts = £750 pa
  • SPC has been successful in securing some grants from DCC Highways in previous years, to support the maintenance of the verges. However, this is now not possible as DCC does not prioritise that sort of grant to this area.
  • WDBC have not informed SPC of any changes to the contract for Oak Tree Green, but it appears that the frequency of cuts has reduced or has been delayed.
  • SPC will not know what our precept will be for next year (including the amount that we receive from the Local Authorities) but SPC can expect cuts from above, and inflationary pressures on its current spending.

 Options

I. More regular verge cutting. Even if SPC could arrange for volunteers, including a Road Warden, to do some of this mowing, having more verge cutting than we have now would not reflect the majority views in the consultation, and would take SPC further away from the spirit of their Climate Declaration, and overarching Devon County Council policies. SPC is not in the position to be able to afford increased frequency in verge cutting.

II. To maintain the prevailing pattern of maintenance/verge cutting in the Spring and Autumn is probably affordable within the SPC projected budget. There have been no suggestions that SPC should reduce the number of cuts to the playing field. Although there were some suggestions that parts of the playing field could be left/managed as wild, it is unlikely that this would reduce costs for a contractor attending regularly but cutting slightly less. Billy Green could be left completely or partially wild.

III. To reduce the verge cuts to once a year. This could make some reduction in the budget, although SPC appears to have a financially favourable agreement, at the moment. SPC has not yet issued a new contract which would be the opportunity to determine whether possible savings could be made or redirected into other maintenance patterns. However, most positive responses noted that there would still need to be an understanding with DCC Highways to ensure that safe traffic sightlines/roadside splays were mown sufficiently. The same responses often recognised the need for further active involvement to tend and promote biodiversity, alongside maintaining an appearance of care.

IV. Most of responses highlighted the preference for SPC not to use herbicides on pavements, kerbs or other public spaces. Whilst SPC have tried less invasive sprays ( soap/vinegar) and Pelargonic Acid; the former was ineffective and the latter was only partially better, and proved to be very expensive at £620 pa. However, it is clearly recognised that the recent appearance of the village, and the condition of the tarmac/slabs on roads and pavements is not acceptable to many. The conditions can prove dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists, and these can also become a future repair cost.

V. Allied to Options III and IV. There is potential for a change in maintenance of verges and kerbsides but only if volunteers can be secured and appropriately supervised. SPC has placed some reliance on its Agreement with DCC to appoint a Volunteer Road Warden. This role has been described elsewhere, but essentially they can provide coordination for volunteers’ maintenance of roads/pathways in the widest sense ( potholes, weeding, verge maintenance, litter etc).

VI. Finch Meadow is the responsibility of the National Trust (NT), but SPC continues to liaise with NT on their plans to manage the area which remains important for the Parish. Beyond it, Billy Green is not owned by anyone, and there have been SPC attempts to facilitate volunteers to manage the area for wilding. However, there has not been sustainable management or plans that could achieve positive, sustainable change. There may be potential to reduce contracted grass cuts therein, and to have volunteers strim designated paths to the benches. Some of the appearance could be improved by ongoing voluntary management of the footpath and drainage from NT Finch Meadow.

VII. The design for future management of Oak Tree green space and the Millennium area might well be for planned wilding which includes mown paths, weeded edges and considered planting. WDBC could be persuaded to share in this development, with some dedicated local volunteers planning and maintaining the area.

VIII. SPC has very little responsibility for boundary hedges that might impede highways or byways. This is a DCC responsibility, and they can take action to ensure property owners manage their boundaries. Where there a number of concerns raised, SPC may provide informal advice to the property owners. Similarly, where hedges/trees are boundaries to public areas, SPC may assess the risks and to whom responsibilities might lie before actions are considered.

Proposals for SPC

  1. To negotiate a new contract for one verge-cut in the Autumn of each year for 3 years.
  2. To contract for the existing number of grass cuts to the playing field for 3 years.
  3. To seek further views re wilding of parts/edges of the Playing Field and Billy Green.
  4. To appoint a Road Warden to coordinate a group of volunteers to assist with the maintenance of the highways ( as per the DCC Agreement ) and potentially to promote volunteer work programmes for verges and for pavement/kerb weeding.
  5. To encourage the organisation of 2 Village Workdays: completing tasks on Sticklepath Moor but also tending green/public spaces not managed within proposals 1-2.
  6. To launch a public awareness campaign to encourage residents to weed areas adjacent to their properties and to maintain hedges appropriately.
  7. To seek a volunteer group to submit plans for the maintenance of Billy Green as a managed green space.
  8. To negotiate with WDBC re the green management of Oak Tree Green i.e. reduction in grass cutting, creation of desire line paths, boundary weeding.
  9. To seek/confirm volunteer groups to manage maintenance of the Millennium Seat area and Ladywell.
  10. To adjust the projected budget for 2023/24 to reflect any expenditure savings from the above and potential budget redirection into other verge and green spaces’ management.