Sustaining success in parks
A rapid evidence review of successful methods of working for local authority parks teams.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
Islington Council and Leeds City Council are widely known in the parks sector as having thriving parks services that contribute effectively to their communities.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) funded research into how they have achieved this, in order to share best practice with the sector.
In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with officers and elected councillors from Islington Council and Leeds City Council, and with representatives of community organisations that work with the councils, as a primary method. Additionally, a web-based survey and focused document analysis were used as secondary research methods. Council officers and interview participants from community organisations distributed the survey on behalf of this review.
The review outlines recommendations to both local and central government as a result of its findings. The recommendations highlight government actions which would be beneficial to improve quality of and access to parks and green spaces for communities.