Sheffield City Council will spend £380,000 on improving at least 11 more parks across the city, in the next financial year.
More than 800 parks and green spaces across the city are maintained by Sheffield City Council, providing important leisure and recreation facilities to people in all areas of Sheffield.
The council is working with local communities to support much-needed improvements at 11 parks and green spaces, to make them safer, cleaner and more accessible, for everyone to use and enjoy. Ten of these locations will also see improved play and recreational facilities with the aim of encouraging children and families to be more active in the great outdoors.
These projects will be funded both with Public Health* and S106* (Planning Gain) funds.
The improvements are part of a programme of work that aims to deliver better quality green spaces across Sheffield that can contribute to getting people more active, and therefore support the health and wellbeing of people in the city.
Parks that are planned for improvement this year include Lydgate Lane Open Space, Osgathorpe Park, Darnall Community Park, Phillimore Park and Broadfield Road Open Space, Wensley Street Playground, Nottingham Cliff Recreation Ground, Denholme Close Playground, The Ponderosa and Philadelphia Gardens.
Councillor Mary Lea, Cabinet Member for Culture Parks and Leisure at Sheffield City Council, said: “Sheffield has some of the best parks in the country and wherever you live in the city you will not be far away from a park or green space.
“We truly value all of our parks and we know how important they are to people who live here. Many people rely on their local park to get out and enjoy family time outdoors and take part in physical activity, but we recognise that some of our parks are in need of improvement and we are working hard bring them up to standard.
“Over the last two years we’ve already carried out improvement work at many of our parks and people in those areas are enjoying the benefits. I am very pleased that despite extreme pressure on our services we are able to deliver these projects that will see our green spaces flourish and our residents getting the most out of our wonderful parks.”
In the last nine years, the council has had to find savings of £460million, changing how many services are delivered to cover Government cuts and the rising cost of social care pressures. But, the authority understands that investment in outdoor spaces contributes to improvements in health and wellbeing and to the councils objective of addressing health inequality.
Councillor Olivia Blake, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance at Sheffield City Council, said: “Sheffield has borne the brunt of austerity for the last nine years, but we are determined to deliver against our values and support preventative interventions to keep people healthy.
“We have been forced to make many difficult choices, but we recognise the important link between high-quality parks and improved physical and mental health and we know that parks are essential, especially to some of our most vulnerable families. Maintaining our green spaces to a high standard will contribute to improving people’s lives, which will have a positive impact on the increasing social care pressures we have to manage.”
