Sandwell’s Green Space Strategy- Old rope or new broom?

Sandwell Council has recently published its green space strategy, which includes parks, nature reserves, and other spaces within the borough, many of which have little or no protection from development or being sold off for such. Many pockets have previously fallen foul of this fate when one thinks of The Londonderry Fields which was turned into the aquatics centre, whilst others such as Lion Farm fields in Oldbury and the former Brandhall Golf Course have a crooked axe hanging over them.

There have of course been major problems with Sandwell Council’s parks and countryside services over many years, and we need not go over these again, as its the reason why this website exists and we continue to raise issues such as pollution, from which there appears little to no political will from any side to fix.

It would probably be unfair therefore to dismiss the new 113-page document against this previous backdrop, but it is the yardstick however that we know and so it is inevitable.

The strategy can be downloaded at the link below.

20a___Appendix_A___Green_Spaces_Strategy_Implementation_and_Business_Plan_2022___2025

The council states;

“The Green Spaces Strategy Implementation and Business Plan 22 – 25 was approved by Cabinet on the 20th June 2022. This strategy is a continued commitment to improving the quality and value of all our green spaces and includes the development of a new green space education and outreach team, a volunteer development officer, and a nature reserves development officer. The strategy also commits to at least £800k of spend in the financial year 22/23 (before the end of March 2023), with a programme of planned works for green spaces and facilities (including playgrounds) focusing on those with the lowest quality.”

I have to say that this is largely favourable, particularly on tackling long standing mismanaged issues such as angling, where the council makes absolutely nothing from this ASB activity.  If it is to be spent wisely, and not on yet more play equipment which clutters “green” spaces- e.g. Farley Park then it is to be welcomed.

There are many things wrong with the way in which the council have operated in the last 15+ years. Primarily they were focussed on the status symbol green flag park. This involved large lottery bids where a disproportionate amount of money and officer time was thrown at parks like Dartmouth, with others getting nothing at all. A political decision, and one involving nepotistic bias, it saw wastes of money like the vacuous useless “Fort” in Dartmouth Park that does not even have a viable roof.

I recently dropped into this outbuilding due to a heavy rain shower and was astounded that some fools gave this crap planning permission. The place is literally like a jailhouse landing with open metal gridded flooring. A cascade of rain poured down in the centre, see pictures below, with steps being sodden. I’m not sure how this building complies with modern day health and safety. An afterthought appears to have been putting down some green canvas over the metal, to at least give the poor bastards sheltering from the elements some respite.

Never mind masks and social distancing, look at the fooking wet floor. FFS!

This is, I am afraid what we have seen large amounts of money spent on in Sandwell’s parks, and from this you could perhaps forgive my negativity that if the same mindset persists- i.e let’s do the same again somewhere else, then we will see yet another waste of space taken over rather than spent on something more useful.

Nature conservation has long been the whipping boy of this department’s aims and objectives. For too long, formal parks have had vast amounts of money spent on them, and nothing in the way of management has materialised in the nature reserve areas- except of course Sandwell Valley which has downgraded itself as an events tourist attraction rather than a “nature reserve”. If money is to be spent on management plans that were never even commenced- eg Sheepwash in Tipton, then that is money well spent.

The one controversial aspect of this document appears to be its interface with “Friends of” parks groups and proposed ways of “working” with them. Disquiet has been expressed by some that there are intentions to “take over” these groups or use them for political means to obtain money. I’m not sure I fully agree with this as these groups were originally always set up by the council to get the biggest shouters and moaners together in some sort of Crystal maze adventure and task them with unrealistic intentions and “visions” for their site, fete them at council meetings and make them feel important.

The council and its officers would then quietly retreat, and leave them to argue amongst themselves in factions, and the lack of council care would be forgotten in this new dystopian crux.  Too many of these groups are run by people who used to work for the same council or hold political intentions. I can see why the council want to get away from this set up, as it can and has dropped them in embarrassing compromise and allegations of corruption. Is it acceptable for example that work carried out by someone connected with a “friends of ” group and has a business secure a council contract for similar works carried out in its green spaces?

What concerns me more however about lack of public engagement is the use of the “expert” device, where some external body or individual, usually nameless, has elevated power of authority over people who use these sites every day. We see this on a regular basis with the fraudulent “environmental consultancy” industry, who write lies for their clients to obtain planning permission on green spaces, mitigating the loss of wild open space with the inclusion of a fucking token hedge.

The council needs to listen to its groups as a critical friend and not override them with faceless bureaucrats. A degree does not mean automatic intelligence, as we often see in the decision-making process. 

We do desperately need a new broom in Sandwell and its parks, and we may well have that in the new director team. What they have to be careful of however is that they do not upset those who have for a long time campaigned for change in Sandwell’s green spaces in attempting to better their local area; they need to give them the tools and opportunities to improve their areas in partnership. The broom cannot sweep things under the carpet either, as many instances have before- think disastrous firework displays, missing tractors and containers up for sale on ebay.

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