The various public consultation exercises carried out by the bid- consultants, Southern Green, during summer 2003, have been collated and analysed. The consultants spent a day in each park during August to engage with people as they passed through. They consulted 35 people in Paddy Freeman’s, 40 in Jesmond Dene and 30 in Heaton Park. Each park produced different responses to questions asked; however, there were a few issues relevant to each – improved security, better toilet facilities, signage for path networks, too many rats.
A questionnaire was mailed to all of the 523 members of the three “Friends of” groups. Questionnaires were also made available to the public at the Visitor Room and Café in Jesmond Dene, the café in Paddy Freeman’s and the kiosk in Heaton Park. An overall total of 117 (+ 4 letters) were completed and returned – a response rate of 23%. (450 Friends of Jesmond Dene members returned 93 questionnaires – a 21% response rate, but also the bulk of the returned questionnaires.) Issues and concerns highlighted included: vandalism, traffic and parking, Pet’s Corner, personal safety, general maintenance and staffing, Ouseburn pollution and again, signage.
The consultants also attended a specially held meeting with each Friends of group in mid September. An interactive workshop obtained their views. Key issues included: improve management and signage, make parks safer, raise profile of park’s heritage and links with the Ouseburn Valley. Three more public meetings were held in January and a roadshow has been moving around the local (and Central) libraries during February. These roadshow displays show in annotated map-form the various proposals, including changes for Pet’s Corner, Coleman’s Field and new visitor centre opposite Millfield House. The March issue of City Life has some further details and a form to send with any further comments on the proposals, back to the consultants.
When all of the studies are completed, the consultants will bring a number of proposals before the City Council and the public for comments and final decisions. The consultants will then develop a master plan, drawn and priced to a high level of detail. This will then be submitted in May 2004 to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a grant towards the restoration of the ‘Ouseburn Parks’. The whole process is lengthy and time-consuming as the financial stakes are high. If the grant is awarded it is likely to be a two-stage process with the first part not commencing until a further two years hence.