EDITOR'S BLOG
TIME TO PLAN RENOVATIONS
Sward will be in need of some TLC
by TurfPro Editor, Laurence Gale MSC, MBPR
 
Laurence Gale MSC, MBPR

With little over seven weeks to the end of October, it is imperative we move quickly and get the renovations organised, sourcing the relevant materials and machinery to undertake decent end of season works


Within the amateur and professional sports turf sector, many cricket, bowls and tennis clubs should be gearing up and planning their autumn renovations.

 

It goes without saying natural grass surfaces need specific management treatments throughout the year to keep them healthy and fit for purpose. However, come the end of the growing season, the condition of any grass sward will be in need of some TLC renovation work that generally means the removal of thatch and dead fibre, relieve any compaction, restore surface levels and reseeds with some new grasses.

 


During the growing season grass growth is adversely affected by nature's wrath in the form of various biotic and abiotic stress factors. Water deficit is one of the major abiotic stresses, which adversely affects crop growth and yield. The recent period of hot sunny weather will have certainly had a detrimental effect on many sports pitches and lawns.


Without water, they soon turn brown and in extreme cases can die. However, our UK climate tends to prevent this happening due to the fact we are a small land mass surrounded by water. It is often inevitable that we soon see a change in the weather and receive a downpour to revitalise our lawns and sports pitches. The recent heavy downpours did just that. Within days the grass was back in colour and growing vigorously.


However, with little over seven weeks to the end of October, it is imperative we move quickly and get the renovations organised, sourcing the relevant materials and machinery to undertake a decent end of season lawn renovation.


The following activities are generally implemented during an autumn renovation programme and usually carried out in the following order:-

  1. Mowing the sward, preparing surfaces for renovation.
  2. Weed & Moss treatment.
  3. Scarification, removal of unwanted debris.
  4. Aeration, decompaction of soil, improving air and gas exchange in soil.
  5. Top dressing, restores levels and improves surface drainage.
  6. Overseeding, restores grass populations.
  7. Fertilising, provides nutrients for grass growth.
  8. Brushing to incorporate dressings and to help the grass stand back up.
  9. Watering / Irrigation.

Weed control may be dealt with prior to the renovation. Any accumulated moss growth should be dealt with by applying an approved moss killing chemical, wait for it to die, then remove by scarification.


A lawn may decline through a number of reasons - lack of cultural practices, drought, weeds, diseases, shade, poor soil, neglect, abuse and overuse. The intensity of the renovation work will be driven by the condition of the playing surface and what if any underlying issues you may have. Only last week I was called out to a bowling club who were having some surface issues. Areas of the turf had become hydrophobic resulting in dead areas of turf being seen in several areas of the green.

 

 

After taking some core samples and having a closer inspection of the turf, these areas had pretty much dried out, leaving a crust of dead fibre / thatch material that prevented any grass growth. This problem is common on many greens especially if there has not been a thorough renovation carried out to remove this dead surface material.


Sometimes we must be cruel to be kind and undertake a very robust renovation programme to effectively repair and restore the playing surface.


It may be that you need to shorten your playing season to accommodate this work to give you the window of opportunity - that is to say, to give you enough time to ensure the grass can germinate and establish before the colder weather sets in mid to late October.


Scarification


Above ground (thatch layer): dead and decaying leaf and root material develops and accumulates to form a thatch layer of matted material. This layer of thatch can create a microclimate that is detrimental to turf, preventing water infiltration and providing ideal conditions for fungal and disease establishment.


Below ground (mat layer): root growth involves increased biomass of the root system and, like the grass shoots above the ground, some of this new matter dies back leaving a dead mass of root material which can often prevent and restrict new root growth and affect gaseous exchange in the soil. It is important to remove this debris.

 

 

Scarifying is the term used to remove this unwanted vegetation. There are many different ways and methods of scarifying lawns and turf surfaces. The process usually involves a raking / cutting action to clean out the thatch debris and can be done manually using spring tine rakes or mechanically using specially designed rotorakes, verticutters and knife action machines.


There are many different types of machines designed and available for scarifying turf, all offering different cutting depths, with different power and speed variations, with and without collection boxes. Machines can come in many shapes and sizes, some are pedestrian, some tractor/ prime mover mounted.


The depth of penetration for effective scarifying must be through the mat layer and into the soil. For an effective, vigorous scarifying, the blade should be at least 3 mm wide. Scarifying in two directions, at an angle of less than 90 degrees, gives the most vigorous working. Scarifying at right angles has the tendency to cause severe damage, with the small squares of turf being ripped from the surface. To restore the playing surface after vigorous scarifying will require an application of top dressing materials to restore levels and provide a seed bed for grass seed.


Aeration


Aeration is an important part of the renovation programme. Not only does aeration remedy any compaction problems by restoring and improving air movement in the soil profile, it also provides channels and openings for the top dressing materials to integrate, particularly if hollow coring or hollow tines have been used.

 

 

Depth of tines can vary between 100-200mm depending on the type of aerator being used.


Top Dressing


The application of a good quality top dressing, in combination with a suitable aeration programmes, will go a long way to counter the ravages of wear / play.


Benefits of top dressing:-

  • Restores surface levels.
  • Stimulates new root and shoot growth.
  • To cover seed (soil seed contact to initiate germination).
  • Increases water holding capacity of the soil.
  • Improves soil structure.
  • Increases nutrient retention.
  • Improves surface drainage.

There is a wide range of materials available for top dressing, ranging from straight sands, clays, loams and local soils materials through to purpose mixed rootzones combining clays, loams and sands. These mixes can be tailored to suit the customers needs, and can range from 80/20, 70/30 and 60/40 sand/soil percentage mixes.


The success of top dressing will also be influenced by the amount applied and how well it has been worked into the turf surface. Applying too much dressing will have a detrimental affect, smothering out the turf and increasing the likelihood of disease, slow grass growth and, in some cases, will kill the turf.

 

 

Overseeding


To re-establish grass cover, it is necessary to overseed the area with new grass seed. It is important to choose appropriate seed. It is not cost effective to use cheap or old grass seed stock, as germination and establishment is likely to be poor. Buy your seed from a reputable company which specialises in developing and marketing quality grass seed mixtures. These seed varieties may be more expensive, but they do guarantee quality and performance.

 

Most seed suppliers will recommend sowing rates but, as a rule of thumb, it will generally be about 35grams of seed per sq/m. Temperatures above 12°C, a moist, well-aerated seedbed, close seed/soil contact are primary requirements for rapid grass seed development.


Fertilising


Prior to applying any fertilisers, it is essential to obtain the nutrient and pH status of the soil. This can be achieved by sending soil samples to a soil laboratory which will carry out a nutrient analysis of the sample. Once obtained you will be able to choose a product that offers you the correct N P K fertiliser ratio for your soil.


These fertilisers can be supplied in granular or liquid form. Granular products tend to be more widely used because they are easier to handle and distribute. Over dosing or applying granular fertilisers without enough soil moisture being present may result in the grass becoming scorched, resulting in scarring or death of the grass plant. Fertiliser application is only effective if you ensure uniform coverage. Granular fertilisers can be applied with either a drop (gravity) spreader or a rotary (centrifugal) spreader.


Brushing / Dragmatting / Luting


Once all top dressings, grass seed and fertiliser materials have been incorporated into/onto the surface, it is important to work the material into the profile by brushing, dragmatting or luting. These operations ensure the materials are worked in evenly, and prevent any excess material remaining on the top. This operation is best done when the surface is dry, enabling the material to distribute itself easily. Irrigation / watering:


To renovate successfully, adequate water must be available from seeding through to completion of germination. Try not to allow newly overseeded areas to dry out once watering has commenced. Initially, maintain a constantly moist seedbed with frequent waterings of short duration. As newly germinated seedlings begin growth, decrease the frequency, and increase the duration of watering to encourage deeper rooting.


Conclusion


Renovations is often a time consuming and expensive exercise. Successful renovation requires detailed planning and programming, to ensure the right materials and equipment are available and working throughout the renovation process.

NEWS
GMA SHARES TOP TIPS
To get local pitches back in play
 
The GMA has shared some top tips

Our first WEB ONLY story this week is the Grounds Management Association has shared a list of top tips for community grounds staff on getting local pitches prepped and ready for grassroots sport to fully resume.

 


GENERAC INTERESTED IN BUYING CERTAIN B&S ASSETS
According to reports from U.S
 
Generac manufacture a range of power products including portable, residential, commercial and industrial generators

Our next WEB ONLY story is Generac, the U.S-based manufacturer of backup power generation products, has expressed interest in purchasing certain assets of Briggs & Stratton, suggest reports out of America.

 


FAIRWAYS WEARHOUSE LAUNCHES ONLINE
Used machinery division of Fairways GM
 
Fairways Wearhouse has launched

Dealer group launches new venture selling used machinery across the commercial groundscare spectrum.

 


Dealer group Fairways GM, whose head office is based just outside Glasgow, have launched a used equipment division online.

 

Called Fairways Wearhouse, the new division retails commercial groundscare machinery across the following categories - golf mowers; sports mowers; commercial and slope mowers; tractors; utility vehicles; aeration, implements and attachments; and golf cars.

 

 

Fairways say the website is like an online warehouse, intended to allow customers to gain a sense of the machine that they are interested in. For each piece of equipment, the site gives numerous details and photographs, in order to ensure transparency and to convey the good condition of the machinery being sold.

 

Prior to listing, the dealership says all machinery sold through Fairways Warehouse passes their Warehouse inspection.

 

Those purchasing Fairways Warehouse machinery can choose optional service packages, subject to geographical limits.

PITMEDDEN BOWLS CLUB BACK ON TRACK
Fortunes of green turned around
 
Ian Fraser, head greenkeeper at Pitmedden Bowls Club

Ian Fraser, head greenkeeper at Pitmedden Bowls Club in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, says two Sisis machines have helped him transform his green into one of the best in Scotland. 

 


Ian Fraser, head greenkeeper at Pitmedden Bowls Club in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, says two Sisis machines have helped him turn around the fortunes of the green and transform it into one of the best in Scotland.

 

 

When Ian accepted the position at the club, he quickly found that he had his work cut out, saying the green needed a lot of attention.

 

“I was determined to get the green back in good shape and I started doing my research and learning the biology of turf and soil. What became apparent was that we desperately needed some new equipment," he said.

 

While on the hunt for some new turf maintenance equipment, Ian attended a Dennis and SISIS bowling green maintenance seminar in Aberdeen. It was here that he became acquainted with a range of Sisis machinery, and as a result, he purchased two pieces of equipment with the help of a grant from his local Windmill Community Trust.

 

Finding a machine that would help with aeration was his main priority as he explains.

“We identified that aeration was going to be one the most important tasks in getting the green back to being functional again,” said Ian. “At that time, we were hiring a lot of machinery and because we were using them so much, we decided that we needed our own.

 

"We found what we were looking for in the SISIS Dart.”

 

The Sisis Dart is an independently powered vertical action aerator and has a working depth of up to 100mm (4 inches) which can be adjusted from the operator’s position using the depth control lever. 


“I use the Dart once a month and it gives us great results every time,” continued Ian. “We have a nice variety of the interchangeable tines which help for a number of different tasks. It was the first step to improving the health of the green and it has worked wonders.”

 

Ian’s second purchase with the grant was the Sisis Auto Rotorake MK 5 - a self-propelled heavy-duty pedestrian scarifier. It is designed for the removal and control of thatch on fine turf and features a contra-rotating reel with tipped blades for a clean, consistent cut and maximum thatch removal. A variety of maintenance tasks can also be carried out due to a selection of seven different interchangeable reels.

 

Ian purchased the verticutting reel, the scarifying reel, and the brush to accompany the machine and believes that it covers all bases.

 

“The Auto Rotorake MK 5 has been a heaven-send and I would say it has been our best ever purchase. It just does everything you need to keep a green in the best possible playing condition.

 

“I will scarify with it at the start and at the end of the season; I’ll verticut once a month and then run the Rolaspike Reel over the green maybe 2 or 3 times a month. The brush also prepares the turf nicely after verticutting or scarifying. I would recommend it to any greenkeeper."

FIRST CLASS AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY
For MM seed
 
Limagrain’s MM grass seed in use at Oxford University

Jon Buddington, grounds manager at Oxford University, has reported excellent results from using a range of Limagrain’s MM grass seed.

 


Jon Buddington, grounds manager at Oxford University, has reported excellent results from using a range of Limagrain’s MM grass seed.

 

Oxford University Sport manages the University sports facilities at Iffley Road Sports Centre and the sports pitches within University Parks and on Marston Road. The man tasked with maintaining these facilities, which consists of 24 hectares of grass surfaces, is Jon Buddington, who has been the University’s Grounds Manager for two years.

 


As a frequent user of Limagrain seed throughout his 30-year career history, Jon says he was not surprised to see Limagrain’s MM50 seed performing well on a newly constructed cricket square upon the start of his tenure at the University.


“The new cricket square was overseeded with MM50 and because of the great results we continued to use it,” he said. “Now we overseed with MM50 at the end of the cricket season and put a bit on pre-season just before we start rolling.


“We find that we get incredible results by overseeding with MM50 in the early spring when the surface is still damp, just before we start any heavy maintenance. It has been a very good seed for us especially for cricket - the MM50 has very good wear tolerance and we hardly ever get any debris.”


As Jon says, MM50, a blend of fine-leaved ryegrasses, is ideal for cricket squares and outfields. This hard-wearing mix has rapid germination, very fine leaved appearance, high shoot density and is tolerant to very close mowing, along with high disease resistance. All these attributes together produce a fantastic sward that has great colour all year round. It is also widely praised for its rapid recovery.


In the early stages of his new position at Oxford, Jon’s attentions soon turned towards the winter pitches. After consultation with supplier, MW Turfcare, he was advised to try Limagrain’s MM60 seed on the rugby and football pitches.


“We renovate and overseed with MM60 at the end of the rugby and football seasons - which all depends on fixtures which can be often drawn out depending on the weather and internal college games. Generally, we tend to apply MM60 to these pitches at the end of May and we get very good germination. The initial colour, from the infant plant is great, and we have a strong colour all year round – it never looks drawn out or yellow and tired so I’m incredibly happy with it.”


In terms of applying MM seed, Jon admits to veering away from recommended rates.


“For me, it’s all about feel and visual,” he said. “We don’t go by religious sowing rates or anything like that. In my opinion it is about getting as much grass in there as you can especially when you are taking it out and raking it and preparing cricket pitches.”

CUB CADET APPOINT NEW DEALER
Robert D. Webster joins network
 
Robert D. Webster managing director, Mike Cowell and sales team member, Will Wainwright testing Cub Cadet machines

Cub Cadet to be stocked at their three branches based in Owstwick, Howden and Hutton Cranswick in East Yorkshire.

 


The latest addition to Cub Cadet's 200+ strong network is Robert D. Webster, who will stock the manufacter's products at their three dealerships based in Owstwick, Howden and Hutton Cranswick in East Yorkshire.

 

Robert D. Webster managing director, Mike Cowell and sales team member, Will Wainwright testing Cub Cadet machines

 

Aftersales director John Jackson said, “We are a family-run company built on 50-years of successful history and by joining forces with this well-respected brand we are broadening our offering of garden machinery, while simultaneously growing our business connections.


"We pride ourselves on our friendly, helpful, and approachable staff and the highest levels of customer service. That customer service coupled with Cub Cadet’s machines is a perfect match.”


Phil Noble, divisional sales manager - Lawn & Garden added, “With the uncertainty and challenges our industry is experiencing this year, we are pleased to be welcoming Robert D. Webster on board. We had to work very differently, which involved us organising and taking the machines to them to demonstrate their capabilities.

 

"Our dealerships and their experienced staff are our shop window to showcase Cub Cadet products to customers who are looking for high-quality, innovative, and dependable mowers. By expanding our dealer network, we can bring our machines to more customers to strengthen our position in the competitive lawn mowing market. We look forward to working with John and his team.”

35,000 HOURS AND COUNTING FOR BOB
14 years of robotic mowing
 
Green Stripe's 14 year old Automower, Bob

The first of the new generation of the Husqvarna Automower that Lincolnshire dealer, Gavin Bird of Green Stripe Garden Machinery, put into stock in 2006 is still hard at work as a demo unit 14 years later.

 


The first of the new generation of the Husqvarna Automower that Lincolnshire dealer, Gavin Bird of Green Stripe Garden Machinery, put into stock in 2006 is still hard at work as a demo unit 14 years later.

 


Nicknamed ‘Bob’, and somewhat ‘battle-scared, the mower has gained something of a cult status for staff and customers and has clocked up almost 35,000 hours keeping a plot of 1400 sq metres trimmed at his Market Rasen dealership.


“Apart from an annual service, and from memory three batteries, blade motor and several blades, ‘Bob’ has worked tirelessly and trouble free for all those years,” says Gavin.


“It was a more satisfying machine that the original Husqvarna Turtle Solar mower that I decided to stock in 1998 which cost an extraordinary £2000,” he told the latest episode of the Inside Agri-Turf podcast.


“That was not a glorious beginning to our robotic experience, but over the years and as robotic mowers have got ever more reliable and improved out of all recognition, their sales have become ever more important to us.


“It is one machine that the customers sell for you, they show to their neighbours, they talk to their friends and we find that machines appear in clusters in certain areas”.


Whilst robotic mower sales have increased in recent years, according to Husqvarna’s UK sales and marketing director, Ken Brewster, they only represent around 5% of the UK mower market value, whereas smaller countries like Switzerland and Austria are accounting for around 50% of value.


“For any dealers still unsure about the sector,” he tells the podcast, “my advice is to talk first to other dealers who have built a successful robotic mower business”.


He added that the next opportunities will come in the landscape and professional turfcare sector, particularly as the need for a boundary wire is removed with new technology.


Listen to the Inside Agri-Turf podcast at https://inside-agriturf.captivate.fm/

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PREVIOUS FEATURES
EDITOR'S BLOG ARCHIVE
Catch up with Laurence Gale's recent blogs
 
TurfPro editor, Laurence Gale

Want to catch up with one of editor Laurence Gale's blogs? Here is the place to do so.

 


WHAT CAN WE SAY ABOUT THE WEATHER?!
Grassed areas looking stressed

 

VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
Opportunities and challenges aplenty

 

BUSY TIMES FOR TURF PROFESSIONALS
Short turnaround between seasons

 

BUDGET STATEMENT
The bane of the turf professional's life

 

NICE TO BE BUSY AGAIN
Getting out and about

 

CRICKET IS BACK!
Refreshing to see

 

LITTER LOUTS
What can be done?

 

INVESTING IN OUR FACILITIES
Vitally important right now

 

WEATHER STIMULATING PATHOGENS
Prevalence of turf diseases

 

TIMES ARE CHANGING
True value of parks highlighted

 

GREEN IS THE COLOUR
Much needed rain

 

SUMMER HAS ARRIVED
We're entering a new phase

 

A GRADUAL RECOVERY
Impressive response from our sports turf industry

 

FIRST STEPS TO NORMALITY
Golf courses reopen

 

MOVING ON TO THE NEXT PHASE
Of the pandemic

 

HOW ARE WE COPING?
After six weeks of lockdown

 

PARKS AND OPEN SPACES TO THE RESCUE
During the Covid-19 crisis

 

KEEPING OUR RESOLVE
During the lockdown

 

GETTING ON WITH THE JOB
As best and as safely as we can

 

TIME TO REFLECT
Our pace of life has changed dramatically

 

TESTING TIMES AHEAD
Grasping the effects on our industry

 

UNPRECEDENTED TIMES
Covid-19's impact on our sector

 

SWITCHED ON TRADE DAY
Makita launch 30 new products

 

WHO SAID WE ONLY CUT GRASS?!
It takes years to acquire all the turf professional skills

 

TIME MARCHES ON
New month to hopefully bring much needed sunshine and drying winds

 

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY
Come again another day!

 

THE PLIGHT OF THE BUMBLEBEE
What can we do to help?

 

SPRING HAS SPRUNG
Essential renovations

 

CELEBRATING 2020
Amenity Forum making plans

 

A DIVERSE & ENTERTAINING WEEK
Successful BTME 2020

 

TIME TO GET FIT
Our industry can help tackle the growing obesity crisis

 

WINTER WORKS AND SHOWS
Plenty to occupy in January

 

LOOKING AHEAD
What might 2020 hold in store?

 

View all of 2019's blogs here

 

View all of 2018's blogs here

TURFPRO FEATURE ARCHIVE
Find our previous features here
 
TurfPro Feature Archive

If you want to catch up with any of TurfPro's previous features, here is the place to do so.


A UNIQUE SPORTING VENUE
Wormsley private estate

 

A BTME OUTDOORS?
A good bet for the industry

 

PARKS NEED APPROPRIATE POLITICAL REPRESENTATION
Q&A with Philippa Reece, Parks and Foreshore Manager at Adur and Worthing Council

 

CRICKET LOAM
What does it mean?

 

A HERCULEAN EFFORT TO GET PARKS BACK TO NORMAL
Q&A with Chris Worman, Rugby Borough Council’s parks and ground manager

 

ON TEST
STIHL battery products

 

TURFGRASS STRESS MANAGEMENT
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and antioxidants during biotic and abiotic stress in turfgrass plants

 

AUTUMN DISEASE MANAGEMENT
The coming months are going to prove very difficult

 

THE ABUSE OF PARKS . .
Is the abuse of society

 

WHY PARKS MATTER?
A statement from the Parks Management Forum to the Prime Minister

 

THE 21st CENTURY PARKS MANAGER
Innovative, creative and entrepreneurial

 

EAT, SLEEP, CUT, REPEAT!
Cricket under covid

 

TIME FOR A SINGLE SHOW?
Debate brought back into focus

 

A CHALLENGING TWO MONTHS
Running golf design projects from home

 

PRESSURE SITUATION
Cementing the reputation

 

A CLUB TO BE PROUD OF
10 years at the helm of Olton GC

 

GAME CHANGERS IN TURFCARE
The day the Lord's outfield reconstruction proved its worth

 

THE ESSENCE OF ESSENTIAL
Finding a sensible way forward on defining "essential maintenance"

 

THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS
2001

 

HOW TO LOOK AFTER A GOLF COURSE WITH NO GOLFERS
Fundamental to the survival of almost all courses, if not of the game itself

 

RAIN STOPPED PLAY WOULD BE WELCOME
. . along with ‘lunch is being taken early’

 

PHYSICAL CONTROL OF TURFGRASS PESTS
An urgent problem

 

A DIVERSE & ENTERTAINING WEEK
Successful BTME 2020

 

INTEGRATED PEST CONTROL
Opportunity to embrace new methods

 

ENVILLE ON THE UP
Major investments taking place

 

GREEN FLAG AWARDS 2019
A great success

 

U.S PROFESSIONAL EQUIPMENT SHOW EXCELS
Buoyant GIE+EXPO

 

LEGACY OF THE SOLHEIM CUP
At Gleneagles

 

A DAY OUT WITH THE LADIES
Behind the scenes at the Solheim Cup

 

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY'S EDIBLE GARDEN SUCCESS
2006 - present

 

HAIL THE GRASS MASTERS!
Boorish media comments about pitch quality are wide of the mark

 

CONTRACTOR SEES MULTI-DISCIPLINE SUCCESS
360 Ground Care serving professional facilities

 

BUSY TIMES
Judging the Green Flag Awards

 

TAKING AN INTEGRATED APPROACH
What does it all mean in managing turf surfaces?

 

UNDER PRESSURE
Dry weather conditions continue to keep turf managers focused on moisture management

 

EDDIE SEAWARD
Death of Wimbledon’s influential grounds manager

 

MAJOR NEW IRRIGATION PROJECT
At Top 100 classic Berkhamsted Golf Club

 

NEW HORIZONS FOR THE HATTERS
Investment paying off at Kenilworth Road

 

ELIZABETHAN RESTORATION
At Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens

 

WHAT IS BIOPHILIA?
The vital impact of parks and green spaces on health and well-being

 

WORM CONTROL
Without carbendazim

 

THE TRUE COST OF PETROL
Battery-powered outdoor power tools are now turning the heads of professionals

 

SANDS OF TIME
Sand-based pitches are now the norm in professional sports

 

WHY DO WE DO THE RIGHT THING?
We must maintain industry standards

 

CHASING GRASS PERFECTION?
11 things you need to know . . .

 

MAINTAINING STANDARDS
Q&A with BASIS ceo, Stephen Jacobs

 

STRI RESEARCH DAY 2018
Hosted at research trial grounds in Bingley

 

THE MECHANIC
Leicester City FC invest in new role

 

LORD'S 'GRASS-GUVNOR' TO RETIRE
Mick Hunt bows out after 49 years

 

HOLLOW CORING & DEEP SCARIFICATION
Is it really necessary?

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VIEWPOINT
PARKS MATTER
The role of public parks in the recovery: a discussion paper
by David Lambert, The Parks Agency
 
Parks matter

We have seen widespread evidence of the importance of locally accessible public parks during the lockdown.


This report has been put together while the lockdown is still in place and while there are still major restrictions on business, sport, events and on public gatherings generally. At present, we appreciate that MHCLG is in largely in crisis-management mode; and has only recently progressed to planning a recovery. We do not know how far government will lead in terms of recovery-planning and how far it will delegate to local authorities. The evidence of the fiasco over schools-reopening is that government will eschew central planning and central funding, in favour of delegation.

 



Importance of parks

 

We have seen widespread evidence of the importance of locally accessible public parks during the lockdown.

  • After some local authorities initially responded to problems over crowds in parks with park-closures, Government insisted that parks stay open, effectively treating them as one of the essential services.
  • Politicians, such as the Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick, have reaffirmed what research has repeatedly demonstrated in the last ten years: ‘Spending time outdoors, exercising or just enjoying the countryside is essential for our physical health and wellbeing’. There is no excuse for demanding further evidence-gathering.

Local authorities and other park management agencies have responded by continuing to keep the vast majority of parks open and maintained, but with a restricted service: public toilets, sports facilities and play areas are closed, cyclical grounds maintenance works have been cut, and ranger staff redeployed in the absence of volunteering and other people-based activities. Although there have been distressing examples of abuse by angry members of the public, there has been widespread public appreciation of parks services during the lockdown. In an echo of the Clap for the NHS campaign, park-workers internationally were thanked on 21 May with celebrations stretching from New York to Sydney and including tweets from Derby and Manchester.

 



Increased levels of use during lockdown

  • Most parks managers have reported increases in visitor numbers during the first 6 weeks of the pandemic.
  • People responded to indications of a relaxation on the initial lockdown rules in mid-May by flocking to parks, with parks visitor-numbers increasing not only faster than other public facilities but also increasing above pre-lockdown norms. [this needs refining]
  • At the end of May, it was widely reported that Google data was showing a 136% increase in visits to parks and open spaces across the UK.

Many people were already habitual park-users – those with dogs, those with children, those without private gardens or transport. Many others may have discovered the pleasures of park life for the first time. We have rehearsed a life without cars and without public transport, and local parks have been found to be essential.

 

Back to normal?


The government will be keen to sell recovery as ‘back to normal’ but in practice that is far from simple. In many ways, there is no normal to go back to: there are now gaping holes in public and private finances. Normal was car journeys to the beach or the countryside, foreign holidays, and preferring the shopping mall to the park. But that normal may be increasingly problematic – people will be poorer of course, restricting consumer-choices, but many may also be questioning the return to a consumption-driven, debt-fuelled lifestyle.


What does recovery mean?


The case for parks’ role in recovery needs careful handling. It all depends what is meant by ‘recovery’. Do we mean simply economic recovery, or do we also mean personal, emotional and social recovery? People walking to a park with a picnic are not contributing much to economic growth. Parks, it might be argued are by their nature, actually de-growth zones – places for sitting around being unproductive. A Machiavellian, or a hard-core neo-conservative, might consider making parks more attractive a brake on that kind of recovery.

 



But parks have a potential role in those other kinds of recovery, as shown by their prominence during the lockdown, when they have been a key locus for people maintaining not only personal wellbeing but also a sense of community. As lockdown rules are relaxed and shops and bars reopen, that prominence could change but it seems likely that for many people – especially in this year of acute financial pressure – public parks will continue to be a primary source of physical and mental recreation.


If, post-lockdown, parks do not immediately empty out as people rush back to the shopping mall, and as high levels of use continue, we have an opportunity to establish that parks have a vital role to play not in economic recovery but in a more sustainable, lower-consumption lifestyle for which we all have no choice but to prepare. This is not a message the government will be keen to promote but over the next ten years it will be increasingly in tune with the times.


Making the case for parks


So we should work on this assumption that we can demonstrate parks have a role in recovery in the widest sense. But we need to do more than simply say parks are important and that they need more money. Of course there is a need to restore revenue budgets cut during austerity but we need to be smarter about how we frame that, by putting parks in the wider context of the crisis in public funding.

 



Evidence from the case-studies carried out as part of the wider research clearly indicates that local authorities which have developed a reliance on commercial income and/or volunteer labour have seen revenue hit hardest during the lockdown. The evidence suggests that, with the rare exception of trusts with high levels of independent assets to create revenue streams, the best hope of economic resilience stems from parks being embedded within local authorities as essential services.


Parks need to be part of a national conversation about public services, who delivers them and how they are funded. There are signs that civic leaders and bodies such as the LGA are already laying the ground for that debate. They are warning that decisions over budgets need to be made within months if the risk of councils declaring bankruptcy, like Northamptonshire did in 2018 and Haringey in 2000 is to be averted. Having been urged by central government to spend ‘whatever is necessary,’ local authorities now urgently need to be bailed out. The LGA calculates that the additional spend amounts to some £6bn of which only £3.2bn has so far (June 2020) been made available by government. Some work is underway to try to assess the financial impacts to parks services but, with one authority alone reporting a £15.7m black hole just for parks, the figure will be significant.


There is a real risk that local authorities will be forced to contract spending to core statutory services such as social care. Services which are non-statutory but vital to recovery such as parks management, public health programmes and leisure could be lost.

 



The parks sector cannot make this happen on its own, but we must ensure that the profile of parks is maintained throughout the process of forming a recovery plan. For this, parks leaders need to insist that their services are not marginal and discretionary, but instead build on the evidence of the lockdown that parks are nothing less than essential.


The opportunity


The neoliberal model – the shrunken state – is convulsing as its shortcomings are exposed; the public is incredulous and angry at its failings over the virus. Across the globe, different national responses to Covid have demonstrated the importance of robust public institutions and funding. At the time of writing the evidence is clear that neoliberal political ideologies have been fatal: the US, Brazil and the UK have the three highest mortality rates in the world.


There is an appetite in the UK to reappraise political and personal priorities on a macro-level:

  • An RSA MORI poll in mid-April revealed that only 9% of respondents wanted to go back to normal; 85% wanted to see some of the personal or social changes they have experienced continue afterwards; 51% said they have noticed cleaner air, 27% noted more wildlife, and 40% agreed that the lockdown has resulted in a stronger sense of local community. As the RSA chief exec said, ‘we must use this time to imagine a better future. This poll shows that the British people are increasingly aware that the health of people and planet are inseparable and it’s time for radical environmental, social, political and economic change.”


Next steps


We need to review the programme of rethinking parks ushered in after the NESTA report in 2013. Not because the report did not contain many good ideas and result in much positive thinking, but because under the acute pressure of austerity, its ideas have been warped. The fundamental fact that, as the report recognised, ‘future funding for parks will still rely to a significant extent on local authorities,’ was lost in the rush for innovatory ways to reduce the financial burden on over-stretched local authority budgets.

 



Because there is no realistic alternative to a continued reliance public funding for public parks, they remain ideologically alien to the currently dominant political discourse. We will depend on that dominance being shaken if we are to succeed in gaining real recognition of parks’ role in recovery. But evidence of the importance of parks to mental and physical health has never been so vividly demonstrated. So it is a challenging message, but an amazing opportunity.


We should also build on the climate emergency agenda, in which good quality public parks are a fundamental environmental service. This has been eclipsed in terms of news coverage by the Covid-crisis, but will be re-emerging with increased urgency in the autumn, when COP26 performances are due to be announced.


As the debate over circular economies grows, the place of parks in economically resilient cities will be increasingly recognised.


It is a good time to make the case, to ensure that when the next (or a local) lockdown comes over the next few months, or the next virus emerges in the next few years, or as our lifestyles necessarily change, we have good local parks that can continue to provide those services.

  • A useful first step would be for NLHF to commission a State of UK Parks 2020 report to complement the excellent reports in 2014 and 2016. We urgently need data on where parks are, as a result of the five years of continuing austerity following the 2015 election.
  • Despite all the other pressures, local authority park managers need to gather data on park use over the coming months to support the case for parks’ role in recovery.
  • Civic leaders and the LGA need to start thinking of parks not as a minor, non-statutory service, but as the poster-child for its campaign to protect local authority services. In the wake of all the front-page coverage of parks, it is the service which above all embodies what is good about those services: instantly recognisable, widely loved and a perfect photogenic symbol of recovery and resilience. Rather than another report dedicated solely to parks and open spaces, the LGA needs to embed parks in everything they say about the role of local authorities in the recovery, not just as an afterthought but as one of the essential services.
  • The parks sector needs to raise the profile of park managers as key strategists in plotting the future of our towns and cities. Following the demise of ILAM, CABESpace and GreenSpace and the hollowing out of services over the last ten years, what is required is little short of a resurrection. But in a generation, there has been no better opportunity to begin the task, and there has never been a greater need.