Lewisham Parks Forum which represents all the Parks Friends groups in the Borough met with Glendale and Green Scene (Lewisham Parks department) recently and agreed they need a better system for users to report problems which need maintenance or repairs.
The meeting put forward a plan to prioritise issues: high, medium, low and spiration. Anything ranking medium or high would be fixed within three months.
The meeting heard that in a significant change patrol teams have replaced static park keepers in twelve “Category A” parks which include Manor House Gardens. This has reportedly reduced anti-social behaviour. However, community engagement with patrol officers is inconsistent. It was suggested that patrol staff could be introduced at Friends’ group meetings to improve relations.
The meeting also heard that users were losing confidence in the LoveCleanStreets app, the environmental reporting service because it doesn’t provide detailed feedback. The Council side agreed to gather more data.
Other initiatives which were discussed at the meeting include:
- Friends groups would be able to view regular inspection reports under the process for regular unannounced inspections that the council makes, as part of contract monitoring.
- New educational campaigns and community stewardship to combat a surge in littering, partly due to increased usage of parks.