At a Decision Session this week the Lib Dem Deputy Leader of City of York Council confirmed plans to invest an extra £150,000 to improve York’s parks, gardens and open spaces.

The funding builds on the decision by the Joint Executive to bring back Ward Committees last year and devolve nearly £1million annually.

Re-establishing proper Ward Committees was a key priority for the Liberal Democrats before last May’s elections and the allocated funding has been used in 2015/16 to support dozens of projects across York.

Of the extra £150,000, £100,000 will be divided amongst wards to support local priorities with the remaining £50,000 funding community-led environmental or gardening projects across the city.

Cllr Keith Aspden, Deputy Leader of City of York Council with responsibility for Economic Development and Community Engagement, commented:

“This report outlines our approach to supporting improvements to our parks and other public open spaces, based on the priorities decided by local communities. It builds on our efforts to devolve funding and decision-making to wards and confirms our commitment to work with volunteers and groups to maintain and improve the quality of our shared spaces.”

For Dringhouses & Woodthorpe Ward this will mean an extra £5,597. The re-established Dringhouses & Woodthorpe Ward Committee supported a number of projects in 2015/16, including at Chapman’s Pond.

The Ward funding secured by Friends of Chapman’s Pond  will enable them to invest in measures designed to make this local open space more attractive and accessible. The funding (£2,350 in total) will support a number of initiatives, such as:

• Installing cycle racks, to reduce the risk of theft
• Replacing the decaying wooden fence and gate at the entrance to the site
• Insurance cover and personal protective equipment, to ensure that the team of local volunteers who manage the site can do so safely
• Water testing equipment, so that risks to the health of the fish in the pond can be detected quickly

Training for the team of volunteer ‘bailiffs’, provided by the Angling Trust. The team make visitors aware of the site rules and report any anti-social behaviour. They also advise people on fishing tips and techniques.