Lambeth’s Culture 2020 consultation

Lambeth Council have announced cuts which will see the total budget for parks fall from ?4.4m to ?2.2m by 2018/9.

They have also published a series of consultation documents on the future of “cultural services” that includes parks.

Lambeth plan to increase income generated by parks: higher charges for sports, rents and licences will be considered, and more money-generating events will be held in Lambeth parks. Separate strategies for the Sports and Events sections of the council have also been published for consultation.

Lambeth aim to involve the public in running the parks, and to encourage Friends groups and others to take on this task and raise their own funds. Pilot studies to test the practicability of “Partnership” parks (run by Lambeth, but with public involvement) and “Pioneer” parks (run independently of the council by the Friends or a similar group) will be conducted.

At our Friends of Windmill Gardens general meeting last November we decided that we have neither the skills nor?the resources to be a Pioneer park. We see our role as working with Lambeth to support the park, and to reflect the wishes of its users. So we agreed to send the council an expression of interest in the Partnership model.

This month a further consultation on “culture” has been issued by Lambeth. You can read the council?s document at www.lambeth.gov.uk/culture2020consultation. FoWG have some printed copies to give out at our events, including our next General Meeting on 11 March.

Responses to the council?s consultation are required by 24 April, and we?urge you to take part and express your views.

If you do respond to the consultation, please copy your response to your ward councillor and to info@brixtonwindmill.org.uk

If you feel that the improvements in Windmill Gardens over the recent years are due to the actions of FoWG, please say so, and ask your neighbours and other park users to send in comments as well.