# / . 4 % 8 4 - ! 2 # ( ADVICE OF HEALTH AND SAFETY OFFICERS .OW THE 0EACE 'ARDENS HAVE BECOME AN ICON OF 3HEFFIELD S REVIVAL BRINGING CONFIDENCE AND INVESTMENT 4HEY ARE WELL MANAGED AND HAVE BECOME VERY POPULAR PROVIDING THE CITY WITH A @REAL HEART NO MALL COULD REPLICATE 0AUL (ARTLEY CONSERVATION OFFICER FOR 3TOCKPORT -ETROPOLITAN "OROUGH #OUNCIL DESCRIBED PUBLIC REALM IMPROVEMENTS IN 3TOCKPORT S HISTORIC TOWN CENTRE 4HE BOROUGH INAUGURATED A a MILLION PLAN IN THE S AIMED AT REGENERATING THE HISTORIC CORE 4HE SCHEME HAS DELIVERED IMPROVED SURFACE MATERIALS USING A @SIMPLE PALLET AND A LIGHTER TOUCH 3HARED USES OF STREETS HAVE BEEN RECOGNISED 'AP SITES HAVE BEEN FILLED AND SHOPPING AND SOCIAL HOUSING HAVE BEEN INTEGRATED 4HE CELEBRATED 3TAIRCASE (OUSE IN THE MARKET SQUARE HAS BEEN RESTORED AS A VISITOR ATTRACTION (ARTLEY EXPLAINED THAT THE SCHEME HAD BEEN MARRED BY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT MEASURES WITH ENGINEERS INSISTING ON BOLLARDS AND @BIG SIGNAGE BUT PUBLIC ARTISTS HAD BEEN BROUGHT IN TO DESIGN PUBLIC ART AND STREET FURNITURE %VEN SO HE BELIEVED THAT THE 3TOCKPORT SCHEME SHOWED THAT STREET ENHANCEMENT WAS A KEY TO WIDER REGENERATION "Y CONTRAST TO THE TWO URBAN CASE STUDIES $AVID 3HARROD PROJECTS AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGER AT THE 9ORKSHIRE $ALES -ILLENNIUM4RUST SPOKE ABOUT .ATIONAL 0ARK 6ILLAGES 4HE TRUST HAD USED A SUCCESSFUL a MILLION -ILLENNIUM BID TO GRANT FUND PUBLIC REALM PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE $ALES AND PROVIDE HANDS ON PROJECT MANAGEMENT 4HE PROJECTS HAD INCLUDED WOODLAND PLANTING STONEWALL RESTORATION BUILDING CONSERVATION NON RESIDENTIAL BARN SCHEMES WATER MILLS AND CHAPELS AND VILLAGE IMPROVEMENTS WORKS TO VILLAGE GREENS KERBS AND ALLEYWAYS 3HARROD INSISTED THAT THE KEY ISSUES HAD BEEN DETAIL SOURCING MATERIALS AND PUBLIC CONSULTATION 3KILLS SHORTAGE HAD BEEN A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM /VER VILLAGE SCHEMES HAD BEEN GRANT FUNDED WITH WORKS THAT TOUCHED ON PUBLIC SPACE )N THE DISCUSSION THAT FOLLOWED THE CHAIR ASKED HOW THE @OLD LOCAL AUTHORITY THINKING OF TRAFFIC ENGINEERS COULD BE OVERCOME SO THAT GOOD PRACTICE COULD BECOME THE NORM 3UGGESTIONS FROM THE PANEL INCLUDED FORMING MULTI DISCIPLINARY PROJECT TEAMS TO BUILD A COMMON VISION AND GETTING POLITICIANS @OUT AND ABOUT TO TAP INTO THEIR CIVIC PRIDE !FTER LUNCH THERE WAS A CHOICE OF FOUR WALKING TOURS 3OME DELEGATES TOURED THE 2OPEWALKS AREA OF THE CITY TO SEE THE PUBLIC REALM IMPROVEMENTS BUILDING CONSERVATION AND NEW BUILD SCHEMES THAT ARE ALREADY TRANSFORMING THE AREA S FORTUNES !NOTHER GROUP WENT TO THE 2OMAN #ATHOLIC CATHEDRAL TO SEE THE IMPRESSIVE RECENTLY COMPLETED PROCESSIONAL WAY 4HE REST WENT TO 3T *AMES 'ARDENS A COMMUNITY PROJECT DESCRIBED AS ,IVERPOOL S HIDDEN GEM /PENING THE FINAL SESSION $AVID ,AMBERT DIRECTOR OF THE 0ARKS !GENCY SPELLED OUT THE IMPORTANCE OF MANAGING HISTORIC SPACES AFTER THE @WORK WAS COMPLETE (ISTORIC SPACES COULD PARK FEATURES PER CENT OF BANDSTANDS AND FOUNTAINS HAVE BEEN DEMOLISHED AND APPROXIMATELY PER CENT OF MONUMENTS HAVE BEEN LOST OR BADLY DAMAGED "UT MANAGEMENT IS LINKED TO SUSTAINABILITY AND IT GOES BEYOND THE PARK ITSELF 7HAT IS REQUIRED IS STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT WHICH IS ABOUT MAKING A CASE FOR THE PARK #!"% 3PACE WAS WELCOMED CAUTIOUSLY AS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION 4HE NEXT PRESENTATION WAS FROM #ATHY .EWBERY PROJECTS CURATOR FOR #)4% 5+ A NEW AGENCY CHARGED WITH CHAMPIONING ART IN THE PUBLIC REALM 3HE UNDERLINED THE ROLE AND CONTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC ART AS MORE THAN JUST AN OBJECT BUT AS A PROCESS IMPROVING AND CHANGING THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH ART )N THIS WAY PUBLIC ART CAN CONTRIBUTE TO REGENERATION BY CREATING A POSITIVE IMAGE OF AN AREA AND HELPING PEOPLE TO ENGAGE WITH PLACES n TO PAUSE THINK WONDER LAUGH AND THUS REMEMBER A PLACE 0UBLIC ART HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH WITH SPECIALIST FUNDING AGENCIES WORKING WITH ARTISTS ARCHITECTS AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS 2ATHER THAN BEING SIMPLY @SCULPTURE IN THE PLAZA OR @LIPSTICK ON THE GORILLA PUBLIC ART WAS NOW AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROCESS OF IMPROVING THE PUBLIC REALM &INAL WORDS CAME FROM 0AUL 3YMS OF 3HEFFIELD (ALLAM 5NIVERSITY ! CHARTERED PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SURVEYOR 3YMS GAVE AN OVERVIEW OF ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS (E EXPLAINED THAT FOR A DEVELOPMENT TO BE CONSIDERED VIABLE THERE MUST BE A PER CENT DEVELOPER S PROFIT IN THE BUDGET 4HE GREATER THE PERCEIVED RISK THE GREATER THE EXPECTED PROFIT 3YMS BELIEVED THAT @HERITAGE DEVELOPMENT WOULD ALWAYS BE A HIGH RISK IN COMPARISON TO GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT (E CITED RESEARCH HE HAD CONDUCTED FOR THE 2OWNTREE 4RUST IN WHICH DEVELOPMENT @BARRIERS SUCH AS ARCHAEOLOGY HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED 0ARTNERSHIP WAS CRUCIAL IN ESTABLISHING COMMON AGREED OBJECTIVES SO THAT HISTORIC BUILDINGS COULD BE REUSED SUCCESSFULLY AND THE PUBLIC REALM IMPROVED (ERITAGE AND PROFIT NEED NOT BE IN CONFLICT 4HE THREE FINAL SPEAKERS ALL STRESSED THE NEED FOR A LONG TERM VIEW &OR EXAMPLE WHERE SOMETHING WAS ACHIEVED THROUGH A S AGREEMENT THE QUESTION WAS @COULD IT BE MAINTAINED ! COMMUTED SUM FOR CONTRIBUTION TO MAINTENANCE COULD BE INCLUDED AND (ERITAGE ,OTTERY &UND GRANT CONTRIBUTE TO LIVEABILITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE BUT MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE WAS AS IMPORTANT AS THE INITIAL CAPITAL WORKS 4HE PROBLEM ,AMBERT POINTED OUT WAS THAT (ERITAGE ,OTTERY &UND GRANTS ONLY FUNDED THE FORMER ALTHOUGH THE CRITERIA DID STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LATTER (E CONTRASTED THE -ILE %ND -ILLENNIUM 0ARK IN ,ONDON WHICH IS BEGINNING TO SUFFER FROM A LACK OF MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE WITH NEW PARKS IN 0ARIS WHERE THE MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT IS OFTEN MORE STRIKING THAN THE DESIGN FEATURES ,AMBERT OUTLINED A THREE LEGGED STOOL MODEL FOR GREEN SPACES 4HE LEGS WERE THE CAPITAL WORKS THE MANAGEMENT PLAN AND THE PROGRAMME OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT OUTREACH ! CENTRAL PLANK OF THE 'REEN &LAG SCHEME HAD ALWAYS BEEN THE MANAGEMENT PLAN 4HE PROBLEM WAS THAT MAINTENANCE WAS AN EASY TARGET FOR COST CUTTING AND IT WAS NOT ALWAYS VISIBLE ,AMBERT REINFORCED THIS POINT WITH STATISTICS HIGHLIGHTING THE LOSS OF
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