FRIENDS OF BURY KNOWLE PARK, HEADINGTON

Ideas for the Park

In 2009 City Council’s Parks Development Officer Caroline Chanides produced a “Bury Knowle Park Management Plan”. On Sunday 12 July 2009 the Friends of Bury Knowle Park did a tour of the park to gather ideas, and some of the suggestions made by people on the walk are listed below.

WELCOMING
  1. Signage needs to be at every entrance with opening times of amenities – include a “What to spot where” sign
  2. Only two picnic tables – audit of seats and tables required, we need to re-position them e.g. for shopworkers having their lunch in the park. Make sure the bins are arranged to suit!
  3. Signpost walks, and give distances of walks
  4. Improve planting in front of library
  5. Information/welcome kiosk at main entrance
  6. Clear direction on whether cycling is or is not allowed
  7. Board to show the history of the site
HEALTHY, SAFE, AND SECURE
  1. Toilets locked up at 16.06 (Sunday) Need for toilets at far end by tennis courts and kiosk (sink for children to wash hands after eating ice cream)
  2. Ask Park Rangers about the surface of the road used as a cycle track – should this be clearly marked if cycling is allowed? Do we want a bike route?
  3. Remove graffiti from Southern Gas sub-station next to Bury Knowle Health Centre (Community Service volunteers?)
  4. Bike stands at every entrance send a healthy message
  5. Dangerous pavement other side of library
  6. No vehicles allowed in the park at any time (churns up grass)
FACILITIES
  1. Another set of goalposts to complement the single pair we have which are very well used
  2. Need for a designated sports/recreation area suitable for football/rugby/hockey (H&S re rabbit holes?)
  3. More for older children to do e.g. a zip wire as at Barton or skateboard facility
  4. Drinking fountain in sensory garden
  5. Cricket nets in spare space next to tennis courts?
  6. Provide a trim trail and designated walks
  7. Water troughs for dogs
  8. Water splash area
  9. Sound sensor area – when you move near a sensor, a sound is triggered as in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park) Modern Art Oxford/Brookes/Oxford and Cherwell Valley engineer involvement?
BUILDINGS AND INFRASTRUCTURE
  1. Buggy access to library
MAINTAINED AND CLEAN
  1. Use of corporate team awaydays to help tidy up the park
  2. Use of community service volunteers to paint the gates etc.
  3. Replace/mend wonky light at North Place entrance
CONSERVATION AND HERITAGE
  1. We like the wild area
  2. We would like some signage explaining what to look for in the wild area
  3. Make it possible to donate a tree
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
  1. Are we allowed to trim hedges or do the odd spot of ‘looking after’ ourselves? What is the position re insurance?
  2. Business involvement – in the US, McDonalds sponsored a castle for children to play in/on. Use of Waitrose’s £1K community budget?
  3. Business sponsored bulbs – planting round trees can be done by community groups e.g. scouts, guides, schools, the Friends. Businesses can provide hardware etc, goods in kind not just money
MARKETING
  1. Need for a user survey so we know the needs of all the users – many people who live in flats use the park as their ‘back gardens’. Find out who is using N Place car park (London commuters?)
  2. We want a map of Headington with the park, the post office, the library, the Farmers’ markets etc marked on it and placed in the London Rd noticeboards (and made available in the kiosk)
  3. Sign to say which businesses sponsored what (in Library?)
  4. Events – offer storytelling next to the Library, good PR for both
  5. Wood sculpture is our Unique Selling Point – more please!
  6. Of the seven Dads interviewed in the Children’s Playground, none of them knew ice creams were available in the kiosk and none knew about the crazy golf, though several were aware of the library

© Friends of Bury Knowle Park

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Last updated: 29 December, 2011