Deadline for comments on three key strategies extended

Published: 27 January 2021

There’s still time for people to have their say on three important strategies for Exeter.

The City Council has extended its deadline for comments by a week, until Sunday 7 February.

The strategies set out the future for three key areas of outdoor recreation:

• Trees and Woodlands
• Play
• Parks and Green Spaces

The City Council drafted up its proposals in December but is now keen to hear the thoughts of the people.

Cllr David Harvey, Lead Councillor for City Management, said: “We’d very much like to hear the public’s views on what they would like us to do in these strategies.

“The strategies are currently in draft form. We’ve formulated some ideas and we really want the residents of Exeter to tell us what they’d want us to do. We really would be grateful for everyone’s feedback.”

People now have an extra week to have their say, and can do so by going to the City Council website

Trees
Take part part in the survey by visiting our website 

The City Council is one of the largest tree owners in Exeter. Through its planning controls, the public sees the local authority as the guardian of the city treescape. As such, the council is the key organisation in developing a framework to protect and sustain the city’s trees.

Woodlands and green corridors are vitally important in delivering the Council’s aims of: Tackling congestion and accessibility; promoting active and healthy lifestyles; and building great neighbourhoods.

Exeter already has more tree cover than most other cities and now wants go beyond this to ensure the future health and well-being of our communities.

Play
Take part in the survey by visiting our website 

The ability and opportunity to play outside is something that is often taken for granted. Yet, for many people, those opportunities are limited. The Council wants the city’s children to be active, but in a safe environment.

For many, the local council recreation ground or park has always been the place to go for a run-around, or to use the play equipment.

Despite the pressures on land and budgets, the council recognises the importance of active recreation to help tackle childhood obesity. Some new housing developments install and maintain play areas under a private management agreement, though the majority of play areas and greenspace for informal play remain under the Council’s control.

The Council has a large number of play areas in the city. A great deal of time and money is required to maintain them and to ensure they are safe. A lot of the equipment is coming to the end of the designed lifespan, and is beyond economic repair. The Council has to decide how it is going to provide play opportunities for the future.

Parks and Green Spaces
Take part in the survey by visiting our website 

Exeter’s parks and green spaces offer the opportunity to relax and enjoy the natural environment away from the stresses of everyday life.

The Council is determined that valued community greenspace will not be lost to development, and that biodiversity and climate change management need to be central to measures to manage greenspace within Exeter and beyond.

As Housing density increases and garden space decreases, especially for those families that are most in need, the values of public greenspace increases.