WalkdenGardens

Trafford Council

Green Flag Award 2012/2013

Bandscores

Desk Assessment / 0-9 / 10-14 / 15-19 / 20-24 / 25-30
Field Assessment / 20-29 / 30-39 / 40-44 / 45-49 / 50-54 / 55-59 / 60-64 / 65-70
Overall score / 30-44 / 45-54 / 55-59 / 60-65 / 66-69 / 70-74 / 75-79 / 80+

Status –Pass

Overall band score80+

Desk Assessment Feedback

Band score20-24

Criteria / Strengths / Recommendations
Presentation / Although the adopted layout is easy to read/understand it does not follow the Green Flag layout exactly so sometimes it is difficult to search for specifics. / Consider the Green Flag criteria as section headings.
Health, Safety & Security / The design of the park and management procedures make this a safe park / None
Maintenance of equipment, buildings
& landscape / The planned maintenance of the equipment buildings & landscape is good / None
Litter, cleanliness, vandalism / The management of this site is excellent / None
Environmental Sustainability / The management of the environment of the gardens and sustainability issues is excellent. / None
Conservation of
heritage & nature / An excellent example of the management of Conservation and heritage. The management of the gardens for nature is very good. / None
Community
Involvement / The involvement of the community in the management of the gardens is excellent, it really makes the gardens providing a facility that is relevant to the community that uses it. / Keep up the good work
Marketing Strategy / The gardens have a good marketing plan / None
Overall management / A very good overall plan. The staff restructuring mentioned by staff during the visit was not reflected in the plan. / Update accordingly
Additional comments
Field Assessment Feedback

Band score55-59

Criteria / Strengths / Recommendations
A Welcoming Place / The signage in the car park and at the gates is very welcoming. / A large layout plan of the gardens within the gardens with a ‘You are here’ on it. The plan on the notice board and could be hidden by a parked car.
Healthy, Safe
and Secure / The site feels very safe, a sanctuary from the busy world outside, the site base gardeners give you that extra sense of security.
No litter evident throughout the site. / We feel there could be a few more park benches for the public to sit on.
The bench within the stone wall was very worn/muddy underneath and would probably inhibit people using it.
Clean and
Well Maintained / We did not see any litter on the site during our visit, and we did look in all the out of the way places where it is likely to gather. The buildings and equipment were in good repair. The quality of the horticultural maintenance was very good considering the size of the team caring for the site. / Good work, keep it up.
Sustainability / All green waste kept on site to biodegrade. The woodland is very well managed. Minimal use of pesticides / None
Conservation
and Heritage / The site provides varied habitats for wildlife.
The Dovecot is a gem within the site. The stone wall also provides an interesting feature. / None
Community
Involvement / The standards and the development of this park are driven by the Friends of Walkden Gardens. They provide a park that meets the needs of the community that use it. / None
Marketing / Good information provided in the noticeboards. / However, information board in car park is not well positioned with car parking bays directly in front so users unlikely to see it or read it when cars parked.
Promotional leaflets on site would be of benefit.
Clearer maps at the entrance points (not just in noticeboards would help people to better navigate the site.
Management / The management plan is being used to improve the site. / None
Additional Comments
The gardens are a sanctuary from the busy world outside where you can get away for some peace and quiet. The variety of formal and natural gardens gives you a new experience at every turn. The site contained no litter at all and the standard of the site is a credit to the gardening team that works so well with the ‘Friends of Walkden Gardens’. The site was a pleasure to judge.