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Green Flag Award 2016
Name of Site: Cobtree Manor Park
Managing Organisation: Maidstone Borough Council
Desk Assessment Feedback (Management Plan and supporting documentation)
Criteria
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Strengths |
Recommendations |
Presentation
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The management plan was well laid out, easy to read and contained a lot of information
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Although the plan is good and full of info it was felt that it is ready to reduce the size now the park has had green flag for some time The action plan contained day to day maintenance tasks which could be inserted into the main body of the plan |
Health, Safety & Security
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Was covered well in the plan, detailed information on inspections was given which rang true on site as well CCTV has been installed and the park has a open feel to it as well as being locked every day |
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Maintenance of equipment, buildings & landscape |
Was covered well in the plan The new visitor centre/cafe building looks just right for the park and is a real asset There are dedicated staff on site, in the cafe, a ranger (plans for 2 more rangers) and gardeners Litter picking was carried out daily Repairs of buildings was covered in the plan Play area looks great keeping the theme of teh zoo that was once there |
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Litter, cleanliness, vandalism |
Was covered well in the plan There are dedicated staff on site Litter picking was carried out daily, Graffiti and vandalism was covered in the plan |
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Environmental Sustainability
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Very little waste is generated and therefore removed from site, even shrub prunings or tree arisings are chipped and reused There are recycling bins installed around the park
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Conservation of heritage & nature |
Heritage of the park is covered well with plans on conserving it This is a country park and so managing the park for conservation is in there but looking at specimen trees in the arboretum that are part of the heritage have been kept and a tree route created for education purposes
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Community Involvement
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There isn’t a friends group as yet The Cobtree Charity Trust who owns the freehold of the Cobtree estate are met with regularly to discuss the improvements and progress of the park Events and activities do happen however this is the restart of the ranger remit and there is a lot come in the future |
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Marketing Strategy |
The new visitor centre/cafe will be an asset for marketing the park as it gets established more There are uniformed staff on site |
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Overall management
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Good plan with a lot of info in it Great to see dedicated staff on site A lot of thought has gone into the park |
Action plan needs to be looked at |
Additional comments .
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Field Assessment Feedback
Criteria |
Strengths |
Recommendations
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A Welcoming Place
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The park sits on a main road so easy to find, didn’t notice any directional signs. The park has a welcoming feel to it, it is well maintained The new visitor centre/cafe is a real asset in its position near the entrance of the site and next to the car park The staff will be trained in the park history and facilities to be able to advise anyone who asks for help The zoo themed play area looks great as well There is art throughout the park which adds diversity as does the many different species of trees on the tree route |
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Healthy, Safe and Secure
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There is CCTV on site Inspections were explained and match what was written in the plan There is dedicated staff on site, cafe, ranger and gardening team It is a large park with many walks to follow The park is locked every night |
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Clean and Well Maintained
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The gardening staff on site and was well maintained on the day of the visit,
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There was some dog foul spotted but not a lot and certainly didn’t detract from the visit |
Sustainability
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Very little waste is removed from site with everything being shredded or chipped to be left on site strategically There are recycling bins on site Recycled plastic benches have been placed around the cafe area |
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Conservation and Heritage
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The heritage of the site is sensitively managed to maintain the Zoo feel to the park and there is even a guided tour that relates to the zoo, there are some buildings like the Llama house and elephant house on site which are well looked after and in part reused with plans to do more |
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Community Involvement
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There are some events and activities happening on site The tree route is good and adds interest as does the art works |
A friends group is in the plans to organise As the ranger gets used to his new role we can see this part increasing with education activities as well as increasing volunteers |
Marketing
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The signage on site, interpretation and notice boards are good quality and up to date The park is on a main road so very visible and well maintained The staff on site are uniformed |
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Management
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What is being said in the management plan is happening on the ground
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Additional Comments
There are some very dedicated staff from the management to the committed ranger and grounds staff on site, all working hard to keep this park safe, clean and well maintained.
It is at the start of its journey to becoming self sustaining with many plans only just being realised, it will be great to see the progress over the next 12 months
The judges were made to feel very welcome in this park and felt that the park was a credit to all of the people listed above
This park thoroughly deserves to retain its Green Flag Standard
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