Parks to be made safer for women and girls

Plans to make Bristol parks safer for women and girls received unanimous support from city councillors despite concerns about the potential impact on wildlife.

A motion by opposition Labour calling for better lighting along paths, more help and information points, visible staff or wardens on site, removal of overgrown vegetation and the creation of clear sightlines was endorsed by 60-0 votes at a meeting of full council.

It means two parks, including Castle Park which is already the subject of a major revamp as part of wider proposals to transform the city centre, will be selected to pilot improved safety measures.

Councillor Lisa Durston wants parks to be a space where “everyone can feel welcome and safe” – photo: Meg Houghton-Gilmour

These could then be rolled out to open spaces across Bristol, which would be a decision for the public health and communities committee which has been tasked with identifying other barriers that prevent people from using parks as well as the funding needed to address these.

Lisa Durston, the Labour councillor for Filwood who tabled the motion, told the meeting: “We all know how important parks and green spaces are, for our physical health, our mental health, our connection to nature and a sense of community.

“We also know that not everyone gets to enjoy them equally.

“Girls’ participation in parks drops off sharply around age 11 or 12, often because the spaces and activities just don’t feel designed for them.

“If we design with inclusion built in and listen to the voice of lived experience from the start, we can create parks that work for everyone.

“This motion is about making Bristol’s parks places where everyone can feel welcome and safe.”

Seconding the motion, Labour councillor for Bishopsworth Sue Kollar said many people found it daunting to walk through parks now the clocks have gone back and it gets dark earlier.

She said: “We shouldn’t accept a situation where people avoid our parks and green spaces for half the year.

“We can’t stop it getting dark, but we can ensure that when it gets dark, it feels safe.

“I understand that when other members have asked for lighting in parks, the council has said ‘no’, citing lighting’s effect on bats and other wildlife.

“These are valid environmental considerations.

“But surely, safety for people should come first.”

Cara Lavan, the Green councillor for St George Central, said: “I welcome this motion and the attention it brings to the safety and accessibility of our parks and green spaces.

“Years of government austerity have left our parks budgets severely depleted.

“With no end in sight, councils like Bristol are often only able to carry out the bare minimum in maintenance.”

She said a new parks and green spaces strategy, approved last year, committed to consulting women’s and girls’ groups on big changes to parks.

“However, both the capital and revenue implications of the motion mean it must be considered carefully,” Lavan said.

“We know that interacting with nature reduces stress and improves both physical and mental health.

“Yet nature itself is under threat.

“One of the challenges this motion presents is balancing the safety of park users – especially women and girls –  with the need to protect wildlife.

“While bright lights can make parks feel safer, they can also harm nocturnal wildlife.

“Conversely, too little light may give a false sense of security.

“We must find solutions that work for both people and nature.”

Public health and communities committee chairman Stephen Williams said: “On the issue of lighting, there are conflicting opinions not just on wildlife versus human use of the park but also whether having parks lit all the time might actually encourage lots of bad human behaviour if they think it’s a good place to turn up at night.

“We are proposing to spend millions of pounds of capital investment on upgrading Castle Park – the last upgrade was in 1993.

“I actually feel unsafe in Castle Park because many of the pathways are enclosed, aren’t overlooked by anybody and as trees have grown around them it’s become even worse, so sightlines are an important issue as well.”

John Goulandris, Conservative councillor for Stoke Bishop, said: “Under the previous Labour mayoral administration, the budget for parks was repeatedly slashed year after year.

“Such was the cavalier approach to our parks that the mayor adopted the bizarre view that parks should be self-funding, the alternative presumably being to close them and turn them into development opportunities for his corporate friends.

“Anyhow, Labour sinners, we welcome your repentance and your focus on parks.”

The motion means there will be an annual “safer parks report” to the public health and communities committee.

Bristol City Council launched a public engagement exercise called Castle Park Conversations in September.

Main photo: Martin Booth

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