Site Categorisation Strategy

Sheffield's Site Categorisation Strategy evaluates the leisure and recreational significance of each of the 730 plus green space sites held and managed by the City Council's Parks and Countryside Service for leisure and recreational purposes. The following summarises the strategy's key findings and recommendations. 

 

The Site Categorisation Strategy forms a guide and rationale for adopting a more strategic approach to the management, maintenance and development of Sheffield's leisure and recreational green spaces and builds upon the Sheffield Parks Regeneration Strategy, the Unitary Development Plan, and national service issues and trends for parks services.

 

Each green space site managed by Sheffield City Council for leisure purposes is considered and categorised according to its City, District or Local significance, along with its type (i.e. as a Park, Woodland, Open Space, Sports Site, Playground, Garden, Allotment etc.). 

 

The Strategy:

 

 

 

It recommends that the City and District Sites be considered first and foremost for service investment and development, because the City and District Sites:

 

 

 

The aim of the strategy is to provide access to quality parks and green spaces in every district, with local sites complimenting this provision by being considered on an individual basis, based upon local neighbourhood needs. 

 

The strategy emphasises the need for all developmental decisions to be carefully thought about in terms of overall service strategy, best value investment, and the service's capacity to deliver successful and sustainable improvements in partnership with others or directly themselves. 

 

Site categorisation for leisure and recreation places a greater emphasis on the adoption of a more strategic approach to service development, rather than being purely opportunistic or reactive.  Pursuing opportunities always has resource implications for the Service and the City Council, and therefore service development possibilities need to be based upon a site's relevance, its realistic potential, and in the city's capacity to maintain and sustain the investment.

 

A management vision for the City, District and Local site categories is included within the strategy, along with the management criteria that will need to be tailored and met as appropriate to each site. 

 

The overall aim of the Site Categorisation Strategy is to provide more relevant, sustainable and better quality services city-wide, by finding sensible balances within all the resources available to the Council.

 

The Development, Environment & Leisure Directorate adopted the strategy in autumn 2000.

 

A copy of the strategy, including the methodology adopted, the categorisation of the individual City, District and Local sites and the modern values assessment criteria model is available to download below.