Just to pass on a bit of   good news  

Norwich City Council aims to help Mile Cross residents tidy up our neighbourhood from next week. Hopefully this will combat flytipping, as finally there's no excuse not to dispose of big items properly.

What’s happening and when:

Friday 6 October
Skips will arrive for residents to dispose of unwanted bulky items from gardens and communal areas. These will be available every day until Sunday 15 October.

Monday 9 October
Council staff along with a support agency will be helping residents who need to get their gardens in a manageable condition. To find out if you are eligible for help, phone 0800 731 4515 Monday – Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Friday 13 October
Residents can place any unwanted fridges or freezers in front of their property for collection that afternoon.

There will also be a roving Handy Tip moving around the area between 8am and 4pm everyday (8am – 3pm on Friday) to pick up rubbish between the skip locations.

More on the City Council website

Tree Strategy Overview

We support the initiative to coordinate tree care around the city, "empower individuals and communities" and give "sound practical direction". The better structure will help local groups to work with the Council and make the most effective use of resources.

 
Comments on Section Two

Key Strengths/Challenges

The existence of Friends Groups for so many green spaces confirms the Council's good track record. Councillors and Green Spaces officers sometimes alert our group to planning proposals which affect trees - this could be formalised in future. Please remember that meeting regularly with Friends groups creates an open channel of communication, to complement one-off community consultations on particular issues.

Strategic Objectives

As a Friends group we have a special interest in "Objective D: To inform and involve local people". It bears repeating that this is always a two-way process. In relation to public perceptions and passions, high quality communication is essential to give local people and others (e.g. the press) a balanced view of the issues.

 
Comments on Section Three

Measuring Performance

 The targets in Objective A seem practical and well thought out. Public information about trees as wildlife habitats is a good idea. In addition to the bird-box and bat-box leaflets, how about adding some notes on other species living on trees, or the environmental points made in the excellent Foreword to the consultation document?

Could the database in Objective B also be adapted for public consumption? It would be fascinating to go online and see what species we have around the city. People might also like to identify the trees in their gardens and contribute details to an online census, to complete the "official" picture.

The management plans in Objective C are an essential basis for coordinated work.
On maintenance, we accept that "fulfilling a duty of care" is a minimum standard, but in some locations (e.g. where there is a supportive Friends group) there is an argument for going further and aiming instead to maximise recreational and/or habitat value. In our woodland area, we have had problems in the past getting routine path-cutting done on time. For better coordination of routine maintenance, we suggest publication of the contracts and schedules on the website, so that everyone knows what level of routine upkeep has been agreed.

Under Objective D the "Liaising with communities" target will be the most challenging, given the volume of tree planting being proposed. We hope schoolchildren will be involved in tree-planting where possible to give them a stake in their environment.

Some of the other targets seem less than ambitious, e.g.:

 "Updating information"
Can updates on progress be published as time goes on?

 "Promoting best practice"
The Best Practices leaflet by late 2006 is a good start, but more information and activities aimed at young people would also be useful.

 "Working in partnership"
The guided walks and workdays are worthwhile events and should be publicised as widely as possible.
Friends groups are mentioned but their special value is not recognised in terms of the measurable targets. Like the trees, voluntary groups need a certain amount of maintenance throughout their lifespan. We suggest an annual meeting with each woodland or parkland Friends group, to review the Council's management plan for the area and make specific plans for what the Friends group can do to help in the coming year.

Other comments
At some point during the action plan or maybe to celebrate the outcomes, how about a City-wide event on a tree-related theme? Friends groups could help to plan and carry this out. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and we look forward to seeing the final Tree Strategy.