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Eco-Neighbourhoods Action Plan

& Audit 2015

Gorton North and Gorton South

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Eco Neighbourhood Action Plan 2015: Gorton North and Gorton South The following actions were developed by attendees of the workshops. Some organisations and individuals that were not in

attendance were suggested as action leads, and so their involvement in those actions is included in suggested contact and is

subject to further discussions with them.

Project idea Who? Or suggested contact

Timescale Resources Suggested next steps

Publicity scheme across Gorton which includes promoting local environmental initiatives. Sub-branding to link all aspects of community life (e.g. ‘shop local, love Gorton’; ‘Clean Streets, Love Gorton’)

Council as facilitator, but led by the community, possibly Oasis. Supported by MCC /residents /community groups

Medium term Group 1: Previously tackled to some extent via ‘I love Gorton’ / Gorton Festival Group / Gorton Events Committee– involve these people. Build on existing plans and link in environmental issues/activities. Develop a ward wide events diary, which is well communicated. Develop a small funding bid to support this. Group 2: Develop a BIFFA award bid (get advice from Green Leaders – possibly Rachel Summerscales). Promote via ward newsletter, permanent signage, Get into Gorton community events, Social Media, poster publicity in local community venues. Link to events calendar and regular community get together for volunteering and training to improve the look of the neighbourhood.

Community to get together to draw up an action plan. Contact Oasis and MCC to discuss further,

Develop Tree Station’s relationship with community groups and Eco Schools (grow customer base; supply sustainable materials)

Tree Station Medium term, due to capacity

Make use of Gorton Branding, Gorton networks. Need time for desk based study or to be provided with contact details and locations of groups and possible customers. Link to ‘Little Hands Make Big Changes project. Advertise in Pride in East Manchester residents’ packs.

Tree Station to utilise contact list from this event. Follow up with regeneration officers regarding further links and advertising opportunities. Follow up with MEEN regarding schools contacts and possible projects.

A project which brings together food growers and healthy

Facilitated by a ‘Green Leader’ or

Quick – initial call to arms /

Comment – see Gorton Growing Together Group in Gorton North; Friends of Group network

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cooking schemes to work together – sharing food, skills and resources effectively to reach local people in need (e.g. food bank).

local umbrella organisation

meeting. Medium term to establish the network. Ongoing development

Umbrella organisation needs funding for staff time to coordinate existing activity and maximise capacity and impact of the network. Funding from social landlords / Neighbourhoods Teams.

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Eco Neighbourhood Environmental Audit 2015: Gorton North and Gorton South

Ward co-ordinator (North) Mazur Iqbal m.iqbal@manchester.gov.uk (South) Patricia Allen p.allen2@manchester.gov.uk

Regeneration Ward Officer (North) Heath Cole h.cole@manchester.gov.uk (South) Kalu Redford

k.redford@manchester.gov.uk

Theme 1: Better Looking Neighbourhoods

Activity Details Map No. Contact e-mails

Clean-ups and litter-picks

“Deep Clean” – Craig road area, August 2014 Old Hall Drive Primary Signed up to “Little Hands Make Big Changes” scheme

1 2

d.doyle@manchester.gov.uk j.baker@manchester.gov.uk

Grot-Spot, graffiti and other nuisance reporting schemes

Hemmons Road area street representatives scheme

3 d.doyle@manchester.gov.uk

Tree planting Gorton North Has 14% tree cover, Gorton South has 15%, lower than the City average of 20%. Known orchards in Debdale, Old Hall Drive Primary, Embassy Walk, Sunnybrow and Gorton parks

- pete@redroseforest.co.uk

Flower beds and containers (other than in parks and open spaces)

Darras Road Community Garden Affinity Community Allotment

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Andrew.cooper@affinitysutton.com Kevin.McCloskey@affinitysutton.com s.hawkins@manchester.gov.uk

Back alley greening - - - Tidying up/”meanwhile” uses of derelict land

- - --

Note: A green space audit was undertaken by Groundwork in about 2011.

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Theme 2: Giving nature a helping hand

Activity Details Map No. Contact e-mails

Friends groups – parks and open spaces

Friends of Debdale Park (Queens Award) Friends of Gorton Park Friends of Sunnybrow Park Friends of Nutsford Vale Gorton Horticultural Society Gorton Reservoir Allotments

10 7 8 9 111 12

helen@debdale-ecocentre.org.uk gortonparktra@aol.com sunnybrowpark@aol.com

Balsam-bashing and control of invasive plant species

Knotweed control on Nutsford Vale 1 -

Native wildflower and plant conservation and propagation

Darras Road Community Garden Meadow creation took place at the back of Far Lane (Spurley hey meadow) in 2010. Proposed new meadow and orchard at Nutsford Vale in 2015

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See above. Greater Manchester Ecology Unit Matthew.holker@tameside.gov.uk

Wetlands and ponds In Nutsford Vale, Sunnybrow, Debdale reservoir 4a, 4b, 4c See above Community-owned or managed woodlands or wild/natural spaces

Nutsford vale. 1 hilary@redroseforest.co.uk D.doyle@manchester.gov.uk

Bat/Bird box schemes and other created wildlife habitats

In and around Far Lane woods 3 -

Anything else?

Heritage Garden in Debdale Park, opened September 2014, maintained by residents. Debdale Park Eco Centre (Community Green Flag award) Nico ditch is a historically significant feature Gorton Monastery gardens

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helen@debdale-ecocentre.org.uk

Note: Nutsford Vale received £500,000 investment around 2011 from NWDA/MCC, and will now benefit from some community support through Red Rose Forest Heritage Trees Project. Debdale clean city investment.

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Theme 3: Living better lives

Activity Details Map No. Contact e-mails

Food growing schemes

MMU Gardening Society Affinity Sutton Darras Road Community Garden Project Greenfingers Debdale Sacred Heart Children’s Centre Allotment Plots in Gorton South Inspired to Grow Community composting scheme, Debdale Eco Centre

1 2 4 2

gardeningsocietyMMU@hotmail.com kevin.mccloskey@affinitysutton.com s.downey@manchester.gov.uk j.quayle@manchester.gov.uk nick.buckley@mancunianway.org.uk sarah.riley@greatplaces.org.uk Fairfield.composting@btinternet.com

Food processing and production (eg honey, eggs, preserves)

- - -

Air and/or water quality monitoring projects

- - -

Outdoor gym equipment

- - -

Nature trails/Health walks

Nutsford Vale- active from grey to green recorders Upper Reservoir Pathway (Heritage Lottery funded) opened March 2014

3 GM Ecology Unit as above

“Wild” adventure play areas/den building etc.

Darras Road Community Garden Debdale Park Nutsford Vale

1 2 3

See above.

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Theme 4: Sustainability

Activity Details Map No. Contact e-mails

Watercourse and land drainage improvements

Nico Ditch - d.barlow@manchester.gov.uk

Community energy conservation schemes

- - -

Eco-homes (state whether new-build or refurbished)

- - -

Community renewable energy schemes

- - -

Community transport - - - Environmentally-related social enterprises (eg coppicing, timber products)

TRIM - Timber Recycling in Manchester Tree Station

- info@timberrecycling.org info@treestation.co.uk

Community-based environmental education initiatives

- - -

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Eco-Schools

School Map No. Status e-mail Oasis Academy Aspinal

1 Green Flag head@aspinal.manchester.sch.uk

St Richard's RC Primary School

2 Silver admin@st-richards.manchester.sch.uk

Chapel Street Primary School

3 Silver admin@chapelstreet.manchester.sch.uk

Cedar Mount Academy

4 Silver office@cedarmount.manchester.sch.uk

St James' Cof E Primary School Gorton

5 Silver head@stjamesgorton.net

Sacred Heart RC Primary School

6 Bronze admin@sacredheart-jun.manchester.sch.uk

Old Hall Drive Primary School

7 Bronze head@oldhalldrive.manchester.sch.uk

Melland High School

8 Bronze admin@melland.manchester.sch.uk

Wright Robinson Specialist College

9 Registered c.shaw@wrightrobinson.co.uk

The Buzz PRU

10 Registered Not provided.

Gorton Mount Primary Academy

11 Registered admin@gortonmount.manchester.sch.uk

Challenges and opportunities

• Transient and diverse population – so difficult to sustain good levels of recycling and environmental commitment.

• Need to develop more environment-related healthy living activity (Green Corridor and parks)

• Fly tipping and illegal/anti-social use of skips; poor state of some communal areas

• Terraced streets make waste collections difficult; fly tipping in passageways.

• High numbers of eco-schools

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• Award-winning community initiatives and high levels of involvement in some areas. Friends groups and high quality parks

and open spaces

Ward Maps with Environmental initiatives.

The information from the Environmental Audit has been mapped onto the Ward Map for Gorton North and Gorton south.

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