Rother District Council

This funding will be used to support the 21st Century Parks project known as C21P. The Partners are working together to deliver improvements to parks and open spaces and to improve green linkages connecting urban areas and their rural surroundings.

The bid totals 967,682 Euros (almost £830,000), with INTERREG paying half.

The partners have started work through a series of workshops to share knowledge and experience across their new projects. The first workshop in November 2010 hosted by Oostende investigated at the concept level, what is required of public open space in the 21^st century. Delegates and experts looked at the individual sites and the need to provide access to the public (local and wider) whilst balancing this against the need for protection of the environment, conservation and consideration of residents.

The first workshop has already influenced Rother's proposals for Egerton Park, Bexhill. It is hoped that with the guiding influence of the delegates and their peers additional European funding may be released to extend the proposed Sensory Garden and assist with the regeneration of the park, and the wider regeneration of Bexhill through the attraction of more visitors. Click on the link Egerton Park for further details of the park.

The second workshop in March 2011 hosted by Rother District Council has further developed the conceptual design parameters in line with the wishes of delegates. Proposals for Egerton Park sensory garden have significantly changed with this pilot being extended and enhanced.
The format of the children's garden has been carefully considered and again the current design reflects the wishes of the workshop delegates.

The original brief for the Camber pilot was to look at walking routes around Camber. Over a period these have been incorporated into a master planning exercise which will inform a new supplementary planning document. This document will enhance Rother's core strategy fro planning. Consultations have already begun with Camber Parish council to consider the. 
Click on the link Camber Sands for further information on Camber Sands.

Press Release April 2011

The 3^rd workshop in October 2011 was held in Oostende and focussed on sustainability and maintenance issues. This aspect scrutinised the designs so far developed and helped to finalise the pilot projects. Whilst each pilot is different in its design parameters and progress, the work so far has benefited from the consideration and critique given by the workshop delegates.

Photos below show break-out session with all delegates having the opportunity to add their views. These sessions are a great leveller with each delegate having equal shares.

The 4^th Workshop of the C21P project took place in Belgium at the University of Ghent on 15 February 2012. At the start of the school year students of HoGent (BE) were given the task of redesigning open space areas of Egerton Park,Bexhill or to create a masterplan for Camber Village.Click here for link to Camber Sands. The students had visited the sites in September 2011 to look at the fundamentals of the pilot projects and immediately began working in teams on concept and design. 45 students presented their vision to 21^st Century Parks team members and external experts from Belgium and the UK who were witness to some very talented thinking. Experts remarked, "We've noticed that the Belgians quite like water in parks and that Belgian and British people have a different view on mobility." "Students focused on enhancing public transport possibilities and reducing car parking however in the UK people rely on their cars to get around as public transport systems are not so developed." "The standard of presentation and materials is extremely high. Some very good cross-border concepts were presented such as the importance of access to sustainable facilities for all sections of the community."

The students' opinions and insights were considered with an open mind. Rother District Council had invited urban practitioners Allies & Morrison who are currently working on public engagement and consultation for Camber to attend. They were able to take away some good ideas which they may integrate into plans for the pilot project.

C21P Future Programme - In future postings you will learn more about Camber Village public engagement and consultation leading towards a masterplan, the launch of Egerton Park Children's Play zone and development of the Sensory Garden, and how the Emerald Necklace projects are progressing. At least two further C21P workshops are scheduled to take place this year and next. At the end of the C21P programme our Best Practice Guide will highlight all six pilot projects. This will be launched at the Grand Final Conference of the 21st Century Parks project to be held in April 2013 at Ostend.

Click on the link to see the Belgian website  c21p Partners Oostende   and facebook C21p Partners Facebook page

The Council submitted its application jointly with partners in Belgium, as part of an EU funded programme called INTERREG, which helps European regions work together.