Decision - City Parks Service Standards 2025/26

Brighton and Hove Cabinet Decided 5 Dec 2024 · effective 14 Dec 2024 approved Key decision GET /api/coverage

Decision maker

Cabinet

Report author

Robert Walker

Published

6 Dec 2024

Reference

7324

As published

the council's own words, unedited

This report sets out the recommended policy framework for Cityparks and Phase 1 of service improvements from 25/26.

1) Cabinet approves the proposed interim approach to service standards for 2025/26 as set out in sections 3.15– 3.35, and supports the wider improvements as set out in sections 3.36-3.45. 2) Cabinet delegates authority to the Corporate Director- City Services to procure the works referenced in sections 3.29-3.32 of the report where budget can be allocated from current core budgets. 3) Cabinet notes the need for additional budget to deliver to the tree basal works, additional GIS mapping works and the development of a proactive communications campaign as referenced in sections 3.28, 3.42 and 4.3 of the report. 4) Cabinet notes that a further report will be brought to Cabinet to outline the longer-term approach to Cityparks Vision and delivery in 2025.

Parsed from the document

gpt-5.6-luna-2026-07-09 · 6418/1211 tokens · 11239ms · parsed 9 Sep 2026 15:33

Everything below was read out of a PDF by a model It is useful and it is not authoritative. The document it came from is linked in the rail, and where the two disagree the document is right.

Cabinet was asked to approve interim service standards for parks and green spaces in 2025/26, including changes to verge cutting, grass cutting and tree-base maintenance. The report also proposed improved GIS mapping, communications, equipment management and engagement, subject to available or additional budget.

Outcome

approved

Recommendation

Approve the interim City Parks service standards for 2025/26 and wider improvements; delegate authority to the Corporate Director- City Services to procure specified works where funding is available from core budgets; note the need for additional budget for tree-base works, GIS mapping and a communications campaign; and receive a further report on the longer-term Cityparks Vision and delivery approach in 2025.

Financial impact

£100,000 additional investment was allocated in 2024/25 for tree-base works. Recurrent pressure funding of £0.100m was requested for the 2024/25 budget process, while further additional funding is required for 2025/26 tree-base works, GIS mapping and the communications campaign.

Ward affected

city-wide

Decision maker

Cabinet

Date in document

5 Dec 2024

Stakeholders named

parsed

residentsvisitorscommunitiesMembersgreen spaces volunteersHousing and cemetery departmentsBiodiversity, food growing and planning colleaguesparks operations staffall stakeholders

Next steps

parsed

Implement the approved 2025/26 service standards.
Begin procurement of contractors before Christmas to supplement in-house grass-cutting delivery.
Review current Parks and Highways tree-cutting contracts and access regional tree frameworks for additional work.
Seek and agree additional funding for tree-base works, GIS mapping and the communications campaign through budget setting.
Develop the GIS mapping, communications and engagement plans.
Test sheep grazing in a small section of Hove Cemetery South, away from graves.
Bring a further report to Cabinet in 2025 on the longer-term Cityparks Vision and delivery approach.

Precedents

not built

"Decided elsewhere" is not built Finding the same decision in other councils needs semantic matching over decision text, which is part of the search rewrite. Until then, the council's own decisions list is the way through.