FOI request (FOIR-425847306)

Green spaces

Requested Mon 30 May 2022
Responded  Thu 30 June 2022

I would like to make a freedom of information request. Please could you provide in writing:

1. The total area of publicly accessible green space currently owned by the council. By green space, I mean areas which are primarily covered in grass, meadow, woodland, marsh land, beach land and so on, including parks. It would not include areas which are primarily covered in tarmac or concrete even if they have incidental planting of trees or other greenery.

2. The same figure as it was on 1 January 2012.

3. The same figure as it was on 1 January 2002.

Ideally these figures would be provided in square kilometres or square miles.

Response

The information on publicly accessible green can be found in the following 2 studies. They do not however contain a breakdown of green spaces in the ownership of Hastings Borough Council.

1. 2020 Hastings Strategic Open and Play Space Assessment. Please see chapter 7 and table 7.4 in particular and paragraph 4.33 which explains the difference between this study and the earlier 2006 Open Spaces Plan. This document will take time to load and is located here:

https://www.hastings.gov.uk/content/planning/planning_policy/local_plan/pdfs/616654/Hastings_Strategic_Open_Space_and_Play_Space_Assessment_2020.pdf

2. 2006 Hastings Open Spaces Plan. This document is located here:

https://www.hastings.gov.uk/content/my_council/decisions_how/policies_strategies/pdfs/Final_Parks_Open_Spaces_Strategy_revised_260607.pdf

In respect of the coastline the area changes significantly depending on the tide and season. Also whether the land is measured to mean high tide, mean low tide, maximum size at lowest tide and so on. We can however advise that the coastline remains the same size across the three periods in question, perhaps slightly larger when shingle accretion is factored in.