Why we're building a Park Quality Framework for Bristol

Bristol's first ever Park Quality Plan- Have your say!

If you've ever compared your local park to one on the other side of the city, you'll know that "quality" can mean very different things depending on where you live.

Some parks have brand new play equipment and wildflower meadows that get attention every season. Others have huge potential — and brilliant communities around them — but are run-down, over-grown and feel unsafe.

Right now, there's no single, fair way to measure that difference across Bristol. No shared answer to the question: what actually makes a Bristol park "good"? And without that, it's hard to make sure investment goes where it's needed most.

This gap in quality and impact on park access is what we want to change with the Bristol Park Plan.

Get involved

Join us for a community workshop to help shape Bristol’s new Park Quality Plan to improve the quality of parks across our city.

We want to understand what makes a park high quality, welcoming and worth visiting in from your own perspective. Together, we’ll explore what matters to you, what good park quality looks and feels like, and how we can make sure that our Park Quality Plan considers the needs of all communities across Bristol.

Your work will help shape a shared vision for what park quality is, how we measure it, how communities have a say and ultimately how investment and improvements are prioritised across the city.

You don’t need any expert knowledge; we want to hear about your experience and ideas.

To thank you for your time and views, a £30 gift voucher provided for participation.

When?

There will be five workshops in different places and at different times so we can hear from as many people as possible and get a full picture of what all of Bristol’s communities want from their parks.

17th October, The Park Centre, Knowle West (10am - 1pm)

23rd October, Pavey House, Clifton (5.30pm - 8.30pm)

2nd November, St Pauls Learning Centre, St Pauls (5.30pm - 8.30pm)

12th November, Vassall Centre, Fishponds (5.30pm - 8.30pm)

21st November, Sea Mills Methodist Church, Sea Mills (10am - 1pm)

Accessibility & Contact

All workshops are in accessible venues, and a light meal will be provided at each.

If you would prefer to register your interest over the phone or if you have any questions please call 07926904248 or email access@yourpark.org.uk.

What we're doing

With funding from the Nature Together project, over the next couple of years, we're working with Bristol City Council and a wide range of partners to build the city's first proper, shared guide for understanding park quality — one that's consistent enough to compare parks fairly across Bristol, but flexible enough to reflect what really matters to the people living in each neighbourhood.

That means:

A clear, shared definition of what "quality" means for a Bristol park
A consistent way to assess parks, so investment decisions are based on evidence
Room for communities to share which quality measures matters most to them
Ongoing ways for residents to keep shaping things, not just a one-off conversation

This isn't an audit that disappears into a filing cabinet. It will to take the aspirations in the Council's Parks and Green Spaces strategy, and make them workable.

It is designed to directly inform where money and effort will go.

Why it matters

We know that the quality of your local park isn't just a "nice to have." It affects whether you feel comfortable letting your kids play outside, whether you've got somewhere decent to walk the dog or get some fresh air, whether nature is thriving on your doorstep, and whether your area feels looked after.

But quality of green space is also deeply unequal across the city. Some communities have well-maintained, nature-rich parks right outside their door. Others don't — and that gap tends to map closely onto wider inequalities in health and opportunity. A plan that fairly identifies where parks are falling short means we can finally start directing investment toward the places that need it most, rather than the places that are already doing fine.

We also want this plan to reflect real life, not just professional opinion. So alongside technical work with council teams and park specialists, we'll be running community co-design sessions in neighbourhoods across the city — including South Bristol, inner-city areas like St Pauls and Easton, and nature-rich spots like Stoke Bishop — to make sure the plan is shaped by people who actually use Bristol's parks, not just people who manage them.

If you live near a park (and in Bristol, who doesn't?), there will be chances to get involved as this develops. We'll share more on how to take part as the community engagement stages get underway.

Funded by...

Help us build a fairer Bristol

If you'd like to help us build a Bristol where every park, in every neighbourhood, gets a fair shot at being brilliant, please consider making a donation today.

Donate now