'Pocket Park' campaign launched in Cardiff

Martin Shipton

South Wales Central MS Heledd Fychan has launched Cardiff Civic Society’s ‘Pocket Park’ campaign at Diana Garden in Ely.

The campaign aims to create accessible green spaces for more people within the city, especially in areas where there is below UK average public open space.

According to Fields in Trust, we should all be able to access green space within a ten-minute walk of our home. However, for 6.3 million people in the UK, that is an impossibility. Furthermore, only 7% of parks and green spaces have legal protection.

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Public access

In Cardiff, the population is growing, yet green space is diminishing - the Northern Meadows, on which the new Velindre Cancer Centre is under construction, being a significant recent casualty. It is also argued that events such as Blackweir Live also restrict public access to health-giving green spaces for protracted periods.

Helen Fychan said: “It is vital that we create more green spaces within the city. Diana Garden in Ely is a perfect example of a tranquil, accessible ‘pocket park’. It’s the kind of space everyone should have access to. As the population of the city continues to grow, and green space continues to be lost, I will also be lobbying for cross-party support for protection of green space within planning law.”

Nerys Lloyd-Pierce, chair of Cardiff Civic Society, said: “We are hoping to create pocket parks throughout the city. The ones that exist, such as Diana Garden in Ely, provide a lifeline for many people, providing a green and tranquil sanctuary where people can bring their children, join others to socialise and volunteer or simply sit quietly.

"We are hugely grateful to Steve Lyons, who runs the garden, for allowing us to launch our campaign here. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a Diana Garden on their doorstep, and we would like to rectify that. Access to green space is a social justice issue.”

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Recreational activities

A pocket park is defined as a small-scale public green space, typically found in an urban area and designed to provide recreational opportunities and improve the local environment. These parks offer amenities such as seating, trees, fruit, vegetables and flowers and help bring the community together as well as enhancing the urban landscape.

Pocket parks provide communities with greenery, a place to sit and rest, and an ecological foothold for urban wildlife.

If you know of a piece of land suitable for creation of a pocket park, please contact Nerys on [email protected].