l thought a park was an easy submission, coming under exercise. Looking at the criteria it says ‘A place you’d go to get some fresh air, stretch your legs, or exercise. Places that encourage walking, exercising, and enjoying public spaces’. Sounds like this location to the letter, an outdoor public space with walking paths. No standout individual features so I submitted the whole park.
But apparently ‘place marker signs’ are needed to ‘verify the significance’. Not sure what I can do, as there aren’t any. I already linked to the neighbourhood plan which explicitly states this is of ‘high significance to the local community’ plus I feel a public green has obvious significance anyway. Any help, as I feel I addressed the significance in my text already but apparently signage would be needed? Thanks.
The last time I nominated a park like this, I took a photo of a bench as a primary photo anchoring my nomination and a broader shot similar to your primary here as my supporting, noting in the supporting text field that the park lacked a sign. It helped to show I wasn’t just pulling something in my/someone’s backyard as a nomination, but an actual little unnamed park.
Not saying that’s 100% going to work for you, but that was the strategy that worked for me in a similar case.
Thanks, no benches or other objects unfortunately, just trees lol. I did submit this before with the focus of the main photo on a particular path but my appeal was rejected with it saying ‘it is a regular walking path’ despite the title being for the whole green and showing the wider space in supporting.
My next suggestion is a little bit of a nuclear option: petition local government to put up a sign marking the park, or to add art installations or trail signs. Otherwise, it may not be possible to nominate successfully.
I would love if they put some signs or art up but that would be more a lot more difficult to campaign for than for a perfectly eligible submission to be accepted!
It’s going to be tricky without an anchor point. It looks like on streetview most of the grass is left to meadow with the paths the only part cut.
Maybe a different approach I see there is a life sciences place nearby would they be interested in creating an information board about the ecology and why uncut grass is important for pollinators? Maybe with community input? An ever popular bug hotel would fit in too.
There is also a Public Right of Way footpath along the edge
Most of the time it is cut and this allows for cricket and football so it wouldn’t really suit but would be an idea otherwise. Typical cost cutting means it can be left to grow at the beginning of summer. There is actually a bug hotel somewhere else in the village which is awesome. But I’m not really willing to ask for things to be added to the park, and it’s already a great place to exercise. I’m puzzled why it’s failed submissions and two appeals.
Regarding footpaths I could have mentioned it has a public footpath through it, but there is already a wayspot at the top of this area for the footbridge over the brook that has a trail marker on it. So I don’t think it would really bolster the submission with a spot already dedicated to it. I did mention it has paths, just not a historic public footpath
It is a really nice walk by the way. They grow some really tall crop in the first field after the bridge, then it goes up a hill. Then there’s a permissive path of sorts through a tiny strip of woodland and out to Newbold Pacey
I’m just trying to think of things that would help demonstrate what you already know to a reviewer that isn’t familiar with this place.
I think these spaces are important.
I like the link that shows it is in the councils plans for the area. And it’s great that you are using that. the. I would build on that and the sustainability factor that places importance on green space.
The criteria doesn’t require a sign
Did you previously describe the path as the entrance Point? That would be the anchor and you can try and make that case.
A note on eligibility: if a Wayspot nomination meets one of the below criteria, that’s great! But remember that eligibility alone isn’t sufficient to turn a nomination into an accepted Wayspot.
Since you are being so openminded on this, I wanted to explain why the focal point (not necessarily a sign) is needed. Otherwise, it just looks like generic landscaping. I hope you can use one of those previous suggestions to make the park acceptable.
The park is a physical, tangible (with your feet or hands or back if you lie down there!) and identifiable (in being individually designed) place, so not having a specific focal point shouldn’t be an issue. I think the local green space designation and accompanying description of what this is in the plan shows it is more than generic landscaping.
