Fears for Walsall Arboretum as council plan staff restructure

Walsall Council is reorganising its public health lifestyle contracts, sports and leisure development and clean and green teams to make almost £400,000 worth of savings and 'improve efficiency'.

But the move has sparked concerns that the removal of the dedicated posts of park manager and marketing and activities coordinator for Walsall Arboretum will have a negative impact on the facility.

A petition has been set up calling for the retention of the roles and has collected more than 700 signatures.

Council bosses said the major restructure of services will see current posts being deleted and a new dedicated team put together and recruited from affected staff.

But Jo Lester, chair of Walsall Arboretum User Group, said: “This move will have greatest impact upon Walsall Arboretum since it will see the removal of the dedicated posts of park manager and arboretum marketing and activities coordinator.

“Walsall Arboretum User Group have already expressed their concerns that this move will seriously undermine the achievements of the Restoration Programme created with Heritage Lottery funding.

“This established a staffing structure that provided a site based team working under the direct control of a park manager.

“Anyone who has visited the Arboretum recently will appreciate what this dedicated team have achieved.

“Last year Walsall Arboretum attracted nearly 900,000 visitors offering a diverse and expanding range of activities.

“It has a growing reputation both nationally and internationally.

“Such a complex institution, unique within the borough, depends upon a skilled, experienced team combining management with maintenance and activities to preserve standards and continue development.

“Local residents and other park users have shared their concerns on the User Group Facebook page and are calling on council members to take action to preserve one of the borough’s greatest assets.”

A council spokesman said the authority has already reduced spending by £173 million since 2010/11 and had budgeted to save a further £20 million in the current financial year.

Simon Neilson, Executive Director for Economy and Environment said: “This ‘Healthy Spaces Redesign’, managed through public health, will come into effect from August 1 and will deliver agreed savings of £395,000 across public health lifestyle contracts, sports & leisure development and clean and green.

“Restructuring these services will promote greater affinity between clean and green and public health and will maximise the use of green spaces whilst improving efficiency.

“This is a major service re-design and so all current posts within scope are being deleted to create a new combined team, led by public health which will include the commissioned lifestyle element formerly in sports & leisure and strategic management of green spaces within clean and green.

“The new posts are currently being recruited to from within the pool of affected staff.

“Walsall Council has a contractual commitment to the Heritage Lottery Fund to deliver a 10-year site management and maintenance plan and to maintain the park to a high standard until 2035.

“Maintaining the Arboretum, along with our other strategic parks, to a high standard remains a priority for the council and we intend to apply for the Green Flag Award for the Arboretum in 2020.”