How do you use your local park? What do you love about it? And if you could improve one thing, what would it be?
Eastbourne is fortunate to have an incredible variety of parks, gardens and open spaces. From family-friendly parks and formal gardens to peaceful green spaces, waterfront walks and places to enjoy nature, these areas play an important role in everyday life for residents and visitors alike.
The Eastbourne Neighbourhood Board is now beginning an important piece of work to better understand how these spaces are used, what people value most about them, and where there may be opportunities for improvement in the future.
A long-term look at Eastbourne’s green spaces
The Eastbourne Neighbourhood Board is carrying out a comprehensive audit of many of Eastbourne’s parks and open spaces. This forms the first stage of developing a long-term understanding of these much-loved community assets.
This work is not about announcing immediate changes or setting expectations that every space will be improved. Instead, it is about listening, gathering evidence, and understanding how people actually use these spaces today.
Whether you visit your local park every day, walk the dog at weekends, take children to the playground, enjoy a picnic in the summer, exercise outdoors, or simply pass through on your daily routine, your experience matters.
By understanding how different spaces are used, what is working well, and where there are challenges, the Neighbourhood Board can help inform future priorities and planning.
Come along and have your say
Residents are invited to a relaxed, informal drop-in session where they can share their thoughts directly with the team behind the project.
Date: Thursday 9 July
Time: 11.30am to 6.30pm
Location: Gather, The Beacon Shopping Centre, Eastbourne
There is no formal presentation and no need to book. Simply drop in at any time during the session, have a conversation, and share your views.
People are also welcome to register their interest via Eventbrite, but this is optional.
The event is open to everyone, children, young people, families, working adults and older residents alike. All perspectives are welcome.
Which parks are included?
The audit covers a wide range of parks, gardens and open spaces across Eastbourne, including:
- Gildredge Park and Manor Gardens
- Hampden Park
- Meads Parks and Gardens, including Helen Gardens, Italian Gardens and All Saints Park
- Motcombe Gardens
- Princes Park
- Seafront Promenade Gardens, including Western Lawns, Wish Tower Gardens and adjacent squares
- Shinewater Park
- Sovereign Park
- Upperton Gardens
- Hartfield Square
- Cross Levels Way
- Crows Nest, Dukes Drive
- Five Acre Field
- Langney Pond
- Sevenoaks Road Park
- College Green Open Space
- Sovereign Outer Harbour
Working with the community
Eastbourne benefits from a strong network of community volunteers and “Friends of” groups who help care for and champion local green spaces.
The Eastbourne Neighbourhood Board is especially keen to hear from these groups, whose insight and lived experience are invaluable in understanding how spaces are used and valued across the town.
Whether you are part of a Friends group or simply someone who enjoys Eastbourne’s parks and gardens, your views will help build a clearer picture of how these spaces support wellbeing, recreation, wildlife and community life.
Every perspective counts
Different people value different things. Some prioritise accessibility and maintenance. Others focus on biodiversity, planting and wildlife. Families may want improved play facilities, while runners, walkers and cyclists may have different needs. Many people simply value peace, calm and preservation of what already exists.
There are no right or wrong answers.
This is a chance to understand how Eastbourne’s parks and open spaces are experienced by the people who use them every day.
Find out more
For more information about the event, or to register interest, visit the Eventbrite page.
You can also find background information about the wider programme and Eastbourne’s approach to caring for its coast, parks and countryside here:
https://weareeastbourne.org.uk/caring-for-our-coast-parks-and-countryside/
This is a listening stage. The more people who take part, the better the understanding of how Eastbourne’s parks and open spaces are used today, helping to inform future thinking and priorities.