Sustainability is a key objective for TWBC parks. The TWBC Parks team along with Tivoli are fully committed to environmental management of the parks and opportunities are taken wherever possible to ensure green options are considered.

Here is an update from our parks team on all the work they have done/are doing this year!

  • A new drinking water facility (bottle refill station) is now in operation in Dunorlan Park. This was generously donated by Friends of Dunorlan with top up funding from ParkRun. This will help reduce the use of disposable plastics in the park while keeping the visitors hydrated! Two more water bottle refill stations have also been purchased. these will replace the old and out of use water fountains at the Grove and St Johns Rec play areas.

  • As from this year one of TWBC’s plant suppliers, How Green, are now reusing their plant pots; they collect empty pots from TWBC when delivering new plants. Also, instead of using plastic wrapping traditionally used on plant trollies to secure loads, how Green now use a mesh zip cover that can be reused – this cuts a lot of necessary plastic waste.

  • This year three can recycling bins in Dunorlan, Calverley Grounds and Grosvenor Park have been installed to support the Soroptimist scheme of collecting cans for charitable causes (Toilet Twinning)

  • TWBC Parks team now say ‘no!’ to use of cable ties when displaying banners etc; humble twine and hessian tree ties are used instead of plastic. The team also use protective collars on tree whips made out of biodegradable materials and stronger strimmer protectors on larger trees from recycled plastic.

  • A few ongoing projects to increase biodiversity are underway. Friends of Calverley Grounds have been successful in attracting grant funding from Sussex Lund for a project to enhance selected grass areas for the benefit of wildlife with native species of wildflowers, shrubs and trees. This year we will be focusing on enhancing grass areas at the Tunbridge Wells Cemetery.

  • On average we plant about 50 trees, 1000 perennials and shrubs and 8000 bulbs each year. We select native and pollinator friendly species where possible. We cooperate with local plant nurseries – How Green, Palmstead, Coblands and Perryhill; our main suppliers constantly work on developing sustainable methods of growing plants e.g. use only peat free growing media.

  • The team now uses peat free compost in our floral containers and for planting in the parks.