Have your say on green spaces with a simple click on your computer.

An exciting and innovative way to allow people to have their say on the use of green spaces in two areas of Adur and Worthing has been launched.

Growing Communities a project to promote health and wellbeing through environment has launched an online easy-to-use map which allows residents to pinpoint green spaces in Northbrook and Eastbrook and make suggestions for improvements or new uses. Users can also use it to praise a particular place.

It can be used for either suggestions for landmark sites like Whitebeam Woods in Northbrook or something as small as ideas for new use for a grass verge in Eastbrook. And Growing Communities, which is run by The Conservation Volunteers (TCV), and backed by Adur & Worthing Councils, has promised to read and respond to every suggestion.

And it’s not just residents of the two areas who can comment. Anyone who cares about green spaces in the districts can have their say on the consultation website.

The website called Commonplace allows residents to go into a map and click blue for Eastbrook and pink for Northbrook. Once there by pinning your cursor on a particular area you will then be invited to name the green space and be taken through a series of questions about what you think is right or wrong with it and what changes you would like to see.

Residents can then submit this to the Growing Communities team who will respond to all submissions. You can also “like” comments made by other people to show support for an idea.

John Haigh, Operations Leader for TCV Adur and Worthing, said, “This is a really simple to use but powerful consultation tool. If many respond it will help us build up a picture of what we have to do in those spaces to help people enjoy them even more.

“Working with Adur & Worthing Councils we can work to prioritise improvements which might be small things that make a big difference to the local environment. It could be something as simple as planting a few flowers. We will wait to see what the survey brings.”

The map does allow people to pin other areas of Adur and Worthing but only the pink and blue areas will be studied because Growing Communities is currently focussed on those areas.

Growing Communities is encouraging local residents in what are comparatively disadvantaged areas to involve themselves in projects such as planting trees and digging ponds in “Green Gyms”, community orchards, sporting activities or food growing programmes utilising disused or redundant patches of land.

The scheme is backed and part-funded by Adur and Worthing Councils who also give park ranger time to the scheme. TCV is heavily funded by The National Lottery.

Studies have shown that exposure to green spaces, particularly in urban environments, can play a significant part in promoting good physical health and mental wellbeing.

To have your say on the green spaces of Eastbrook and Northbrook click on the following link https://eastbrookandnorthbrook.commonplace.is/