Views sought on Astley Ainslie Greenspace Management Plan

We are seeking your views on the development of our greenspace management plan for the grounds of the Astley Ainslie Hospital. 

The NHS Lothian outdoor estate is a valuable asset. If planned and managed well, it can make a significant contribution to the physical and mental health and wellbeing of staff, patients, visitors and local communities. It is also a key asset in our response to the climate emergency. We work with staff and partners across a wide range of sites to unlock this potential through our Greenspace and Health programme. The aim is for the grounds to be activated, giving people a variety of reasons to use different parts of the site.

NHS Lothian Charity and NHS Lothian have appointed Liz Thomas Landscape Architect to produce a greenspace management plan for the Astley Ainslie Hospital. The timeframe for the plan is 5 years, with a review to be undertaken after 2 years and annual commitment to carry out the detail of the work plan, subject to commitments of funding and resources.

The plan aims to deliver on two outcomes:

Enhancing the therapeutic environment of the Green Estate, and
Meeting NHS Lothian climate change and biodiversity commitments

Why your views matter to us

Throughout June 2022 we worked closely with stakeholders including representatives from local groups, the estates management team, the Occupational Therapy staff team, and the arts and greenspace working group. We invited people to take us on a walkover of the site, pointing out features and opportunities as well as barriers to use of the greenspace as it exists.

To date we have discovered a range of greenspace enhancement opportunities. We are at a stage where we would like to widen the discussion to hear the ideas and feedback of staff, patients, visitors, and residents within the local community.

How to give us your views

Come and hear more about the opportunities we’ve discovered so far for a Greenspace Management Plan for the Astley Ainslie Hospital (AAH) grounds. We are looking at ways we can make the greenspace a better place for people and for nature.

Pop up sessions: We will be hosting a series of pop-up engagement sessions across the AAH estate, with a series of boards where you can see the ideas so far and give us your feedback.
Dates: Monday 22nd, Tuesday 23rd, Monday 29th August and Sunday 4th September. More information can be found by downloading a copy of our flyer.
Online Survey: You can also provide your feedback online through this Survey Monkey web link, which will go ‘live’ from the 22nd August to coincide with the face-to-face engagement series.

More information

You can find out more about each of the key themes by downloading the posters below:t

Greenspace Management Plan
Better Greenspaces
Bigger Greenspaces
Connections
Well-used Healthy Greenspaces
The Estate as a Health Asset

Accessibility

Accessibility is important to us. The information will be displayed on A1 boards, on stands in the lawn areas or next to paths. Locations next to paths are noted as accessible. If you would like us to arrange to bring the boards to a more suitable location, or have difficulty accessing the online survey, please contact Liz: [email protected] / 07814 662 328.