It follows a massive city-wide consultation which has revealed that although the city's parks and green spaces receive more than 20 million visits per year, some groups of people are unwilling to use them because of fears about personal safety and anti-social behaviour. They include people over the age of 60, disabled people and those from ethnic minorities.

Almost 4,500 people were contacted for the huge study, which has been used to shape the 2006 Parks Strategy.

The city council's executive member for environment and heritage, Councillor Berni Turner, said: "The results of this survey are extremely interesting and I am heartened that so many people use our parks and open spaces.

However, it is unacceptable that some people do not feel safe and it is vital the city council commits to making changes which address the key issues.  

"People's safety is already a high priority for the city council and we are determined to work together with our security and grounds partners, the police, and the community so we can enforce bye-laws and educate people in order to reduce the amount of anti-social behaviour."

An action plan has been drawn up which includes a series of targets to improve the quality of parks and open spaces in the city. They include: 

• Increasing the number of Green Flag parks (currently 11)
• Establishing more 'Friends of' groups
• Tackling vandalism
• Producing a handbook promoting Liverpool's parks and open spaces
• Ensuring that 94 per cent of the city's residents live within 1000m of a playground

Councillor Turner, added: "Our parks and green spaces are an invaluable asset and as a council we want to do everything we can to encourage more people to make the most of the havens on their doorsteps.

"Work will be starting soon on Sefton Park to give it a multi-million pound face-lift and we are also improving the biodiversity of the city by designating Local Nature Reserves such as Childwall Woods and Fields.
 
"Liverpool's 2006 Park Strategy acts as a future guide on how to manage the city's diverse parks and improve and rejuvenate them.

"From the consultation, we know that thousands of people enjoy spending time in our green spaces and that they do make an essential contribution to the quality of life of our communities.

"The social, environmental and economic benefits of parks are widely accepted.  This strategy will focus and build on these benefits, and as a result make our parks an even bigger attraction for residents and visitors."

The survey took place between October and December last year and involved residents, friends groups, special interest groups and government departments.

Proposals to improve access to lakes in the city have also been devised. The city council wants to work with the community and other partners to improve lake access, address any community safety issues and improve the overall quality of the lakes across the city.