There are over 400 hectares of public open space of recreational value in our borough.

This includes parks, greenways, public playing fields, small areas of open space in local areas, separate woodlands within the built areas, urban fringe woodlands and countryside sites with public access.

The parks and open spaces can be categorised in the following way:

• borough parks
• community parks
• recreational areas/play areas

The three borough parks are as follows:

• Queen's Park
• Holmebrook Valley Park
• Poolsbrook Country Park

These are considered borough parks because of their size and facilities. They are considered to serve larger areas of the borough and are easily accessible.

Community parks sit within local neighbourhoods and are of a size to suit local need. Facilities usually include some sports and play provision.

Recreational areas/play areas are smaller areas of greenery mainly comprising a sports pitch, perhaps a changing facility or some play equipment on a small grassed area.

The borough also has a range of further types of open space with and without public access: 

• Chesterfield canal
• cemeteries and closed churchyards
• crematorium
• allotments
• golf courses
• school and college grounds
• private sports grounds
• some highways landscaping
• some landscape provision within housing areas
• some landscape provision within commercial and industrial areas
• countryside areas to the outside of and between the built areas
• new and established woodlands within the countryside resource