Leader, Cllr John Clarke and deputy leader, Cllr Michael Payne set the scene, leaving corporate director, Dave Wakelin to deliver their challenge to the two teams – to come up with a series of innovative ideas to turn the council's latest acquisition – a former colliery site with breathtaking scenery and a thriving wildlife habitat – into a financially sustainable 300-acre country park.

With part of the site already leased to a renewable energy company, and a local history based on coal-mining and JRR Tolkein, the teams had lots to work with.

Visibly excited by the opportunity to put into immediate action Graham Farrant's feedback from Challenge 1 – to be bold and not to play safe – the two teams set to work learning everything they could about the park and the local area.

Over dinner, Team Engage, under the leadership of Jade Taylor, a housing officer from Central Bedfordshire Council, and Team LG Generation led by Michelle Scott, a communications assistant from Leeds City Council, seized the opportunity to test their emerging ideas with the leader and deputy leader, before heading back to their team rooms for some late night creativity.

Next morning was an early start for Charlotte, Graham, Mahbub and Matthew who donned their waterproofs and headed off for a 4x4 tour of the park.

Meanwhile, their fellow team-mates indulged in a little speed networking with Gedling members and officers, local stakeholders and members of the public, to find out what local people would like to see in the park, and testing out their initial ideas.

The proposals
At 3.30pm, the judges gathered in the Gedling Council chamber.  John Clarke, Gedling leader, John Robinson, chief executive and Claire Holloway, head of corporate governance at the LGA, were joined by members and staff from the borough council.

First up was Team Engage, using video footage from the park to bring to life their theme of ‘My Park: a landmark country park accessible for all'.  Focusing on three core themes – heritage and wildlife, literature and education and digital technology – proposals included a Tolkien sensory garden, a programme of arts and cultural activities and a ‘digital nomads' programme using apps and 3D technology to bring the park and its history to life.

Responding to the call to be brave –they proposed the ‘Gedling Flyer ‘– a signature cable car running from the site's old mineral railway to a new visitor centre.

LG Generation fought back with an equally imaginative set of proposals. Based on the themes of natural beauty, heritage and biodiversity, they included community allotments providing produce for the site's new eco-café, an eco-camp site and a display of 128 solar lights, stretching from the park to Gedling church, commemorating the 128 miners who died in the Gedling mine.

The team's most ambitious idea was a subterranean ‘Earth ship' concept visitor centre, created from sustainable materials.