'Growing alarm' about cuts to green space budgets

The Charter for Parks recognises the right of every citizen to have access within walking distance to a good-quality public greenspace. Photo Billy Hathorn

The Charter for Parks recognises the right of every citizen to have access within walking distance to a good-quality public greenspace. Photo Billy Hathorn

The Charter for Parks, launched by the National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces, and a coalition of national organisations, has called on on Prime Minister Theresa May and First Ministers Nicola Sturgeon, Carwyn Jones and Arlene Foster, to celebrate these spaces and take action to safeguard them. The Charter calls on the UK’s four political leaders to:

• Endorse a legal duty for all public greenspace to be managed to a good standard
• Ensure adequate long-term resources for maintenance, management and improvements
• Recognise the right of every citizen to have access within walking distance to a good-quality public greenspace
• Celebrate the central role well-run parks play in our neighbourhoods for all
• Embed effective protection from inappropriate development or use, or loss of any part of our parks
• Encourage and enable community involvement and empowerment of local people and park users

The Charter for Parks says: 'There is growing alarm from the public, from Friends of Parks groups, parks managers, experts and politicians, about the serious long-term damage being caused by devastating cuts to green space budgets for staff and maintenance, and the lack of funding and investment by local and national government. If not reversed, this neglect will cause them to go into serious decline and become problem spaces abandoned by park users and plagued by vandalism - or even being closed and sold off. We must not let this happen.'