A coalition of
national organisations call on political leaders to save the UK's parks.
The Charter for
Parks, calls on Prime Minister Theresa May and First Ministers Nicola Sturgeon,
Carwyn Jones and Arlene Foster, to reverse the decline of local parks across
their nations.
- The Charter calls on
the UK’s four political leaders to:
- Endorse a legal
duty for all public green space to be managed to a good standard.
- Ensure adequate
long-term resources for ongoing maintenance, management and improvements.
- Recognise the
right of every citizen to have access within walking distance to a good quality
public green space.
- Celebrate the
central role well-run parks play in our neighbourhoods for all sections of our
communities.
- 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 coalition of
organisations behind this charter include The National Federation of Parks and
Green Spaces and Keep Britain Tidy along with Greenspace Scotland, Fields in
Trust, Friends of the Earth, Llais y Goedwig (the voice of community woodlands
in Wales), The Parks Alliance, The Parks Agency, The Gardens Trust, Unison, and
38 Degrees.
Dave Morris, Chair of the National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces, said: “Time is running out for local parks across the
UK. Continuous budget cuts to staffing and maintenance are leaving them
vulnerable to neglect and deterioration, or even sell offs. Many people
think local councils are legally responsible for maintaining local
parks and open spaces but unfortunately, unlike waste collection, that’s
not the case yet.”
“Our Parks Charter calls on the leaders of all
four home nations to take action to ensure these essential and
highly-popular public resources are properly funded, managed,
maintained, and protected for current and future generations.”
“As the voice of the movement of more than 6,000
local Friends of Parks Groups throughout the UK we recognise the immense
contribution that these community volunteers are playing. Now it’s time
for government to show an equal commitment to act. The public will not
forgive political leaders who let the sun set on the UK’s parks.”
Allison
Ogden-Newton, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy said: “As the operators of
the national standard for parks and green spaces – the Green Flag Award – we
know how important the provision of these quality spaces is to local
communities, and we welcome this charter.”
Rishi Sunak, the
minister for Parks and Green Spaces said: “I am fully committed to working
together with the many organisations, voluntary bodies and local communities
who dedicate their own time to support the sustainability of our much valued
parks and green spaces.
“While there are
many challenges ahead, I am excited by the work the Parks Action Group is
undertaking to identify positive solutions, so we can continue to provide safe
and inclusive green spaces for our diverse communities to enjoy.”
