A new survey on the state of local authority parks and greenspace services finds 74% are expecting budget cuts of over 5% in the coming five years, with 40% expecting cuts of over 10%.
The survey, conducted annually by the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) and now in its fourteenth year, found that 78% of those surveyed said budget cuts have led to reduced maintenance and an increase in unmaintained land.
The survey also found that 66% of those surveyed are generating income from the sale of land – a 56% increase on the figure recorded in 2019.
Of the local authorities surveyed:
- Biodiversity continues to be identified as the main environmental priority for parks services at 91%. The second highest priority is litter control at 69%. Dog fouling has dropped from 65% in 2023 to 47% in 2024.
- Just 2% expect their training budget to increase in the next 12 months.
- 55% experienced a decrease in the frequency of grass cuts (amenity) in the last 12 months – a 26% increase since 2023 (29%).
- 44% of respondents said they currently have apprenticeship schemes – a 17% drop since 2022 (61%).
- 82% of those surveyed are reducing the amount of chemical treatment they use to eradicate weeds – a 14% increase since 2023 (68%). Manual removal (68%) and mechanical strimming (62%) are identified as the most popular alternative methods of removal.
- At 73%, there has been a slight drop in the number of councils considering ‘rewilding’ any of their parks and greenspaces – a 3% drop since 2023.
Speaking about the findings, Matt Ellis, APSE Principal Advisor, said:
“The outsized role parks play in delivering positive health, wellbeing and climate change outcomes is well documented. Sadly, APSE’s latest survey demonstrates the belief amongst parks professionals that service quality is in danger of deteriorating due to the ongoing pressures on budgets. There is a real need for investment in people, technology and infrastructure, particularly as visitor numbers remain high post-pandemic.
“Amidst the local government funding crisis, the survey does show that local authorities are successfully introducing new and innovative ways to manage parks sustainably. Whether this be through income generation, partnerships or alternative forms of funding. However, there is a limit to how many budget gaps these innovations can plug.
“APSE’s latest polling with Survation shows the public does not distinguish between statutory and non-statutory services. They want to see all local services protected and flourishing. Regrettably, the latest budget seemed to be designed through the prism of cost rather than value. Our parks and greenspaces more than demonstrated their value during the dark days of the pandemic. Further restraints on public finance, as announced by the Chancellor last week, seriously risk these services being hollowed out of existence and unable to respond in the future.”
The full APSE State of the Market Survey on Parks and Greenspaces 2024 Report will be launched at the APSE Parks Seminar in Manchester on Thursday 14 March. The report author, Matt Ellis, will be discussing the findings in greater detail.
