A review into Newcastle’s parks and green spaces has recommended their management returns to the City Council. A report recommending the handover of Newcastle’s parks and allotments back to the City Council is set to be presented to Cabinet later this month.
Urban Green Newcastle (UGN) has managed 33 parks, more than 60 allotment sites and around 60 buildings since it was established as a charity by the City Council in 2019.
The City Council had worked closely with the National Trust and Social Finance to develop the model of transferring the management of parks and allotments to a charitable trust.
The opportunity for such a trust to access grant funding not available to local authorities and to generate income from a range of other activities was seen as a real opportunity for the city’s green spaces.
Since it was set up, UGN has helped lead a string of projects to preserve the city’s nature and wildlife, while also securing funding to renovate football pitches and tennis courts across Newcastle.
But the coronavirus pandemic significantly impacted expected income from commercial premises, such as cafes, and events held in the parks.
Review
The council had granted £1mn of additional funding to UGN for the 2024/25 financial year, with a condition being a review of the management of parks and allotments was undertaken.
The review has since been completed with the city council also concluding a five-week engagement exercise so residents and partners could have their say.
A report is set to be presented to Cabinet on 25 November which outlines a recommendation to bring the management of parks and allotments back to the council.
Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr Alex Hay, said:
“We know how deeply our residents care about our city’s parks, allotments and green spaces. They are some of the most beautiful in the country and should be a source of great pride.
“Not only are they much loved assets that must be protected, but they play a leading part in the health, wellbeing, and enjoyment of our city.
“Urban Green Newcastle have achieved some fantastic results over the last five years but there have been many challenges, not least the pandemic.
“It has become clear that the business case to continue with external management of these green spaces will continue to come at a large cost to the taxpayer.
“Bringing management back into the council will not fix this overnight, but it will give us greater control over how we ensure the financial viability of our city’s parks.
“I want to thank those residents who took part in our recent engagement on our parks and allotments. That will continue to inform our plans for the future.
“If the recommendation is approved by Cabinet then we will work with the senior management team at Urban Green Newcastle to support those staff affected and ensure a smooth transition period.”
The report, published alongside Cabinet meeting papers today (November 15), also outlines how staff currently employed by Urban Green Newcastle will transfer to the City Council.
If the recommendation is approved by Cabinet, it is expected the transfer of management of green spaces into the council will conclude in early 2025.
A link to the cabinet report can be found here.
