Newcastle gives green light to park trust plans

Newcastle council has become the first major metropolitan authority in the country to agree to set up an independent charitable trust to run its parks and allotments.

The council’s cabinet met last night (20 November) to approve proposals to create the trust, which will be responsible for around 409 hectares of land, following three years of planning and a lengthy public consultation.

Under the proposals, the parks will remain free for residents and visitors to use and the council will still own the land.

A Tupe process will see existing council parks staff transferred over to the new trust, which will also have a communities group to enable citizens to participate in its work, and ensure there is a strong voice from within the city’s communities.

The trust will also be able to establish new income streams not available to the council, using its resources in ways the local authority cannot, and recycle income back into the estate.

To demonstrate its commitment to the future of the city’s parks and allotments, the council will make a £9.5m revenue contribution to the trust over the first 10 years of its operation.

The council’s cabinet member for culture and communities, Kim McGuinness, said it is the first time that a charitable trust has been set up to manage parks and allotments on ‘such a large scale’.

‘Swingeing government cuts of more than 90% to our parks budgets left us with no option but to look at alternative ways of running our open spaces – spaces that are vital to keeping this city a safe, clean and green environment where people can relax and enjoy their leisure time,’ added Ms McGuiness.

‘We have worked for many months with the National Trust, Social Finance and Heritage Lottery Fund to bring this plan to life and we are proud of what we have achieved so far.

‘Let me assure people that all money raised in the parks will be spent in the parks and their future remains in public ownership for everyone to enjoy. This new and innovative approach will open up our parks and bring back the days when parks were venues for social and community events,’ she added.

‘Now we must get on and lay the foundations for a 10-year plan that will nurture and develop the charitable trust that will guide our parks and allotments for future generations.’

This project has been backed by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the National Trust.

The National Trust’s director of the north, Harry Bowell, said it is ‘very supportive’ of the council’s decision.

‘We believe that setting up a parks trust is a great way to secure the public social and health benefits that parks offer for the long term,’ said Mr Bowell.

‘We will work with the new charity to help it get off to the best possible start and share learning with other local authorities interested in finding sustainable ways to secure the future of their parks and green spaces.’