Parks renaissance faces uncertain future

Date: 6 October 2006

In its latest report, CABE Space has warned that new ways to pay for the long term management and maintenance of parks are needed to give parks longer term security, and to sustain the improvement we have seen in parks over recent years.

Without this funding, parks run the risk of enduring a gradual decline in quality in time - requiring further large injections of capital if they are to be restored again. Local authorities need to explore new methods of paying for ongoing maintenance, and central government should encourage councils to pursue innovative funding methods.

The Paying for parks report points out that although parks have undergone a remarkable renaissance in recent years, maintaining this improvement is a major challenge. The huge areas of new and restored green space due to be created in coming years (as part of housing growth and housing market renewal schemes, or as part of the Olympic preparations) are at risk of an uncertain future unless mechanisms to generate their long term revenue funding are built into decisions being made now.

This research shows that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to funding parks. Different models will suit different circumstances and traditional local authority funding is likely to remain key for most parks. The report considers eight models in use in the UK and elsewhere to fund the management and maintenance of urban green space. It encourages local authorities and green space managers to think more imaginatively about what funding mechanisms might be available to them.