Uncertain future for Newcastle’s parks

With the running of Newcastle’s parks in turmoil, Newcastle City Council have pushed back a funding review by two months.

Transcript

00:00Newcastle City Council have delayed critical plans to review the handling of the city's

00:04parks by two months, a decision that is proving to be worrying for many.

00:09In 2019, the council passed on the handling of 33 of the city's parks and 60 allotments

00:13as part of a cost-cutting scheme following government funding cuts.

00:17Control of the parks was given to Urban Green on the understanding that the organisation

00:21would be self-sustaining within a decade.

00:23Having been found to be in a shortfall of £6.7 million, the council decided to review

00:28the handling of the parks, a plan that in itself will cost approximately £50,000.

00:35As well as the monetary issues experienced, which Urban Green are blaming in part on COVID-19,

00:40two of the parks they run, Leazes Park and Walker Park, have lost their sought-after

00:44green flag status.

00:46The review will look at how best to run the city's parks going forward, including the

00:50option for the council to take back control of their own parks.

00:53They are delaying the review by two months in order to ensure that the best decision

00:57is made from all the options they are looking at.