Press release

Brokenshire champions parks with over £13 million new funding

Councils across the country are to benefit from more than £13 million funding to breathe new life in to our green spaces for the benefit of all.

From:
Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government and The Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP
Published
17 February 2019
park
  • Government announces £9.7 million for local authorities to improve their parks and green spaces
  • A further £2.75 million confirmed for the Pocket parks plus programme
  • £1.2 million invested in the National Trust and The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Future Parks Accelerator initiative

Councils across the country are to benefit from more than £13 million funding to breathe new life in to our green spaces for the benefit of all, Communities Secretary Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP confirmed today (Sunday 17 February).

From day-to-day maintenance costs to essential playground repairs and the creation of new green spaces, £9.7 million of new funding will give local leaders and communities resources to better maintain, protect and increase their recreational spaces.

An additional £2.75 million will also be made available for the pocket parks plus programme to support communities to take the lead in transforming their neglected and derelict spaces.

A further £1.2 million has been provided to the National Trust and The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Future Parks Accelerator initiative. The partnership supports local authorities to test new and innovative approaches to managing and funding parks, ensuring the benefits of public parks and green spaces are enjoyed by future generations.

With this latest set of actions, this government reaffirms its commitment to creating great places to live and work and ensure communities are able to enjoy the benefits parks and green spaces bring to local life.

Communities Secretary, Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP said:

Our parks and green spaces are huge assets to our towns and cities, offering precious spaces for all of us to get together, to exercise and to play.

This latest funding will support bold proposals to help renovate and restore existing parks and create new vibrant, safe green spaces for our communities.

The future of our nation’s parks is an issue close to all our hearts and we will do all we can to preserve these vital green lungs that breathe life into our communities.

Today’s announcement builds on action the government has already taken to encourage more people to make better use of parks including:

  • creating the £1 million ‘pocket parks’ fund to help communities transform neglected and derelict spaces and establish over 80 new green spaces in urban areas across the country
  • extending the Green Flag Award licence by a further five years in September 2017 means the people behind Britain’s best parks and green spaces will continue to be recognised and awarded for their tireless dedication

The government will continue to work with the Parks Action Group, which represents leaders from across the parks sector, to help ensure that current and future generations can continue to access safe, high quality and local parks.

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Published 17 February 2019

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