Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support the provision of new parks and green spaces and (b) maintain existing parks and green spaces.

In 2019, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has:

• Allocated £9.7 million across all local authorities in England to help the sector maintain, protect and increase recreational spaces through the Parks Programme;
• Awarded £3.75 million of Pocket Parks Plus funding to 198 community-led projects across England to create new or renovate existing parks
• Contributed £1.2 million to the National Trust and Heritage Lottery Fund’s Future Parks Accelerator programme, which is supporting local authorities to pilot innovative approaches to ensuring the longer-term sustainability of parks;
• Provided £130k to create a webspace for community groups engaged in the stewardship of parks and develop a national network of community green champions;
• Funded £20k to improve skills for parks professionals;
• Invested £210k to capture and disseminate learning from Newcastle City Council’s journey to transfer their parks and allotments to a new Parks Trust.

The Government recognises the value of parks and green spaces in providing vibrant and inclusive locations for communities to socialise, volunteer, work, and exercise. Access to green spaces fosters health, well-being, integration, and social engagement. Government will continue to work with the Parks Sector to help support the sustainability of parks and green spaces.