Levelling up funding for parks is welcome… the start of a recognition of the benefit of public parks

New announcement will see cash targeted at those with lowest access to quality green space.

The UK Government announcement today of a total of £39 million to refurbish parks in areas of the country with the lowest access to green space has been welcomed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.

Alongside the existing £9m UK-wide Levelling Up Parks Fund which provides direct grants to deliver over 100 green spaces in the communities with the lowest access, a new £30m parks fund will deliver up to £1m to at least 30 local parks in England for refurbishment with an emphasis on facilities for young families.

Along with our friends and colleagues at Keep Britain Tidy, and the Green Flag Award, we endorse this welcome funding at a crucial time for urban parks. We look forward to receiving more details on how this funding will be distributed. Chair of the Parks Management Association, Paul Rabbitts said, ‘this is of course excellent news for the sector. Along with many others in the sector, we have been campaigning for additional funding in the parks and green spaces sector. We know there is much more to do and hope that this is the beginning of a renewed recognition from Government of the importance of our urban parks to all our communities.’

More details to follow.