Critical decision over city's parks postponed

Major questions emerged in March over the management of Newcastle's green spaces

A critical decision on the future of a city's parks has been pushed back by two months.

Major questions emerged in March over the management of Newcastle's green spaces after it emerged charity Urban Green Newcastle (UGN) was facing a financial crisis.

Newcastle City Council, which handed 33 parks and more than 60 allotments to UGN in 2019 on a 125-year lease, agreed to give the charity about £1m to balance its books this year.

The result of a review to determine whether UGN could continue operating was due to be revealed this month but has now been postponed until November.

It was revealed in March the trust was facing a significant cash shortfall, sparking doubts over its ability to continue operating, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Newcastle City Council mounted a £50,000 review into its future to determine whether UGN could continue operating or if the parks should be managed another way, for example with control returning to the council itself.

When Urban Green was set up, it was hoped that the charity would become self-sustaining within 10 years.

'Critically important'

The city council pledged to provide up to £7.7m, revised down from an original £9.5m, to support Urban Green during its first decade in operation.

But the charity's most recent accounts predicted a £6.7m deficit up to 2029, with Covid-19 and increased energy costs blamed for the trust's financial woes.

Urban Green has been embroiled in a number of controversies since its inception, including a dispute with the council itself over the staging of large music festivals in Exhibition Park.

Residents have also accused UGN of using the historic Leazes Park as a "cash cow" following damage suffered during a festival in May and it subsequently became one of two sites, along with Walker Park, to lose its prestigious Green Flag status.

A council spokesman said it was "critically important that the review deciding their future is thorough and based on evidence".

Her said: "The consultants are still reviewing key documents and speaking with Urban Green and council employees.

"Once it is complete, the review and its recommendations will go before cabinet for consideration. We anticipate this will be in November."