City park protection plan 'too slow', campaigners say

Liverpool City Council pledged to protect 100 green spaces, including Stanley Park

A pledge to protect a city's parks against development is taking too long to fulfil, campaigners have said.

Only one of Liverpool's 100 parks and green spaces has so far been placed in trust since the plan was announced in 2021.

Eric Smith, from Friends of Calderstones Park, said Liverpool City Council needed to "get on with this".

A council spokesman said the authority is "is fully committed to protecting the city's parks".

The council originally pledged that by the end of 2023 all of the city's parks - equating to more than 1,000 hectares of land - would be safeguarded.

The park in Faulkner Square in the city's Georgian Quarter is the only one to have been signed off on so far.

Caroline Williams, John Davies and Eric Smith of The Friends of Calderstones Park

Friends groups which help look after parks in Liverpool said they are concerned at the length of time it's taking.

The Friends of Calderstones Park, who were part of a successful legal challenge against Liverpool City Council plans to build houses on part of the Harthill estate in 2019, said they feared unless the plans are sped up, relaxation of planning laws could leave parks open to development.

The group's Caroline Williams said: "We were so elated about this plan, and now it seems to have come to a halt."

She added there seemed to be "no sign" of any of the city's major parks being signed off.

Ms Williams said campaigners had fought several battles to stop development of parks and green spaces in the city in recent years, including plans to build a new football stadium at Walton Hall Park, and schemes for houses at Sefton Park Meadows and former the Harthill Estate grounds at at Calderstones Park.

John Davies, from the Liverpool Open and Green Spaces Community Interest Company, said "future demands for housing may put more and more pressure on these open spaces which are so precious".

Eric Smith, from the Friends of Calderstones Park, said: "I know there's a lot going on in Liverpool and that it's a difficult authority to run, but they really need to get on with this."

He said it was a misconception that Liverpool was well-provided for with parks, when in reality there was a big difference in the amount of green space in the north and south of the city.

The project is a partnership with charity, Fields in Trust.

Its chief executive Helen Griffiths said although she did not think there was an issue of commitment from the council, she hoped to see an "acceleration of pace" by the authority.

Calderstones Park development plans were scrapped after a High Court ruling

"We know how important these green spaces are to our health, to our well-being, and to the environment," she said.

"We've absolutely got to take a long-term view about why we need to make sure we preserve access to these spaces for communities."

A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said: "The council is fully committed to protecting the city's parks.

"Whilst the council has many priorities it has needed to address over recent years, work has been going on to place 20 of the biggest and most strategically important green spaces with Fields In Trust, as agreed by cabinet.

"Our legal team are currently close to finalising the majority of these sites and this will be announced in due course once that is completed."

The authority will remain the owner of the green spaces and will continue to be responsible for the maintenance of all the parks.