Category Funding green spaces
Lend us £5m to spruce up parks
Lovers of Bloomsbury gardens who have long looked for ways of increasing funding for upkeep and inprovements will be interested in this initiative of Hammersmith and Fulham council, reported in the Evening Standard. Care of parks is not a statutory duty and the work is low on the list of essential council expenditure. “The council […]
A greener, healthier, wilder capital city
London National Park City commissioned YouGov to conduct a survey of a representative sample of the Capital’s communities in March and April this year. Later this year, they will be reviewing politicians’ progress in delivering against their manifestos, especially commitments to improving green and public spaces. YouGov’s survey records the expectations and desires of Londoners, […]
Parks during the Covid crisis -and the future of events
“Local green spaces were used heavily during the lockdown as many people craved fresh air and exercise. When cafes, pubs and other social spaces were closed, the parks and gardens became the place where public life was experienced.” A recent short article in the London Garden Trust’s newsletter London Landscapes by Dr Andrew Smith of […]
National Trust Parks Challenge
The National Trust Parks Challenge team visited the Association of Bloomsbury Squares and Gardens sites today, to collect information on the use of space and local involvement. They saw many of the gardens in the group and talked with some of the people who volunteer in the gardens through Friends groups. We hope they […]
Legal duty to maintain parks will not be enforced
London Parks and Gardens Trust, which campaigns for the green spaces in London, said in their recent newsletter: We were dismayed to hear that the Government has indicated that it will not attempt to enforce a legal duty on councils to maintain local parks. Responding to a petition calling for changes to ensure councils ring-fence […]
Petition to save parks funding
Tavistock Square is looking lovely in the spring sunshine, but keeping it looking lovely is a costly task. (Thanks to Margaret Brett of Friends of Tavistock Square for the photo.) Heritage Lottery Fund bosses are meeting today, Tuesday 23 April, to discuss their plans for the next five years. But just before they head into […]
New! Parks Action Group
Recently 10 national greenspace organisations and 9 government departments held the first ‘let’s get down to business’ meeting of the new Parks Action Group (PAG). The PAG has been set up to safeguard and enhance the UK’s public green spaces as a coordinated response to the growing underfunding crisis. Those present discussed a range of […]
Natural capital accounts for public green space in London
This study commissioned by the National Trust, The Mayor of London and the Heritage Lottery Fund, published in November 2017, shows – for the first time – the economic value of health benefits that Londoners get from the capital’s public parks and green spaces. Measuring the recreational, climatic and mental and physical health benefits of public spaces found that […]
Parliamentary public inquiry launched on parks underfunding
Deadline for submissions to inquiry: 30 September. See link below Historic opportunity to speak out loud and clear for urgent, effective, comprehensive and long-term Government action to reverse the underfunding crisis and to protect the UK’s public green spaces for generations to come. Great news! After much lobbying and calls over the last 5 years […]
Rethinking parks – ‘Bloomsbury Squared’
The London Borough of Camden is embarking on a one year programme to explore new ways of managing and operating nine of the Bloomsbury Squares. The Bloomsbury Squares play a fundamental role in defining the character and identity of this popular district of London. They are a valued and iconic collection of public spaces, and make […]
Bloomsbury Squares & Gardens 