Over 80% of local councils expect cuts in their parks budgets

A new survey on the state of local authority parks and greenspace services finds 85% of those surveyed are expecting budgets cuts of at least 5%, with almost 30% expecting cuts of over 15%. This, despite the survey finding close to two-thirds of those surveyed are experiencing a growing number of visitors to their parks.

The survey, conducted annually by the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) and now in its thirteenth year, found that 83% of those surveyed said budget cuts have led to reduced levels of maintenance and increases in unmaintained land.

The survey also found that almost three-quarters of respondents either agreed or agreed strongly that ‘the squeeze on public sector resources is affecting parks and green spaces disproportionately to other service areas’.

Other key findings

Of the local authorities surveyed:

• Biodiversity is now identified as the main environmental priority for parks services at 96%, up from 89.8% in 2022. The second highest priority is litter control at 70%.
• 71% expect training budgets to stay the same in the next 12 months – only 5% reported increases.
• 43% of respondents said they currently have apprenticeship schemes – An 18% drop since 2022 (61%).
• The number of respondents receiving income ‘through friends of parks groups’ shows a significant decrease to 37% as opposed to 51% in 2022, which may be a reflection that some Friends Groups have not fully become fully active after the pandemic.

Speaking about the findings, Mo Baines, APSE Chief Executive, said:

“As our roads become congested and financial constraints in the home mean people are more in need of free access to pleasant and accessible greenspaces, the demand from the public for access to greenspaces continues to grow louder.

“However, APSE’s survey makes clear there is a real belief amongst parks professionals that service quality may start to be seriously affected because of the ongoing pressures on budgets, changes to maintenance frequencies and a need for investment, particularly as visitor numbers are remaining high and, in many cases, increasing.

“What the survey also shows is that local authorities are successfully introducing new and innovative ways to sustainably manage parks. Whether this be through income generation, partnerships or alternative forms of funding, the most recent being the opportunities which may arise from Biodiversity Net Gain. It is hoped that central governments and other stakeholders will, in recognition of this innovation and best practice, provide the necessary support for local authorities and their parks managers in developing a sustainable future for the UK’s parks and the multitude of benefits they bring.”

A full analysis of APSE’s State of the Market Survey on Parks Services 2023 can be viewed by clicking on the button below 

Download the State of the Market here

The survey findings were the topic of discussion at APSE’s Parks Seminar on 15 March 2023 at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. The presentations from the event are freely available from the APSE website here.

NOTES TO EDITOR

• APSE conducted an online survey in February and March 2023, which was circulated to our local authority members throughout the UK. 57 responses were received.

• The Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) is a not-for-profit local government body working with over 300 councils throughout the UK. Promoting excellence in public services, APSE is the foremost specialist in local authority frontline services and operates one of the UK’s largest research programmes in local government policy and frontline service delivery matters.
• For further press enquiries, or to arrange an interview, please contact APSE Principal Advisor Matt Ellis on [email protected]