Committees

Public Parks viability and access examined by Levelling Up Committee

8 July 2022

The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee will hold an evidence session on the morning of Wednesday 20th July examining a range of issues relating to public parks, including park usage and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on parks, inequality of access to green space, and the funding of public parks and green spaces.

The LUHC Committee followed up on areas of the previous Committee’s report (published in February 2017, see also news item) which recognised the vital contribution of parks and green spaces to areas such as public health, community integration and climate change and flood mitigation.

Purpose of session

The session examines progress on the Government’s response to the Committee’s report, including follow up on the effectiveness of the Parks Action Group set up and funded by the Government.

The LUHC Committee heared from a range of groups, including the Local Government Association, the National Trust, National Lottery Heritage Fund, and Natural England, the government's adviser for the natural environment in England. The Committee will also question charities and champions of friends’ groups.

The LUHC Committee has also published today 23 items of written evidence of submissions (links to full list of submissions), including correspondence from the Local Government Association, Fields in Trust, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund

Witnesses

 Wednesday 20 July 2022  

From 10am    

  • Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, Chair of the Sports, Culture and Tourism Board, Local Government Association
  • Peter Neal, Independent Consultant and Planning Expert
  • Drew Bennellick, Head of Land and Nature Policy UK, National Lottery Heritage Fund
  • Ellie Robinson, Head of Urban Green Space, National Trust

Around 10.45am

  • Helen Griffiths, Chief Executive, Fields in Trust
  • Alan Law, Deputy Chief Executive, Natural England
  • Dave Morris, Chair, National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces

Further information

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