Written evidence submitted by Save Newcastle Wildlife [PKS 421]

 

Executive Summary

 

 

 

Introduction

 

Save Newcastle Wildlife is a campaign group established in 2015 to protect wildlife and the green belt in and around Newcastle, and to improve public access to the countryside.

 

A key objective of the group is to protect and enhance biodiversity in Newcastle and the surrounding conurbations.

 

Newcastle City Council has proposed a social enterprise with mutual values model of management for its principal parks and green spaces. Many of the city’s nature reserves and key wildlife sites are included for consideration under this model.

 

These proposals centre on increasing levels of activity on these sites in order to generate revenue. The council’s vision is for these spaces to be ‘focal points for lively community activity’ and venues for ‘excellent entertainment and high profile events’. Increased levels of activity and human disturbance are likely to compromise biodiversity in the city’s nature reserves and wildlife sites.

 

We are submitting evidence because parks and green spaces are deserving of legal protection and local authorities should have a statutory duty to protect and maintain them. We are also concerned Newcastle City Council’s proposed model of management could compromise biodiversity in and around areas designated for nature conservation.

 

The council is due to consult the public on its management proposals in early 2017.

 

Description

 

  1. Local authorities have a statutory duty under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (2006) to have regard to the purpose of conserving biodiversity.

 

  1. Several of the city’s nature reserves are classified as principal parks and included for consideration under this proposed management model, including Sugley Dene, Denton Dene, Big Waters Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Havannah Nature Reserve (LNR).

 

  1. LNRs and SSSIs are afforded statutory protection under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act (1949) and the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) respectively.

 

  1. LNRs are designated for their importance for wildlife and biodiversity and local authorities must consult Natural England if they can no longer manage LNRs for this purpose.

 

  1. Newcastle City Council does not appear to have consulted Natural England about the proposed changes to management.

 

  1. Some of the nature reserves in the city are of national significance, for example, Havannah Nature Reserve is said to be the last known breeding site for red squirrels in Newcastle, which is said to be the last English city with a population of red squirrels.

 

  1. The Communities and Local Government committee recently visited two parks in Newcastle to observe the challenges and issues facing the parks sector. Neither of these parks were nature reserves.

 

  1. Biodiversity, particularly in urban areas, is increasingly compromised by disturbance from human activity and predation from domestic pets, including cats and dogs. Introducing a model of management that promotes increased human disturbance in nature reserves is likely to result in a net loss of biodiversity.

 

  1. At a recent council workshop on proposed management plans, attendees were presented with possible scenarios for generating revenue from parks and green spaces, which were intended to encourage discussion.

 

  1. Some of the possible scenarios considered whether parks could host British Military Fitness classes, car parking, cafes and mobile catering. While other more acceptable scenarios were also considered, the exercise raised serious issues, which highlighted the key differences between management of nature reserves and management of parks.

 

  1. Although such workshops are being held the public has not yet been consulted on the council’s increasingly concrete proposals

 

  1. The National Planning Policy Framework gives great weight to green and other public spaces and emphasises the importance of the natural environment for health and wellbeing. Nature is widely acknowledged to contribute positively to mental and physical health and wellbeing.

 

  1. Increasing numbers of people are becoming removed from the natural environment and the physical, mental and emotional benefits it provides.

 

  1. Parks are an essential component of urban green infrastructure and are increasingly important as a higher percentage of people find themselves living in high density, urban environments, which can negatively impact mental and physical health. Green open spaces and their important social and environmental role are deserving of better protection.

 

  1. The 2003 Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Committee’s ‘Living Places: Cleaner, Safer, Greener’ report highlighted the need for local authorities to have a clear responsibility to ensure public spaces are maintained to a high standard.  It also acknowledged that shortages in revenue funding should be addressed with a long-term funding programme and recommended that local authorities should be given a statutory duty of care for public spaces and to prioritise funding to improve them.

 

Conclusion

 

There is no evidence that a social enterprise with mutual values models will provide an advantage for public parks and green spaces but there is evidence to suggest that Newcastle City Council’s proposals could compromise biodiversity. There is also evidence to support the need to statutorily protect the UK’s parks and green spaces. Central government funding should prioritise the management and maintenance of public parks and green spaces to avoid local authorities making ill-informed management decisions.

 

 

References

 

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/12-13-14/97

 

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/16/contents

 

https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmselect/cmodpm/673/673.pdf

 

 

December 2016