Manchester council has called for the government to provide extra funding and support for local parks - as they have proven to be a ‘lifeline’ to people during the pandemic.
Councillor Luthfur Rahman OBE, executive member for skills, culture and leisure, has written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak, the calling for support to ‘bridging the funding gap’ for green spaces.
Visitor numbers to Manchester’s parks have seen a rise of more than 30 per cent in 2020 and has resulted in an increase in maintenance costs and, alongside cancelled events, has left the council facing a 20 pc shortfall in the current financial year.
Coun Rahman said: “In the face of a global pandemic, the value of parks became more clearly evident than ever before and the government regularly called for people across the nation to make use of parks, to boost their physical and mental wellbeing.
“Our parks have been a lifeline for the people of Manchester at what has been an incredibly challenging period for our communities. However, little support has been provided to ensure that they can continue to operate safely.
“I’m calling on the government to recognise our forgotten key workers - who have worked tirelessly to provide safe spaces which are essential to our residents' health and well-being - by committing to bridging the funding gap caused by the twin pressures of reduced incomes and increased costs.”
Research earlier this year found that parks in Greater Manchester were twice as busy as before lockdown.
On May 25, visitor numbers to open spaces, such as parks and gardens, in the city-region were 123 per cent above baseline levels.
Alongside the need to keep facilities clean throughout the pandemic, the council reported that an extra 78,000 bags of litter have also been collected from parks across Manchester this year.
The financial impacts of the pandemic are expected to see the council facing a projected budget shortfall of up to £105m in 2021/22.
