Parks takeover paused over funding concerns

The transfer of a city's parks back into council hands has been put on hold after questions were asked about how the authority would pay for their upkeep.

Urban Green Newcastle (UGN) has been running 33 parks and more than 60 allotments since 2019.

However, concerns about the organisation's finances prompted Newcastle City Council to announce in November it would take back control.

The move has now been paused after calls for further scrutiny and a debate involving the full council will be held in January.

Liberal Democrat opposition on the Labour-run council launched a formal "call in" of the decision, having raised concerns about how the authority would find the minimum £1.5m needed annually to maintain the parks.

Ouseburn councillor Mike Cookson said the public had not been "properly consulted" about UGN's demise, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

He questioned the finances, with worries the council would "close off" access to the kind of grant funding UGN had secured since its inception.

Labour's deputy council leader, Alex Hay, said the cabinet decision was "grounded in extensive work and based on sound evidence" and UGN's financial challenges had become "unsustainable".

Even if it was not wound up, the council would be "indirectly exposed" to the same financial risks because the charity would still be requesting public funds to cover its deficits, he said.

He also warned a delay to the handover could affect the orderly transfer of staff and leave the parks in an uncertain position.

However, Lib Dem councillor Gareth Kane urged the council to learn from what he called the "reckless leap in the dark" of UGN's creation by fully considering the implications of a U-turn.

It was resolved to refer the issue for a debate by the full council.

A council spokesperson said: "We are in regular communication with UGN and will keep them informed throughout this process.

"We await the decision of members once the matter has been discussed."

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