parkHere we briefly set out the thrust of the key issues that concern the Alliance.

We believe that everyone has the right to access quality green spaces. Parks and green spaces bring value in many ways:

  • Improved physical and mental health for users
  • Environmental benefits and contribution to sustainability
  • Economic impact: through commercial activities, supporting tourism and  property values

 

 

City trees have been shown to have the potential to raise property prices by between 5 and 18% by a series of international studies

 

Our objectives

The Parks Alliance is the voice of UK parks, representing the people and organisations that create, maintain, invest in and use the public green spaces that we are proud to have at the heart of British life. We campaign at local, regional, UK and EU levels to ensure that parks are properly funded, their roles recognized and developed, and that the benefits that they provide are clearly understood and recognized.

We are a not-for profit body working for the public benefit.  We seek to build a secure future for parks and green spaces. We work to:

  • Promote the issues and developments to enable parks and open spaces and the people who use them to thrive
  • Understand and share best practice in the management and care of parks and open spaces within the sector and more widely.

 

photo-9Funding

The members of the Parks Alliance have a justifiable reputation for innovation in challenging conditions. However, recent years have seen dwindling resources for green spaces in the UK. This makes little sense when parks and green spaces provide a cost effective leisure and healthy living option for the public – and one which is frequently cited as being key to happiness and wellbeing by the general public.

We are concerned, too, about the future. We want to ensure a workforce that is able to lead and innovate in the face of challenges from poor public health and climate change – as well as contributing to the UK’s wealth.

 


parksEnvironment & Sustainability

As well as being concerned about the general impact of climate change and working to mitigate its effects, we are concerned to ensure that our green spaces are protected in very specific ways. This includes:

  • Protection of UK species
  • Regimes to prevent diseases
  • The use of environmental management techniques to mitigate the impact of flooding and to conserve water

 


Parks for health 

In addition to being places of leisure and attractive throughfares, for many, parks act as free gyms. Parks are open to and well used by the whole community, increasingly with additional facilities to support physical fitness. Parks and open spaces can and will play an increasing role in tackling problems of public health, including obesity, ameliorating life limiting health conditions and the physical impacts of social isolation.

 

Planted windbreaks have been found to reduce annual heating costs by 10 to 30%