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Norwich City Council to receive funding for new and revamped parks as part of the levelling up agenda
Author: Chloe Smith, Updated: 02 August 2022 12:29
Yesterday the government announced Levelling Up Parks Fund to create new and improved parks in urban areas as the government levels up Norwich.
Access to nature provides sanctuary from the bustling streets of our fine city and is good for our health and wellbeing - so it is right that these spaces are upgraded and improved.
Launching the fund during Love Parks Week, the government hopes each new or improved green space will be an oasis for the local community, boosting creativity and positive mental health whilst also contributing to net zero ambitions.
In England, the cash will be given to councils to create or significantly revamp existing parks in 85 neighbourhoods most deprived of outdoor space. Areas set to benefit include Norwich, Liverpool, Birmingham and Carlisle.
The new parks will significantly increase access to quality green space for those who need it most, particularly supporting people without a garden to spend time with friends and family in the natural world.
From community gardens to formal greens and town parks – councils will be able to choose the nature and location of the new or improved parks in their local area, meaning that each green space will be as unique as the community it serves.
Instead of a competitive bidding process, the fund allocates grants to places that the government has identified as most in need of quality green space, supported by data from Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework mapping.
The UK government has allocated over £1 million from the fund to the devolved administrations and we continue to work closely with them to consider how we can best use the funding to support green spaces in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This funding will ensure that people from all backgrounds have access to nature while supporting tree planting within public spaces in our urban communities.
Chloe Smith