Green Space charity Fields in Trust has vowed to protect green spaces across the Liverpool City Region.
The charity and Liverpool City Council are working together to protect 100 parks, totalling more than 1,000 hectares, which can never be built on or lost to development. Twenty green spaces in Liverpool are currently protected including community spaces and landmarks across the city.
The council hopes to make Liverpool the first city in the UK to protect all of its green spaces with every resident living within a ten-minute walk of a protected park.
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The council’s commitment ensures the positive benefits of green spaces will always be available for the city’s residents. Alongside their value for health and well-being, urban parks increasingly have a role to play in environmental improvements including air quality and biodiversity.
Currently, the parks set to be protected by Fields in Trust are:
Calderstones Park
Croxteth County Park
Everton Park
Falkner Square Gardens
Gore Street Public Open Space
Newsham Park
Norris Green Park
Otterspool Park
Parkhill Public Open Space
Phythian Park
Princes Park
Sefton Park
St John's Gardens
Stanley Park
Stapleton Avenue Public Open Space
Thomas Lane Playing Fields
Walton Clubmoor Recreation Ground
Walton Hall Park
Wavertree Botanic Park
Woodlands Park
Fields in Trust was founded in 1925 and has secured and protected green spaces across the UK and hopes to include the King George V Playing Fields in Childwall. Protection of the green spaces is done through a legal agreement between Fields in Trust and the space's landowner that they will retain it for use as a green space in perpetuity. Ownership and management of the space remain locally with the existing landowner, ensuring the local community remains fully involved with the space.
CEO of Field in Trust Helen Griffiths said: “We are delighted to be working with Liverpool City Council to ensure all 100 of Liverpool parks will be protected and available for the whole community, for future generations.
“It might surprise people to know that although they’re probably the most universal of our public services, parks unlike schools, or libraries, are not a statutory local government service, so they are not seen as vital or as something to be protected.
“As a charity, we really need continuing support from the communities and businesses in Liverpool to help turn this vision into a reality."
You can find out more about the charity here
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