Bristol’s cherished parks face a “spiral of decline” from huge proposed cuts in the city council’s budget, campaigners warn. The city’s Parks Forum, which works to protect green spaces for residents, says the planned £1.5million savings amount to a quarter of the annual cost of maintaining the beauty spots.
It says the parks service has “already been cut to the bone” and could “cease to exist”. In fact the cuts are so severe that they actually total more than the current amount of money the council provides – about £1.3million in the current financial year – meaning parks would become a “net contributor” to City Hall’s coffers and be expected to make money that would help prop up other services.
Furious forum members are urging the Labour cabinet to scrap the idea and asking people to voice their disapproval in the budget consultation, which closes on December 22. The measures are part of efforts by Bristol City Council to bridge a £31million shortfall for 2023/24, part of a funding gap over the next five years projected between £37.5million and £87.6million.
