Election candidates urged to sign parks pledge

Fields in Trust has called on candidates in May’s elections to recognise the importance of our local parks and green spaces and sign a pledge committing to protect them from development if elected.

The Parks Protector Pledge contains six key points which set out how elected policymakers can work to protect, support and champion green spaces for good, both locally and nationally.

Candidates standing for election to the Scottish Parliament, Senedd Cymru, London Assembly and elected Mayoralties in England are invited to make a public commitment to the Pledge.

Forty MPs, representing five different parties, signed the Parks Protector Pledge at the 2019 General Election.

Fields in Trust is also encouraging voters to ask their candidates how they will support local parks and green spaces if elected.

‘We know from our original research that parks and green spaces contribute to community health and wellbeing,’ said charity chief executive, Helen Griffiths.

‘Parks and green spaces can address multiple policy challenges, including health improvement; tackling loneliness; addressing childhood obesity; benefitting the environment and delivering volunteer opportunities yet we also know that that they are not equitably distributed across the UK. So, we urge candidates to protect these vital public services and the positive benefits they deliver.’

An example of what can be achieved is demonstrated in the pioneering partnership between Liverpool City Council and Fields in Trust, announced last month, which has led to a commitment by the council to protect all the city’s parks and green spaces in perpetuity. Securing 100 parks, totalling over 1,000 hectares, will make Liverpool the first city in the UK where everyone lives no more than a ten-minute walk from a green space which is protected forever.

Photo Credit – Liverpool City Council