Please join the effort by widely promoting the 'Save Our Parks' UK petition: http://chn.ge/TXdqhj Let's make the protection and improvement of our open spaces an issue in the May 2015 General Election. And make a date in your diary for 2015's Love Parks Week - 24 July to 2 August Some updates Save our Parks Liverpool There's a high profile campaign in Liverpool to save parks and greenspaces in the face of sell offs to developers, including Sefton Park Meadows, Woolton Woods, and Walton Hall Park. Save Sefton Park Meadows campaign has been working for almost 2 years to save this greenspace from Redrow Homes development. As other sites have come under threat from developers and identified as potential sites in the emerging Liverpool Local Plan, a new Greenspaces Alliance has formed in the city by 10 groups. Green Party, Lib Dems and independent councillors also support this. Save Sefton Park Meadows supports your Save Our Parks alliance and supporters have signed the petition and encouraged others to do. If the Alliance in Liverpool can maybe campaign under a wider objective to gain government commitment to parks at the forthcoming election, this would gain wide support here I am sure. Janet Pell - Vice chair, Save Sefton Park Meadows: http://saveseftonparkmeadows.org Next round of budget cuts raises serious fear of deterioration in state of UK parks Horticulture Week - 28 November 2014 London's councillors are seriously concerned about paying for parks in the short term despite them being central to saving money long term, according to London Councils' transport and environment committee chair. Speaking ahead of the chancellor's autumn statement on 3 December, Julian Bell, also leader of the London Borough of Ealing, said he does not know how local authorities will "square the circle" of further budget cuts over the next five years - after already cutting "low-hanging fruit" - without seriously damaging services. Ealing needs to cut £96m from its budget over the next four years, adding to £87m already cut over the past four years. Only £56m of new cuts have been identified in the draft budget so far. "It's pretty harsh," said Bell. "We're looking the graph of doom in the face. In Ealing, we've had a 30 per cent birth rate increase at the same time as an increase in the number of older people." The "graph of doom" originated in Barnet in 2012. It showed the council in danger of running out of money for everything except core services by 2020. The "nub of the problem" is adult social care, which is 50 per cent of the average London borough's budget, leaving less for non-statutory services. It is a picture mirrored in urban centres across the UK. Walsall, for example, must find savings of £104m by 2019, with £362,708 to go from green spaces next year alone. Act for nature Royal Society for the Protection of Birds: http://www.rspb.org.uk/joinandhelp/campaignwithus/act-for-nature/index.aspx The ‘Nature and Wellbeing Act’ Green Paper sets out the evidence which shows just how much people need nature. It details the ambitious package of measures to turn around the decline in our natural environment and contribute to many of our most pressing social and political objectives. We want an Act which puts our need for nature at the heart of decision-making, for our own mental and physical health, and the health of our economy. We all know how much nature matters to us, not just for the moments of wonder with which it enhances our lives, but because it underpins every aspect of our existence – it is our foundation. But across our society and economy it is still a foundation that is largely invisible and unaccounted-for. We know nature is under great pressure as we take from it to fuel our economy without giving back, and many of the worrying effects were outlined in last year’s State of Nature report produced by 25 conservation organisations. Together with The Wildlife Trusts we’re calling for a Nature and Wellbeing Act in England, to create the right laws now to bring about the recovery of nature for future generations. As the 2015 General Election approaches, now is our moment to influence their promises. We're calling for the next Government to do something that lasts longer than five years, something that sets the tone for the next generation, and for generations after that. We need nature. Join us, and ask your MP if their Party will Act for Nature, and commit to a Nature and Wellbeing Act in their election manifesto. Petition against plans to privatise parks and waste services attracts hundreds of signatures ahead of public meeting 24 Nov 2014 - Wimbledon Guardian A petition against plans to privatise [Merton's] parks and waste management has attracted hundreds of signatures ahead of a public meeting. Conservative councillor David Dean has organised a debate after strong public reaction to Merton Councils £32m cost-cutting plans which could see parks management and waste collection privatised. A petition entitled Save Merton's Parks has 451 signatures calling for the council to, among other things, retain control over the parks services locally, and for improvements to either maintain or improve the service. Dan Goode, founder of litter campaign group Merton Matters, said: "The idea that volunteers will pick up the slack from a company protecting its own profits is laughable. Parks should be secured for future generations - this doesnt make any sense at all." Promote the 'Save Our Parks' petition - let's make the protection and improvement of our open spaces an issue in the May 2015 General Election The Government's cuts to Local Authorities for our local public services, combined with the lack of statutory protection for open spaces, are causing the most of the problems we are facing. So please sign and promote the UK 'Save Our Parks' petition to step up the pressure on the Government and all political parties to take seriously the future funding and protection of our vital green spaces. 1. Sign the petition: http://chn.ge/TXdqhj 2. Spread the news via Twitter: @LoveParks_Week #LoveParks 3. Spread the news via Facebook: www.facebook.com/ukparkspetition - and: www.facebook.com/LoveParksWeek 4. Refer to the Parks Petition webpage: www.natfedparks.org.uk/parks-petition.html - the page includes a Sign Up Sheet and leaflets to distribute And please don't forget to support your local green space Friends Group or help set up one for any green space without one! best wishes Dave Morris Campaigns Officer National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces vice-chair@natfedparks.org.uk www.natfedparks.org.uk