Greenspace in the London Borough of Barnet under attack

Future funding and governance

Barnet is having to reduce the amount of money that it spends on delivering services and parks will have to make a contribution to this saving.

This is the heading in a document presented to the Barnet Council environment committee in January. 

These are the options

Future management and funding options

 

In developing the Open Spaces Strategy, we

have considered a number of options for

new approaches to the funding and future

management of parks in Barnet. We will consult

residents and stakeholders on all of these options

as part of the process of adopting the strategy.

 

Option 1 – retaining the status quo

Section nine of the strategy suggests ways in which

the current service might be reformed to deliver

to higher standards.

 

Option 2 – shared public services

This option involves working with other local

authorities to manage parks services (possibly

in combination with other environmental services

such as waste) across a larger part of London.

This can generate savings but can lead to a loss of

local control.

 

Option 3 - Third part contract management

Some local authorities have entered into long

term contracts with the private sector to deliver

parks services. These arrangements can deliver

considerable efficiencies and a range of community

outcomes but can be undemocratic if not properly

set up.

 

Option 4 – Social enterprises and partnership

This option would involve creating social

enterprises to manage parks and open spaces. This

option would give local residents a considerable

say in how parks are managed. There is not a well-

developed social enterprise sector in Barnet so this

option would require funding and support for it

to be successful.

 

Option 5 – trusts and foundations

This option would involve transferring some or all

of the borough’s parks assets into a trust that would

manage these parks in future. The advantage of

this approach would be that a trust would be able

to make long term plans for the borough’s parks.

Start-up and administration costs can be high

and longer-term funding is best achieved through

a large capital endowment.

 

Option 6 – precepts and levies

This option would involve asking local residents

and businesses to contribute to the cost of

managing parks and open spaces. Many Business

Improvement Districts across London raise similar

levies to pay for better streets and greenspaces.

This would give residents and businesses the

opportunity to directly influence the quality of

services being provided but a clear rationale would

have to be provided to justify a local tax.

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Given that Barnet Council has a stated policy of outsourcing and financially exploiting its resources, we can only assume that our greenspaces are under threat and under attack. The whole theme of the paper was the economic viability of greenspace. It is clear that the Council thinks of greenspace only in terms of its econmic value. What this means for residents is that our access to parks are at risk. All sorts of commercial considerations are likely to put the needs of residents second. the Barnet Eye will be making more enquiries as to what all this means, but felt that it was vital to wave a big red flag.