1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Newcastle
Region
Europe
Short description of the intervention
In the course of 7 years from 2010, the Newcastle City Council's budget for Parks has been cut by 90%. A public consultation was carried out in partnership with the National Trust and National Lottery Heritage Fund, on the proposed transfer of the operation, delivery and maintenance of parks and allotments from the government to a new Charitable Trust (Charity). Under the new governing model, the land would remain owned by Newcastle City Council, and the trust would be able to generate additional revenue to maintain the parks. (1, 2, 3). The proposal was accepted and the Urban Green Newcastle, an independent charity was formed in 2019, taking over the management and maintenance of the 33 parks and 61 allotment sites in Newcastle upon Tyne. (10)
Urban Green Newcastle generates its own revenue to pay for operations via fundraising, grants and commercial activities which then are reinvested back into the parks and allotments. The aim is to cover the annual running costs of £2m pounds. (10)
Address

Newcastle
United Kingdom

Location
The NBS is a city-wide initiative, the GIS point marks the centre of the city
Total area
4500000.00m²
NBS area
4500000.00m²
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Public Greenspace Area
Website of the intervention
https://urbangreennewcastle.org/
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2017
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2019
End date of the intervention
2019
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Please specify "other" stage of the intervention
A public consultation is being run (Jan. - Apr. 2017) on the proposed transfer of the operation, delivery and maintenance of parks and allotments from to a new Charitable Trust (and this is a work in progress). (Ref. 1, 2, 3)

The City Council's budget for Parks has been cut by 90% (over the period of 2010-2017) and thus this decision may help alleviate financial limitations for parks as well. (Ref. 1, 4)
Goals of the intervention
1. Development of a financially sustainable business and governance model for operating, delivering and maintaining parks and allotments in Newcastle.
2. The transfer of responsibilities from the local authority to a newly created charity that creates new revenue generation opportunities while it stays committed to improving the way the council deliver parks and allotments (keeping them in public ownership, safe, free to use, and making sure that local people, community groups and partners are fully involved in the future delivery of the service)(1, 2, 3)

Accordingly the goal setting of the Urban Green Newcastle as the maintaining body of Newcastle parks and allotments includes:
- Increasing of annual visitor numbers across by improving and enhancing the visitor experience.
- Increasing the number of trees on the estate.
- Boosting the number of volunteering hours in Newcastle parks and allotments.
- Working toward all parks to obtain Green Flag awards.
- Increasing the value of urban green spaces contributing to the health and well-being of the people of Newcastle by proactively promoting new activities and opportunities.
- Aiming to be carbon negative by removing more carbon from the atmosphere than our activities create, to positively address the climate change emergency (10)
Quantitative targets
The model (funding, management and maintenance) covers 33 of the city’s parks and allotments (i.e. over 400 hectares of land). (2, 3)
Monitoring indicators defined
Unknown
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
Effective management
Implementation activities
A public consultation was running (Jan. - Apr. 2017) on the proposed transfer of the operation, delivery and maintenance of parks and allotments from to a new Charitable Trust. (2).

Since its formation in 2019, Urban Green Newcastle has started to develop individual action plans for each of the city's 33 parks, which are being carried out in consultation with local communities. As part of the process, the charity will be setting up park action groups so park users and stakeholders can work with them and help identify challenges and opportunities (10)

Also, the consultation document point out that "Running a park involves lots of activities, all of which need to be funded, for example:
- Cutting the grass
- Planting, weeding, pruning
- Tree inspections and care
- Litter picking, cleaning, waste removal
- Running events
- Raising funds" (2)
Type of NBS project
Maintenance and management of urban nature
Improved governance of green or blue areas
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Parks and urban forests
Large urban parks or forests
Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Other
Community gardens and allotments
Allotments
Please specify "other parks or (semi)natural urban green area"
the preservation and maintenance of several smaller parks throughout the city
Please specify the number of plots or allotment gardens
Unknown
Vegetation Type
Shrubs
Trees
Flower beds
Garden beds
Please specify how many trees were planted
Unknown
Amenities offered by the NBS
Benches and drinking water stations
Playgrounds
Sports areas and equipment
Cultural (museum, concert areas)
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Carbon storage/sequestration
Flood regulation
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Cultural services
Aesthetic appreciation
Recreation
Mental and physical health and wellbeing
Scale
Spatial scale
Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Local government/Municipality
Citizens or community groups
Governance
Governance arrangements
Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Non-government actors
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches
Researchers, university
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
Newcastle City Council is worked in collaboration with the National Trust and the Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver this project. The National Trust is a charity and completely independent of Government. (3)
Furthermore, researchers at Newcastle University’s Open Lab were working with Newcastle City Council to hold workshops and online discussions (inviting residents, allotment holders, the business community, local charitable groups, friends of parks and other interested parties to participate). (4)

Since the formation of Urban Green Newcastle in 2019, it acts as an independent charity responsible for the for the management, maintenance, restoration, development and protection of 33 parks and 61 allotment sites in Newcastle upon Tyne (10) The charity works with volunteers, Associations and Friends of groups and park action groups of park users and stakeholders to identify opportunities and challenges. (10)
Key actors - initiating organization
Local government/municipality
Private foundation/trust
Researchers/university
Citizens or community group
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Local government/municipality
Private foundation/trust
Researchers/university
Citizens or community group
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
No
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan
In its recent report (State of UK Public Parks 2016) Heritage Lottery Fund outlined the financial challenges parks were facing in light of local authority budget reductions and called on local and national government, communities and businesses to explore innovative ways to fund and maintain public parks. This project will enable the in-depth testing of one such approach. (3, 2)
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
This project is being implemented in response to reductions in local government budgets, reductions which are ordered and determined by national government.The Communities and Local Government Committee published a report titled Public Parks Inquiry on the future of parks. The report outlines the considerable challenges local authorities faced in light of reduced budgets and pressures to increase housing. (3)
Also, Green Infrastructure is addressed as one aspect of the local authority’s strategy plans. (9)
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Please specify other type of voluntary intervention
City Council priority: parks are not a statutory service – in other words, they are not a service which local authorities are legally required to deliver – but their successful future is a high priority for the Council. (1)
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Newcastle's Green Space Strategy (2004) and its background document 'Green spaces...using planning'
A vision statement developed by the Consultative Forum (2003), included in the Green Space Strategy (5, 6)
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify the general plan with GI/NBS section
Green infrastructure is addressed as one aspect of the local authority’s strategy plans. (9)
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
City specific green space strategy or plan
General municipal plan
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), who supports the project, is in partnership with the Big Lottery Fund (and has invested more than £12million to restore and upgrade Newcastle’s historic parks). (3)
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Newcastle is involved in NATURVATION (NATure-based URban innovation), a Horizon 2020 project (EU).
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), who supports the project, is in partnership with the Big Lottery Fund (and have invested more than £12million to restore and upgrade Newcastle’s historic parks). (3)
Co-finance for NBS
Yes
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
€100,000 - €500,000
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
269 000 EUR
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
The annual running costs of Newcastle's city parks and allotments is expected to be around £2 million. Urban Green Newcastle aims to collect that each year.
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
The £237,500 (around 269 000 EUR) for testing this approach has been awarded by HLF, which in partnership with the Big Lottery Fund has invested more than £12million to restore and upgrade Newcastle’s historic parks. (3)
Also, The National Trust has invested a similar amount of funding into the parks engagement programme as they work closely on an advisory level with the City Council. (3)

Urban Green Newcastle generates its own revenue to pay for operations via fundraising, grants and commercial activities. All funds are reinvested back into the parks and allotments to meet the annual running costs by generating £2m each year by 2027. (10)
Source(s) of funding
Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
Private Foundation/Trust
Type of fund(s) used
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Donations
Non-financial contribution
Yes
Type of non-financial contribution
Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Please specify other Business model
Innovative Management of green spaces (governance)
Business models
Other
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation)
Type of innovation
Social
Economic innovation
Governance innovation
Cultural innovation
Please specify social innovation
Researching the possibility of transferring the operation, delivery and maintenance of a large proportion of the city’s parks and allotments to a new Charitable Trust
(Charity) with the aim to stay committed to improving the way the council deliver parks and allotments (keeping them in public ownership, safe, free to use, and making sure that local people, community groups and partners are fully involved in the future delivery of the service). (Ref. 1)

Also, there are clear links to improving public health and wellbeing. (Ref. 1)
Novelty level of the innovation
Ambiguous (e.g. multiple interpretations)
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
The National Trust (a national charity) is advocating that this model for maintaining parks should be adopted in the UK. It is unclear if the model has been adopted elsewhere in the UK yet, but other cities (e.g. Sheffield) are also considering adopting it. (Ref. 3, 7)
Replicability/Transferability
The innovation is not referred to as being transferred to new initiative(s)
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Although, HLF will require the Council to share its findings so that other local authorities learn from this pioneering work. (Ref. 3)
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Unknown
Description of environmental benefits
No impact of the new governing and financial model has been publicly released just yet, therefore impacts cannot be indicated as of October 2020.
Description of economic benefits
No impact of the new governing and financial model has been publicly released just yet, therefore impacts cannot be indicated as of October 2020.
Description of social and cultural benefits
No impact of the new governing and financial model has been publicly released just yet, therefore impacts cannot be indicated as of October 2020.
Type of reported impacts
No impacts reported
Indicators
Unknown
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
Paid employment positions
Voluntary work opportunities
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of October 2020
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
No evidence in public records
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Unknown
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Yes
Mode(s) of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
Questionnaire
Online Forum
Please specify other modes of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
Residents, allotment holders, the business community, local charitable groups, friends of parks and other interested parties are being invited to take part in a range of events being held to gather views and ideas about the future of Newcastle’s parks and allotments. Researchers at Newcastle University’s Open Lab work with Newcastle City Council to hold workshops and online discussions (including dedicated Twitter chats). This is a "Fresh approach" where e.g. Twitter discussion will focus on different questions, and provide opportunities to engage with dynamic polls around alternative futures for Newcastle’s Parks. Open Lab at Newcastle University have come up with imaginative ways to deliver online material and informal face-to-face workshops that will help people think about the matters being raised. Technology and social media play a big part in the work –they look to get people to think outside of the box, and express their views about the prospects of a charitable trust (Ref 4)
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
No
Please specify
Ideas collected through Open Lab’s engagements will be analysed and used to inform the business case the Council will develop in April 2017. (Ref. 4)
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Ref. 1
Ref. 2
Ref. 3
Ref. 4
Ref. 5
Ref. 6
Ref. 7
Ref. 8
Ref. 9
List of references
1. Let's talk Newcastle. (2017). The future of Newcastle's park and allotments. Project Summary. Newcastle. Accessed on October 27, 2020, https://www.letstalknewcastle.co.uk/files/2017_Project_Summary_21.pdf
2. Newcastle City Council. (2017). Newcastle explores transfer of parks to trust (Have Your Say). Council News. Website not available
3. Heritage Lottery Fund. (2017). Newcastle explores transfer of parks to trust. Accessed on October 27, 2020, https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/news/newcastle-explores-transfer-parks-trust
4. Newcastle University. (2017). Newcastle residents invited to give their views on city’s parks. Accessed on October 27, 2020, https://www.ncl.ac.uk/press/articles/archive/2017/03/newcastleparksconsultation/
5. Newcastle City Council. (2004). Newcastle's green space strategy. Green spaces...your spaces. Website not available
6. Newcastle City Council. (2004). Green spaces...using planning: Assessing local needs and standards. Background paper. Website not available
7. National Trust. (n.d.). Rethinking Parks for the 21st Century. Website not available
8. House of Commons. (2017). Public parks: seventh report of session 2016-17. Communities and Local Government Committee. Accessed on October 27, 2020, https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmcomloc/45/45.pdf
9. Newcastle City Council. (2011). Core strategy and Urban Core AAP. Joint Technical Papers. Gateshead Council. NCC. Website not available
10. Urban Green Newcastle. (2019). About us. Accessed on October 26, 2020, https://urbangreennewcastle.org/about-us/frequently-asked-questions
Additional comments
Core principles,:
1. Council priority: parks are not a statutory service - they are not a service which local authorities are legally required to deliver, but their successful future is a high priority for the Council.
2. Public ownership: parks should remain in Council ownership.
3. Safe and clean: parks should be clean, and visitors should feel/be safe.
4. Free access for all: parks should be free to access and use, but charging for some facilities/activities continues and grows.
5. Existing groups: integral
6. Your parks: no decisions without engaging with communities, listening, problem-solving together, and feeding back.
7. One City: equality of resources and enjoyment across all of the city’s parks with no “single park” or “individual” solutions.
8. No Privatisation: parks not transferred to a commercial entity but rather an entity with charity and community objectives, which preserves the parks and uses available income sources.
(Ref. 1)
Comments and notes
Additional insights
The CLG (Communities and Local Government Committee) published a report (Public parks inquiry) on the future of parks. The report outlines the considerable challenges facing local authorities in light of reduced budgets and pressures to increase housing. (Ref. 3, 8)

Also, HLC’s recent report (State of UK Public Parks 2016) which outlined the financial challenges facing parks in light of local authority budget reductions. (Ref. 3)