Newcastle Council expected to take back control of city's parks from Urban Green

Newcastle Council looks set to take control of the city's 33 parks and more than 60 allotments, which have been under the control of the charity, Urban Green Newcastle (UGN), since 2019.

The council is expected to pull its funding after a cabinet report found "no evidence" the charity could continue operating without "substantial financial support".

The handover is expected to take place on 31 January 2025, with the chair of UGN's trustees, Jim Beirne, saying the organisation was "disappointed", but promising to work with the council to ensure a "smooth transition".

The final decision is expected to be made on 25 November.

In March, it emerged the charity would need an extra £1m of support from the council, which is already having to deal with tight budgets.

High costs and lower than predicted income has been blamed on the the trust's struggling finances. However, Mr Beirne said: "Despite the challenges the charity has faced in its first five years, including a global pandemic and cost of living crisis, UGN has performed well.

"We are proud of everything we have achieved, and hope the council continues this good work."

Deputy leader of the council, Alex Hay, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service, that to continue operating the parks under "external management" would not be cost effective for the taxpayer.

He added: "We know how deeply our residents care about our city’s parks, allotments and green spaces... Urban Green Newcastle has achieved some fantastic results over the last five years, but there have been many challenges, not least the pandemic."

He added that the cabinet review concluded there was a "strong rationale" for taking back control of Newcastle's green spaces.