Parks Taskforce to explore how to make more cash from green spaces

COUNCIL leaders promised not to build a “Universal Studios theme park” at any of Bristol’s parks as they launched a taskforce to come up with ways to make more cash from the city’s green spaces, festivals and events.

- Adam POSTANS

The public health and communities committee approved plans to form a cross-party group of councillors, supported by Bristol City Council officers, to brainstorm money-spinning ideas, such as advertising and sponsorship, “exciting” paid-for activities and the expansion of the authority's Blaise Plant Nursery.

The parks service raises about £13 million a year from commercial activity, rents and charges, but this still leaves it about £2 million short of what it costs for the annual upkeep of the council’s 430 parks, which range from small urban green areas to large heritage estates.

Cllr Ed Fraser, who will chair the working group that will make its recommendations to the committee in November, told the meeting: “I'm really pleased to see this coming forward.

“The objective of the group is that we should be making recommendations to help get the parks department to a point where it can wash its own face financially.