Lib Dems 'feel vindicated' after charity 'debacle'

OPPOSITION councillors have criticised the "woefully lacking" due diligence before the creation of a charity to run Newcastle's parks.

- By DANIEL HOLLAND

Urban Green Newcastle (UGN) was established in 2019 to take charge of 33 parks and more than 60 allotments from the city council, in the hope of protecting Tyneside's green spaces from major budget cuts and ultimately saving more than £110m over the course of a 125-year lease.

But the charity is now being wound up, after the council pulled support for the trust and took back control of the parks amid concerns about its finances.

An independent review published last week found that UGN was left "financially vulnerable" as a result of various factors - including the impact of Covid-19, a lack of cash reserves, and the absence of contingency arrangements.

Fuel Research's report, commissioned by UGN and the National Trust, also pointed to "overly optimistic" assumptions made by the council when it was considering the charity model and a lack of independent oversight or challenge.

The city's Liberal Democrat opposition, who had long been sceptical of the parks trust, say the new findings "vindicated" their warnings.