§ Baroness Nicolasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they recognise the historic importance, whether local or national, of nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century urban public parks, and whether government responsibility for them lies with the Department of the Environment or the Department of National Heritage.
§ Viscount UllswaterThe Government fully recognise the importance of historic parks and gardens and the Department of National Heritage is advised by English Heritage on this subject. English Heritage maintain a Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. The purpose of the register is to inform owners, local authorities and developers so that the sites may be safeguarded in any plans for development. English Heritage are currently reviewing the register and anticipate that more urban parks will be added in due course.
Responsibility for the management and repair of urban parks rests with the local authority in whose area they are located. The department which has lead responsibility for all aspects of local authority functions is the Department of the Environment.
§ Baroness Nicolasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether any record is being kept of the number of lodges and other buildings or structures (including those that are not listed), being sold or demolished by local authority owners of public parks.
§ Viscount UllswaterMy department keeps no records of the sale or demolition of such buildings and structures.
§ Baroness Nicolasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have taken note of any research undertaken into the public response to the decline in funding for public parks and the possible resulting lowering of maintenance standards in recent years.
§ Viscount UllswaterAuthorities receive central government support for all services for which they are responsible. It is a matter for local authorities to decide on the funding for urban parks in their own area.
§ Baroness Nicolasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, given the scale of the grants which have been available from the Countryside Commission for out-of-town country parks, they have any plans to target grant-aid at urban parks, and via what agency.
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§ Viscount UllswaterThere are no government grants targeted specifically at urban parks, but assistance may be available as part of wider urban regeneration programmes such as City Challenge and the Single Regeneration Budget, and from English Heritage and Groundwork. English Heritage maintain a Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. They also operate a Gardens Grant Scheme for which outstanding public parks (those listed Grade I or II✶) on the register are eligible. Groundwork may provide assistance if the scheme is in a Groundwork Trust area.
§ Baroness Nicolasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are satisfied that their calculations on rate support grant in the Standard Spending Assessment, which do not specify park maintenance as a local authority duty, take sufficient account of the costs of, and public demand for, high quality maintenance of urban parks.
§ Viscount UllswaterThere is an allowance for urban parks within Standard Spending Assessments. It is a matter for local authorities to decide on the funding for urban parks in their own area.