Gedling Borough Council‘s deputy leader Michael Payne has slammed the government for ‘again overlooking the area’ after local green spaces missed out on fresh funding designed to ‘level up’ Britain’s parks.
Cash is being given to councils to create or significantly revamp existing parks in 85 neighbourhoods they say are most deprived of outdoor space.
Funds have been given to Bassetlaw, Derby, East Lindsey, Leicester, Lincoln, Nottingham and West Lindsey councils in the East Midlands.
Councillor Payne has revealed the council weren’t eligible to apply for funding.
He said “A 100 areas have been picked by the Conservative government as eligible for a share of a £9 million fund to create or refurbish urban parks and green spaces.

“Once again Gedling is not included on the list.
“Our parks and green spaces won’t receive a single penny from this fund. The Conservative government doesn’t think they’re worth it.
Mr Payne listed Lambley Lane Recreation Ground & Play Park, Valley Road Playing Grounds & Play Park, Church Lane & St. Mary’s Play Park, Arno Vale Play Park and Bestwood Country Park as places that could have benefitted from the levelling up funding.
Payne added: “Remember, we’ve already been overlooked when the government was allocating funding from the overall £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund. They didn’t allocate Gedling borough a single penny from the Towns Fund, Future High Streets Fund or Levelling Up Fund.”
The recent bid was criticised by Conservative members of the party who said other parts of the borough were now missing out.
Councillor Payne revealed he had now written a letter to the Government asking for a share of the £9m fund to go towards improving the borough’s parks.
Gedling MP Tom Randall has responded to the claims from Councillor Payne.
He said: “The 85 Councils eligible for funding from the Government’s £9 million Levelling Up Parks Fund have been determined using evidence from Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Mapping Tool, which combines Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and access to green space data. In Gedling, we are lucky enough to be surrounded by beautiful public and country parks, local nature reserves, playing fields and access to land. This has meant that Gedling Borough does not meet the criteria for the Levelling Up Parks Fund, which has been created to provide urban areas with access to green spaces.
“Gedling Borough Council received over £200,000 of ‘Welcome Back’ funding from the Government. This funding could have been spent on maintaining our parks, removing graffiti and improving green spaces and outdoor provision. I am disappointed that Gedling Borough Council did not spend its full allocation of this and funding had to be returned to the Government. Rather than taking potshots at the government, Cllr Payne, who is responsible for Gedling Borough Council’s finances, should account for his failure to spend this money that means our parks have missed out.
“I am, however, pleased to have helped Gedling be allocated over £2,000,000 of the Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund. Securing this investment is reliant on the Council submitting a detailed plan. The Council could choose to spend money from this on improving its parks and I will continue to support local ‘Friends of’ groups in securing grants towards new play equipment, like I have recently at Breck Hill Park and am currently doing with Valley Road in Carlton.”
NOTE: Gedling Eye did contact a representative of Tom Randall on an incorrect email address and apologise that this caused a delay in a response to the article








