The APSE State of UK Public Parks report, published in 2021, reported that parks budgets had seen a decrease of £690m over the past decade, with declining conditions and more pressure on external sources of income.  However, public satisfaction remained high despite the reductions in budgets and maintenance standards. If Government funding is to continue to fall then parks need to position themselves as self-funding ventures with activities and attractions that increase dwell time, attract new visitors and prompt multiple return visits.  Alliance Leisure have been developing outdoor spaces for the past 20 years and in their recent article they explore various development opportunities and showcase some of their recent projects.  Read more here.

In more outdoor news Alliance Leisure’s development at Central Park, on behalf of Barking and Dagenham Borough Council, has seen progress with the installation of playground equipment in the latest phase of the project.  A large portion of the development is being funded by income received from deliveries of environmentally approved clean (inert) soil. As a result of this initiative, significant income will be generated from the importation of the soil, which will be a major boost to this project.  Read more about soil importation here.

And finally, a breaking ground ceremony has marked the official start of the £11.9m Football Hub project on Derby Racecourse.  Alliance Leisure were joined by representatives from Derby City Council, the Football Foundation, main contractors Universal Group and other key stakeholders at a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of the Football Hub development on Derby Racecourse.  Read more of about this project here.