100 signatures reached
To: Nottingham City Council
Free Parking in Wollaton Park
End parking charges in Nottingham City's most important historic park.
Why is this important?
Because greater access to the park will improve and lengthen lives across the city.
The regular parking charge in Wollaton Park is a tax on the people of the city impeding access to the health benefits of green space. An disincentive where there should be an incentive.
Citing Michael Marmot, the team at Public Health England have written a report titled 'Local action on health inequalities:
Improving access to green spaces'; quoting from the report directly, this is the Summary:
1. There is significant and growing evidence on the health benefits of access to good quality green spaces. The benefits include better self-rated health; lower body mass index, overweight and obesity levels; improved mental health and wellbeing; increased longevity.
2. There is unequal access to green space across England. People living in the most deprived areas are less likely to live near green spaces and will therefore have fewer opportunities to experience the health benefits of green space compared with people living in less deprived areas.
3. Increasing the use of good quality green space for all social groups is likely to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities. It can also bring other benefits such as greater community cohesion and reduced social isolation.
4. Local authorities play a vital role in protecting, maintaining and improving local green spaces and can create new areas of green space to improve access for all communities.
Such efforts require joint work across different parts of the local authority and beyond, particularly public health, planning, transport, and parks and leisure.
The council claim to raise £300,000 revenue from parking charges. They do not account for the capital or ongoing costs directly associated with collection of that revenue. The indirect cost to the cafes, attraction and shops within the park, from deterred customers is also not considered material by the council.
Thinking long term, recognising that the council will continue to look after the people of the city for perpetuity and the rising cost of social care, would the books be better balanced with a healthier elderly population in 10, 20, 30, 100 years time?
The charge should be removed.