A TEN-YEAR strategy for Barnet’s parks and open spaces will go out to public consultation next week.

The plan, which focuses on the funding and management of the borough’s green spaces over the next decade, was approved by Barnet Council’s environment committee last night (January 11).

The council plans to cut £800,000 from its green spaces budget over the next four years, and it suggests ways to offset this.

Suggestions include attracting more lottery and sports funding, and developing “greater partnerships” with volunteer and community groups to run parks.

It will go out to public consultation next Monday (January 18) until March 13, and a final decision will be made in May.

Councillor Dean Cohen, Conservative chairman of the environment committee, said: “Our green spaces are highly valued by our residents, and rightly so.

“This draft strategy not only sets out the challenges that we face to make sure that our parks are among the best in London and continue to be loved by our residents, but it also makes it clear that our green spaces should play a key role in improving the economic, social and environmental prosperity of Barnet.”

Councillor Alan Schneiderman, Labour’s environment spokesman, said: “Residents in Barnet value their parks and open spaces, and it is right to look at how we can improve them, and make best use of them.

“There are various suggestions in there – from keeping the status quo, to outsourcing it, to having a shared service.

“The key thing is to focus on how we can improve them, but not to get distracted by dogmatic outsourcing to save money at the expense of maintaining a quality resource.”