Calls have been made for more money to be spent on Glasgow parks after the city council made over half a million pounds from outdoor concerts last year.
Figures exclusively obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by Glasgow City Council revealed that the local authority made £552,611,00 from the environmental levy on concert tickets which was first introduced in April 2019.
The levy takes from a small portion of concert costs for outdoor events which are then used towards supporting the council’s maintenance of the park’s infrastructure across the city.
Councillor Jon Molyneux said: "It's positive that the council's environmental levy for events is raising significant sums to support the upkeep of parks and key public services. It’s also clear that this is not turning event organisers away.
“Directing some of their income towards public infrastructure can help to safeguard the services they rely on.”
A spokesperson for FOKP said: “It's reassuring that the council is committed to supporting parks and greenspaces with all the budgetary pressures they face.
“FOKP is currently conducting a community survey to identify what park users see as their priorities, but we all know already that the drastic state of our pond is upsetting many people.
“We know that the council has committed some money to the repair of the pond, and this is to be welcomed but we hope this can be given greater, more urgent attention.
“Members of our group and some members of the public have already stated how this issue is also about health and wellbeing.”
He also claimed there is little evidence this money is making a difference.
John said: “If the revenue from outdoor events is being spent on the city’s parks there is little evidence of it.
“We will be asking the council to explain how and where this money is being spent because our parks deserve every possible support, or we risk losing one of our most important civic assets.
“The condition of Glasgow’s streets, rightly, gets a lot of attention but the city’s parks are just as important and demand the same protection.
“Families, particularly those without a garden, rely on the green spaces but large parts of many parks are becoming overgrown and all but unusable.
“The council suggests this is deliberate to encourage biodiversity, but other cities are working towards the same goal while continuing to ensure parks are well-used and protected.”
"On-going inflationary pressures also require to be managed and the environmental levy will help to protect the maintenance and development of our parks and open spaces, which were supported by a budget of £26m in 2023/24.
"Glasgow's parks are easily among the most visited in the country and residents continue to express high satisfaction with the city's parks.
"Following Glasgow's declaration of the climate and ecological emergency, how we approach the management of the city's 91 parks is crucial to protecting our biodiversity.
"The environmental work being carried out in the city's parks and other open spaces led to 59 new species of flora and fauna being identified within the city and this will support the resilience of our wildlife.
"The various planting projects that take place over the course of the year will help prepare the city for the impact of climate change but also add colour and interest to our open spaces.
"Substantial investment is also being made in our park amenities with 133 play areas to be refurbished over the coming years as part of a major five programme, supported by funding from the Scottish Government."
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