Town mayor refuses to open parks despite government advice because area has one of highest coronavirus rates outside London
- Middlesbrough mayor Andy Preston has released a statement that parks in the area will remain closed despite government advice to the contrary
- Robert Jenrick MP reaffirmed that people need parks and green spaces to exercise and cemeteries to visit loved ones in the daily briefing yesterday
- Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
- Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
Parks in Middlesbrough are to remain closed despite government advice they should stay open according to the town’s mayor.
In a statement released on Facebook and Twitter, executive mayor Andy Preston said it had ‘one of the highest rates of Covid 19 infection outside of London’ and it would be ‘dangerous’ for people to socialise.
He says he has made the decision based on a report from the Centre for Progressive Policy think tank which claims Middlesbrough is the ‘riskiest’ place in the country for coronavirus.
This contradicts government advice on parks, green spaces and cemeteries.
In yesterday’s daily briefing, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Robert Jenrick reaffirmed that people need parks and green spaces to exercise and cemeteries to visit loved ones.
Andy Preston, Mayor of Middlesbrough, told his constituents that parks would remain closed
In a post on social media, Mr Preston said: ‘Because of Middlesbrough’s high rates of infection and our other health challenges, we are deemed to be the most coronavirus vulnerable place in the UK.
‘With this in mind I have decided that, for now, our parks remain closed.
‘Parks themselves are not dangerous – but people gathering and mixing inappropriately in parks could be deadly.’
Mr Preston told the press the situation was being reviewed constantly, adding: ‘As soon as we can make access to parks safe and not a risk to public health, we will.’
It also appears that cemeteries in Middlesborough will remain shut for general visitation.
The mayor cited a report by the Centre for Progressive Policy which says Middlesbrough ‘has a combined high case load and high level of systemic risk’.
The think-thank said it reached its conclusions by analysing confirmed cases against the age of an area’s population, life expectancy and quality of care.
Andy McDonald, Labour MP for Middlesbrough, said while ‘these decisions are not easy’, he thought Mr Preston had ‘got this wrong’.
Andy Preston, mayor of Middlesbrough standing in a boxing ring
He said parks are a ‘great asset’ to people in densely populated urban areas and ‘there would be significant benefits from re-opening our major parks, including depriving people of the excuse of travelling by car to enjoy a green space elsewhere’.
‘We all benefit for being in a green and pleasant environment and parks are a huge solace for many,’ Mr McDonald said as he urged Mr Preston to reverse the closure decision.
Many parks in dense urban areas were closed by councils due to too many people sunbathing and appearing to socialise in them. Cemeteries were also closed to the anger of grieving relatives.
It is unclear how many parks that were closed have been reopened since yesterday’s government advice.