Several of the UK’s largest municipalities have been reluctant to shed light on the phenomenon of privately owned public spaces. These municipalities, including Manchester, Birmingham, and Liverpool are trying to cut costs and ease the burdens on their municipal budgets. However, this could have implications that many locals have yet to understand.
There are rising concerns over democratic governance on a municipal level due to the specific restrictions placed on privately owned, yet seemingly public land. Since 2010, local governments have lost approximately 60% of their funding. This has caused city councils to reconsider their funding and seek alternative means. In 2016, George Osborne relaxed regulations surrounding what city councils can do with land they own. The intention was to ease the financial burden currently placed on British municipalities, as the expectation was that councils would only sell land if it goes toward “tomorrow’s savings.” However, it has also lead to the sales of many public spaces, including libraries, parks, and community centers. Investigative reports have revealed that some of these land sales are funding job cuts.
Beyond the most apparent consequences of the public land sales of recent years, there are also concerns surrounding the new rules that will be applied to these spaces. A park that is privately owned can have very different rules concerning certain activities such as protesting or taking photos. This could also have implications for democratic freedoms and traditions going forward.
