THE leader of Southampton City Council is set to sign an agreement pledging to create more green spaces in the city.

On Monday, the leader of the council, Cllr Daniel Fitzhenry is expected to agree to sign the Southampton National Park City Charter. 

As previously reported, the city has been bidding for National Park City status which seeks to “create more spaces that are safe to play in and where nature can flourish". 

Described as creating a city "where people, culture and nature work together", the first area to gain the status was London in 2019.

But now the National Park City Foundation aims to create 25 National Park Cities by 2025. 

READ MORE: Organisations team up to launch Wilder Southampton scheme

In Southampton, the project is led by a grassroots group called Southampton National Park City (SNPC) which is keen to gain the support of all councillors and parties for its plans.

As the first step in a bid, the city council and all councillors have been invited to sign the SNPC Charter, committing to taking responsibility for achieving the objectives of the status. 

At the meeting on Monday, the leader of the council has been recommended to agree to sign the charter on behalf of the council. 

it comes as the scheme has seen cross-party support so far according to the meeting documents. 

It also says in the documents: "A further reason to support SNPC is that given the strong links between outdoor space and cultural activities such as music festivals, achievement of NPC status by 2025 would be a significant boost to the city’s intended year as City of Culture.

READ MORE: Southampton National Park City Project calls for volunteers

"NPC status would also be likely to increase inward investment into the city as it would be a signifier of a high quality of life, something that is of increasing importance in a world where people do not necessarily have to live wherever their employer happens to be based."

The SNPC has stated that it is not seeking financial support from the council and that it sees the project having a "generational impact long into the future".

A number of other cities in the UK are also currently working towards the status including Glasgow and Newcastle.

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