The Friends of Leazes Park

21/08/2026

Newcastle Parks have submitted a planning application to widen the entrance to Leazes Park to allow larger vehicles to enter for staging events.

We are interested in your views on this proposal.

https://portal.newcastle.gov.uk/planning/index.html?fa=getApplication&id=325517

11/08/2026

The state of Leazes Park has been a concern for several years and the reopening of cafe facilities elsewhere in the city has sparked renewed calls for investment in the Victorian green space

10/08/2026

Your comments have drawn attention 🤔

Restoring pride in our parks 💚

Our new Cabinet have made clear that our parks and green spaces are a priority – and they’ve made huge progress in just over two months in charge.

They made clear they wanted park café’s re-opened and within weeks of forming an administration new operators have taken over the café buildings in Exhibition Park and Paddy Freeman’s Park.

That’s not all, last month they also signed off on a £1.4 million investment in parks across the city, to add to the ongoing programme of investment in play areas with work well underway.

We have seen your comments around Leazes Park, another jewel in our city’s crown and the holder of a prestigious Green Flag which marks it as one of the country’s best parks.

We were disappointed when the previous operators of the Leazes Park café decided to close earlier this year and our new Cabinet have made clear they also want to accelerate plans to see the premises reopen.

Leazes Park is a fantastic asset, next to the hospital and with new student accommodation developments nearby. We are in the process of finding a long term sustainable operator that can provide a different offer to what was previously there so it can be sustainable all year round.

Cllr Peter Lovatt, the Newcastle City Council Cabinet member responsible for parks, said: “Prior to the election, and since forming an administration, we have been clear that improvements to our parks and green spaces if a key area of focus for us. We were angry to see the cafes closed previously and made it clear to officers we needed to move at pace to see them re-opened.

“Financial pressures will always mean we have to make decisions around what improvements are prioritised but residents in this city deserve green spaces they can be proud of, and we are excited to work with voluntary groups across the city to maximise the impact we can have.”

Elsewhere in Leazes Park, we know the Keepers Lodge is an asset to the city and are carrying out essential bat and ecology surveys and assessing the building survey information before making a decision on it’s future.

Works to repair the jubilee gate post and reinstate the entrance on Richardson Road are also being progressed as we know how important parks are to our residents.

We are also looking to accelerate work to address concerns around the closure of footbridges in Jesmond Dene, which were closed due to structural concerns.

Amazing progress in such a short period of time 🙏

07/08/2026

07/08/2026

Thursday 13th August
Litter Pick in Leazes Park 12:30pm-1:30pm
meet at the Potting Shed

05/08/2026

The West Lodge also known as Western Lodge or Keeper's Lodge has been empty since 2004. It was the home for Park Keepers and their families, providing a constant presence in the park.

When the property became vacant the City Council considered options for its re-use by the City Council but it was subsequently decided that it was not needed.

In 2007 a registered charity considered whether it could be refurbished for a community facility but they withdrew their offer in 2009 when their funding was reduced.

A local conservation and regeneration trust considered a transfer of the property in 2010 and carried out extensive surveys and ground investigation works but they withdrew their offer in 2012 because of the significant amount of funding needed to bring the property back into use.

Discussions with a local building preservation trust took place during 2012 but again they could not come up with a viable scheme because of the cost of works required to underpin the property to prevent further subsidence.

Around 2017 it was condemned due to safety concerns and anti social behaviour.... currently ongoing.

05/08/2026

There's a memorial plaque in Leazes Park to a Richard Carrick from work mates at Newcastle City Council dated 2004.

Can anyone tell us anything about Richard Carrick?
Nothing is coming up through various searches.

Thanks

01/08/2026

Exhibition Park has its doughnuts and Paddy Freeman its gelato …. the new administration at the city council making parks a priority apparently.

Many have asked what about a cafe in Leazes Park after the Tower Cafe closed?

The building and rails have been left to rot for years and investment is needed before expecting a business to take it on surely,

Many ask, where are the toilets in the park? There are none, you’ll have to make a dash over the road to the RVI for the nearest.

The pillars knocked down a couple of years ago on Richardson Road remain fallen on the ground and a planning application is expected anytime to allow widening the entrance for the large event juggernauts gaining easy access onto narrow, tree lined paths.

The keepers lodge, condemned in 2017, sits by the Jubilee Gates, chipped and knocked by vehicles carelessly entering with trailers, no longer the grand entrance designed for the Grade ll listed People’s Park.

The cabinet member with parks in his portfolio visited this week, he’d never been here before and was surprised how large it is (43 acres). Two officers came with him. I heard nothing to give us any hope of things getting better anytime soon.

If you care about the park join us, The Friends of Leazes Park, and help make sure our park and all parks are a priority and staff are sufficiently resourced to look after parks and green spaces across the city.

https://www.friendsofleazespark.uk/

30/07/2026

Horse chestnut
(Aesculus hippocastanum)

Spiky cases, gleaming seeds, with their mahogany-bright conkers, are the very essence of autumn…. but it’s only July!