Council comment on the future of Maryon Wilson Animal Park

Following discussions with the community, the Council has decided to explore ways to keep Maryon Wilson Animal Park open while still delivering the vital savings needed to fund frontline services.  

The Royal Borough of Greenwich has a duty to balance its books and provide services that residents rely on day in and day out. While everyone accepts that tough choices need to be made for the council to deliver a balance budget and remain financially stable, we understand the weight of public sentiment over the future of Maryon Wilson Animal Park.  

Having engaged with residents, community leaders and those who run the park, we’re going to remove the proposal from this year's budget and explore ways to make sure the park stays open for years to come. 

Councillor Sandra Bauer, Cabinet Member for Equality, Culture and Communities said: “Over the last week, residents have told us that they understand the difficult decisions we have to make – but it’s been reaffirmed to us quite how cherished Maryon Wilson Animal Park is. While we do need to make savings, we’re going to rethink this approach.  

“I've heard you loud and clear. I’ve met with campaigners, and I’ve listened. I’m pleased to say that we’re going to remove the proposal and explore alternative ways to keep the park open to the public.  

“There are councils effectively going bust in this country – and while it’s not us, our priority must be protecting the frontline services that people rely on. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t listen when it matters, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.  

“The Council will have to make tough decisions to balance its budget. But, while we lobby for fairer funding and continue to look at how we deliver our services, we’ll make sure we work with you and the park to keep it open.” 

After a decade of austerity, soaring costs and immense demand for council housing and support, balancing our budget has never been harder.  

Last year, we had to find £33.7 million cuts to balance our budget. This year, we have had to find £43.4 million to close our budget gap and every day the cost of delivering council services across London is surging.