By Hilary McGrady
The next government should commit to making sure everyone has access to green space within a 15-minute walk of their home, says the National Trust’s Hilary McGrady
People who live or work in a city like London experience many benefits, but it can feel stressful and hectic.
That’s why urban green spaces, such as the capital’s eight Royal Parks including Hyde Park, Green Park, and Richmond Park, are so vital for the health and wellbeing of millions.
The National Trust’s Victorian founder Octavia Hill believed in the ‘life-enhancing virtues of pure earth, clean air and blue sky’ and campaigned to preserve parks and open spaces such as Hampstead Heath, as well as swathes of Kent and the Lake District, coining the term ‘green belt’.
By 1878, Hill and other social reformers had persuaded parliament to pass the Open Spaces Act, which mandated the creation of parks, playgrounds and public gardens. Between 1885 and 1914, more urban green spaces were constructed in Britain than at any time before or since.
Today, many of our urban green spaces are in crisis. Amid the growing squeeze on local government finances, half of the local authorities in England and Wales warn they may be forced to slash their green spaces budget – resulting in less money and people to maintain parks and green spaces.
Almost 10m people across the UK, roughly one in five of us, live in neighbourhoods deprived of good quality green space. There is significant social inequality in terms of access. The most affluent 20 per cent of urban wards have as much as five times more green space than the most deprived.
Almost 40 per cent of people of colour live in the most green space-deprived areas, compared to just 14 per cent of white people, with areas of London making up the ten worst places for access to green space.
With overwhelming evidence that access to green spaceimproves both mental and physical health, the lives of millions of people are being negatively impacted.
This is also a climate issue. Projected increases in average monthly temperatures show that London is likely to experience a 5-6°C increase in summer and winter average temperatures by 2050. Parks and green spaces can help reduce urban temperatures by up to 2°C during heatwaves and are therefore vital.
The National Trust is doing its bit, working with other organisations and communities to bring Morden Hall Park at the southern end of the Northern Line back to life as an oasis for nature, planting blossom trees in urban landscapes including the London Blossom Garden in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and creating community gardens such as Stoneford in Dagenham.
Many of our political parties have talked in this election campaign about the importance of green space and the countryside, and it’s encouraging that the Mayor of London has put in place a London Green Spaces Commission. But none of the plans we have seen to date goes far enough.
There is no coherent national strategy. The Trust is calling for whoever forms the next government to legislate to make an aim for everyone to be able to access green space within a 15 minute walk from their home legally binding, supported by a clear plan and resources to achieve it. And we would ultimately like for this ambition to go even further, with green spaces within a few minutes of people’s homes.
The cross-party Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee is surely right when it calls for a central government body to take responsibility for green infrastructure and a minister for parks and green spaces.
As well as improving the lives of millions, public investment would provide rich returns for the economy. Our research shows that a £5.5bn investment in green space would yield £200bn in health benefits.
The next government should seize the opportunity to match the scale of ambition of those Victorian pioneers who transformed the face of our urban landscapes. Investing in creating more green space will make our cities better places to work, live and invest.
Hilary McGrady is director general of the National Trust
