Every neighbourhood should have protected green space

CPRE has said that every neighbourhood should have a protected place for community well-being to level access to green space and nature.

The research has found that a total of 6,515 Local Green Spaces have been designated in the decade since their introduction. Combined, they total 30,000 acres of protected green space – an area greater than the city of Manchester.

CPRE has conducted the first ever study of the impact of the Local Green Space designation, which allows local people to protect places of special value to the community. The analysis estimates that over 80 per cent of Local Green Spaces have been designated partly for their recreational value – highlighting their importance for people seeking the outdoor exercise that is so vital to our health and well-being. Meanwhile, the richness of their wildlife was a factor in over a third of designations, suggesting that Local Green Spaces can play a major role in reviving the UK’s biodiversity.

The CPRE has long campaigned for more powers for local people and protection for green spaces with ‘intrinsic character’. The Local Green Space policy gives communities the chance to apply for a Local Green Space designation affording the same level of protection as Green Belt or National Park status.

The countryside charity says that there remains considerable scope for greater take-up of the Local Green Space designation. The north of England, for instance, has half as many designated Local Green Spaces as the south, and third of those found in the midlands. And while it’s promising that 38 of the 100 urban councils with the most nature-deprived neighbourhoods have at least one designated Local Green Space, CPRE says that it’s a travesty that the other 62 are not taking advantage of the opportunity to protect their precious green spaces.