Parks are health ‘asset’ to communities, charity says

Green spaces should not be viewed as a burden by local authorities, charity says as it launches a new green space map.

The charity Fields in Trust, which is dedicated to defending recreational spaces, has conducted research which suggests a positive association and significant link between green space exposure and health and well-being.

Ahead of The Future of Public Parks: Policy, Practice and Research conference, the charity has also launched an Ordnance Survey green space map to monitor the pressure of development on green spaces.

The communities and local government (CLG) committee recommended that more work was needed to specify the real value of the contribution of green spaces to wider public agendas in 2016.

In response, Fields in Trust commissioned Jump X Simetrica, a group which carries out social cost-benefit analyses, to calculate the social value of perks.

Helen Griffiths, chief executive of Fields in Trust, said: “Research helps us understand how a local park can contribute to its neighbourhood but the real value of a green space is determined by the local community who use it for play, sport and recreation. Each of the thousands of parks playing fields and playgrounds across the UK is valuable to the neighbourhood that it serves. Fields in Trust believe we should re-value our green spaces as resources which contribute to public health, mental wellbeing and community cohesion, not simply view them as a drain on council finances for upkeep.”

A new map of green spaces launched by Ordnance Survey, which will be published soon, is part of the greenspace mapping project which is funded by Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and provides the public with information on the location and extent of greenspaces up and down the country. Greenspaces on the map include local parks, play areas, sports pitches and allotments.

Jo Johnson, Universities and Science Minister, said: "Greenspaces are a vital part of our landscape and this new database and online map will make it easier for people across the country to access local parks and lead healthier lives. With the completion of this mapping project, we have delivered on an important commitment and shown yet again how innovation can improve everyday lives."