Index highlights importance of parks and green spaces

The latest Green Space Index has highlighted the need to revalue local parks and green spaces and protect them in perpetuity to ensure we never lose these cherished community assets.

Despite local green spaces being of such value to us during lockdown, the 2020 release of the Green Space Index, produced by Fields in Trust, finds that 2.7 million people across Great Britain do not have access to such a space within a ten-minute walk of where they live. In fact, the charity estimates that this figure could rise by a further 170,000 people in the next five years, as a result of changes in population alone.

Acting as an annual barometer of publicly accessible park and green space provision, the Green Space Index also found that there are 215,194 hectares of provision across Britain, but that only 5.9 per cent of this is legally protected with Fields in Trust.

Five English regions fall below a minimum standard of green space provision, as measured by our GSI Score, with a further two only just at the benchmark. Whilst Scotland and Wales both exceed the standard, changes in population will bring them closer to the minimum over the coming two decades.

Across Britain there is 32.94 sqm of provision per person but the Green Space Index finds that there is not equitable distribution of such spaces. Whilst those in Scotland enjoy 43.48 sqm of provision per person, Londoners have just 18.96 sqm available. In recent figures released by the ONS, London residents were also found to be the least likely to have access to a garden. And Fields in trust believes that the situation is likely to get worse.

Over the next two decades green space provision per person across Britain could reduce by 7.6 per cent, which is the equivalent of almost 20,000 football pitches worth of green space - solely as a result of changes in population. Any further loss of green space to development would further exacerbate this reduction.

Previous Revaluing Parks and Green Spaces research valued the physical health and mental wellbeing benefits for communities at more than £34 billion each year. It also found regular users of parks have fewer visits to their GP resulting in a saving to the NHS alone of £111 million every year; the equivalent of 3,500 nurses' salaries.

Fields in trust is now calling on the government to ensure the protection and provision of parks and green spaces for community well-being.

Helen Griffiths, Fields in Trust chief executive, said: "Parks and green spaces play a vital role in people's health and well-being, and these benefits have been shown even more starkly during the really difficult times our country has faced in recent months. Our local parks and green spaces have been crucial during the crisis and they will have a significant part to play in our recovery.

"Yet our research shows that over 2.7 million people don't have a park within a short walk of home and this number is forecast to grow over the coming years. This doesn't have to be the case and that's why we're calling for a national strategy to recognise their value by ensuring access to parks and green spaces is guaranteed both now and in the future in areas where they are most needed.”