Countryside charity calls on government and local authorities to step up support for local green space
The countryside charity CPRE is calling on the government and local authorities to step up their support for local green spaces and promote the policy that allows local people to protect places of special value to the community.
The call comes as new CPRE research reveals that 6,515 Local Green Spaces have been designated in the decade since the policy was introduction. The majority of these spaces are not open countryside, but the small, undeveloped patches that provide millions of people with a daily dose of nature.
In addition, CPRE’s analysis estimates that more than 80% of Local Green Spaces have been designated partly for their recreational value.
The data shows the north of England has half as many designated Local Green Spaces as the south, and third of those found in the midlands.
CPRE chief executive, Crispin Truman, has set out an ambitious target for every neighbourhood to have a protected place for community wellbeing. He said: “It should be a national priority to protect our local green spaces so that everybody, no matter where they live, has access to the benefits of nature.
“We believe that bridging this ‘green space gap’ should be a matter of urgency for any government that cares about people, climate and the environment. Indeed, our report argues that broadening the use of the Local Green Space designation should be seen as a critical part of the government’s levelling up agenda.”
