Ten year multi million pound scheme to create accessible green spaces
Bringing nature to towns and cities across the UK is the key goal of a new scheme announced this week.
Nature Towns and Cities is a coalition of organisations which aim to help ‘everybody to experience nature in their daily lives, particularly those places and communities currently lacking access to quality green space.’
The project was announced by Natural England, National Trust and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Its goal is to help at least 100 places across the UK to become greener, healthier, happier places for people to live and work.
Organisers say that across these 100 towns and cities at least five million more people will gain access to green space within a short walk from their homes.
It’s envisaged one million children will have the opportunity to play outdoors in nature every day. Thousands of existing green spaces will also be improved for communities and wildlife.
‘I am delighted to announce an investment of £15.5 million which will help 40 towns and cities across the UK better plan their urban nature recovery, connecting people and communities to their natural environment in the places they live,’ says Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
‘We have invested over £1bn in regenerating over 900 urban parks and green spaces over the last 30 years, helping nature thrive in towns everywhere – and this exciting initiative, working with partners right across the UK, will continue to build on this investment and give millions of people better access to nature close to home.’
‘Making better places for people to live, work and invest’
Kickstarting the programme, 40 towns and cities will receive grants from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Communities benefitting will extend from Portsmouth to Bradford in England, to Fife in Scotland, Torfaen in Wales and Belfast in Northern Ireland.
Organisers say these places have been selected following a rigorous application and assessment process which started last autumn, with work now able to get underway to deliver those plans for people and nature.
The funding will help these places co-design plans with their partners and communities to improve the provision, quality and connectivity of green spaces and nature.
These plans could include improving existing parks and green spaces, planting new wildflower meadows, creating new pocket parks and planting more street trees to benefit all those that live there.
‘Nature helps us to improve our mental and physical wellbeing, mitigate the impacts of climate change and drive green growth through the creation of spaces for people to connect with nature, making better places for people to live, work and invest,’ says Marian Spain from Natural England.
‘Yet for millions of people in urban areas there is no green space within a 15-minute walk of their home.’
‘Natural England research shows the stark inequalities of access to nature for people in disadvantaged urban communities.’
‘We are proud to be part of the Nature Towns and Cities project, helping millions of people enjoy nature and inspire communities to take part in nature recovery.’
Fife is set to become one of 40 towns and cities to benefit from the scheme. Image: George Baliasov / Shutterstock.
‘We aim to help nature, beauty and history spring to life’
‘The National Trust believes that everyone, everywhere should have easy and local access to nature and green spaces,’ says Hilary McGrady, Director General at The National Trust
‘So when 85% of the UK population lives in built up urban areas, it is our duty to reach them, uphold our values and make sure nature is for all.’
‘Together with close partners, we are launching Nature Towns and Cities, an exciting new programme that will accelerate access to nature for one in six people living in over 100 towns and cities across the UK, from Belfast in Northern Ireland to Portsmouth in England.’
‘The programme aligns closely to our 10 year aim to end unequal access. By prioritising areas in the greatest need, we aim to help nature, beauty and history spring to life in some of the most nature-deprived places in the country.’
‘This necessary and targeted support combined with community outreach and excellent resources, will enrich places with green space and contribute to the healthy mind, body and future that people need.’
Following the announcement, Birmingham was declared the UK’s first official Nature City. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole collectively named the first Nature Towns.
The designation recognises the local authorities’ commitment with their partners in those places to transform life for urban communities by providing more and better nature and green space.
Hilary McGrady, Director-General of The National Trust, at Osterley Park and House, Middlesex. Image: © Megan Taylor, National Trust Images.
‘We can achieve more and make a real difference’
‘I am delighted that Torfaen has been awarded funding from Nature Towns and Cities,’ explains Cllr. Anthony Hunt, Leader of Torfaen County Borough Council in southeast Wales.
‘We want nature to flourish in Torfaen and for more people to experience its many health and well-being benefits.’
‘The funding will enable us to work with our communities and partners in new and innovative ways, so that together we can achieve more and make a real difference to nature recovery and keeping our communities healthy.’
Birmingham’s commitment to place nature at the centre of everyday life is set out in its ambitious City of Nature plan, with the idea that access to nature is a right and not a privilege at its heart.
It’s envisaged that Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council will work hand-in-hand with partners to build on their work to bring nature to the heart of communities.
‘Through our 25-year City of Nature Plan, we’ve laid out a robust framework for transforming how nature is valued and integrated across Birmingham,’ says Cllr. Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for environment and transport at Birmingham City Council.
‘We’re really leading the way in creating and recovering urban nature and are one of the greenest cities in Europe.’
‘One of our focus areas is the River Cole corridor in the heart of East Birmingham, where we aim to improve access to nature for thousands of residents, restoring habitats, enhancing traffic free routes, and creating new spaces for people to connect with the outdoors.’
‘It is so important that we protect them for future generations’
Both Birmingham and BCP Councils received grant funding and support in 2019 from National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Trust, as part of Future Parks Accelerator, a precursor programme to Nature Towns and Cities.
‘It is fantastic to see our ambitions and innovation recognised at a national level – particularly as we continue to invest in improving access to nature for all our residents – and receiving this recognition will help us to do just that,’ says Cllr Andy Hadley, portfolio holder for climate response, energy and environment at BCP Council.
‘We have incredible green spaces across our three towns and it is so important that we protect them for future generations.’
‘Our parks operations and countryside teams work brilliantly to maintain and restore our vast natural spaces and this accreditation is a well-deserved recognition of that.’
Organisers say the support announced will provide the ‘proven benefits of spending time every day in nature to over 10 million people; one in six of those living in urban places.’
Nature Towns and Cities also unveiled a new target to drive £1 billion of investment into greening towns and cities by 2035. It’s expected that the money will come from private, philanthropic and public sources.
Breaktime News recently reported on more than £20 million being invested into green spaces. The cash injection is coming from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
