Published Article

HeadlineLondoners are short-changed on green spaces, charity warns

Short HeadlineCharity warns over lack of green space in London

StandfirstFields in Trust have put together a 'green space index', and London falls below the minimum level of protected land.

There are not enough legally protected green spaces in London, according to charity Fields in Trust.

The charity use ordnance survey data to judge how many parks are available to people around the UK.

They found that 2.5 million people in Britain live more than a ten minute walk away from a green space and only 6% of the parks in Britain are legally protected through Fields in Trust.

The amount of protected green space in London falls below the minimum recommended by the charity, and disadvantaged communities suffer most from a lack of parks.

The organisation warns that new developments could replace unprotected spaces, especially given financial pressures on councils.

Angela Lewis, Fields in Trust’s head of programmes, says:

“There is an urgent need to ensure the current level of park and green space provision is maintained. And to review what more can be done to legally protect them for future generations to enjoy.”

But the government says it will try not to let green spaces diminish further.

A representative from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government say: “Our revised national planning policy framework lets communities protect parks in their area.”