New research covered in a recent report highlights stark inequalities across England regarding access to nature-rich places and the health, wellbeing, and economic benefits they provide. The study, published on 4 June, found that England's poorest areas face the deepest cuts to green space under planning law changes.
Key Findings
The research reveals that if you live in the poorest places in England, you are likely to have less or no access to nature, and this situation is set to worsen due to government policy changes.
Professor's Own Research
Prof Kathy Willis from the University of Oxford conducted her own study, examining changes to green spaces from 2020 to 2025 in the most and least deprived areas of six cities. The results were alarming: not a single example was found where the poorest places gained as much or more accessible green space than the wealthiest. In fact, in Leicester and Leeds, the wealthiest two deciles gained 10% more green space than the poorest two during this period.
Call for Action
Prof Willis warns that stripping away access to nature-rich green spaces will risk the health of 1.4 million children. She argues that what is needed are planning laws, not just unenforceable guidance, that bring nature back to where the need and economic impact are greatest.
“This cannot be what the government wants: less health-giving, pride-in-place-boosting nature in the areas that need it the most,” she said.
