‘Walking in local parks and green spaces more important than ever post lockdown’ - the Ramblers calls for everyone to have nature on their doorsteps

• COVID-19 pandemic has changed our attitude to nature with the nation now placing more importance on being able to access nature and green space where they live.
• Access to nature in the places we live is unequal with our most deprived communities less likely to live close to green spaces.
• Ramblers is calling on the government to set legally binding targets to guarantee everyone can access nature, wherever they live.

Being able to walk to and access nature and green space close to where we live is more important to us than ever following the COVID-19 lockdown. But the pandemic has also highlighted the sharp disparity between those who have easy access to green space, and those who don’t according to a new report published by the Ramblers today [17September].

While millions of us have found comfort in walking and nature during the pandemic, it’s not the same story for everyone. With one in eight households having no access to a private or shared garden¹, many people felt the lack of a park or nearby green space keenly during the restrictions of lockdown.

The Ramblers, who have a long history of campaigning to improve people’s access to the open countryside, are now turning their attention to those green spaces closer to home. So important is it to our health and quality of life, that they believe access to nature should be backed by legally binding targets, similar to those being proposed around biodiversity, air and water quality and waste reduction. Ultimately, they believe, that no one should live more than a five-minute walk from green space, and are calling for the Environment Bill to include a requirement for long-term binding targets for access to nature, to ensure everyone can enjoy the benefits of living in green and nature-filled towns and cities.

Research conducted for the Ramblers’ report The grass isn’t greener for everyone: Why access to green space matters, found that green spaces are important to almost everyone, with the top reason being that they are a good place to walk (78%) and more people planning to continue to walk more in general when restrictions have ended.

Two thirds (65%) of adults in Great Britain reported that being able to access green space in their local area has always been important to them, with an additional one in five adults (19%) saying that green space in their local area is more important to them now than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Only 57% of GB adults questioned said that they lived within five minutes’ walk of green space, be it a local park, nearby field or canal path. That figure fell to just 39% for people from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) background and 46% among all GB adults with a household income of under £15,000 (compared to 63% of those with a household income over £35,000 and 70% over £70,000).

Gemma Cantelo, Head of policy and advocacy for the Ramblers said:

“Walking in nature-filled green spaces makes us happier and healthier and during lockdown our local green spaces gave us places to walk, connect with nature, and destress. The restrictions of lockdown have made us appreciate our green spaces more than ever, and many of us plan to continue walking more in the future, for our health and wellbeing as well as to get from A to B; but not everyone experienced lockdown equally.

“We need to build on this new momentum and learn the lessons highlighted by the pandemic – people want to visit green spaces on their doorstep where they can be active and enjoy the benefits of connecting with nature. Our towns and cities should be designed to make this a reality, with nature-filled green spaces linked by safe, easy-to-follow walking routes. The Environment Bill couldn’t be more timely and the government needs to take this unique opportunity to put access to nature at the heart of it.”

Dr Anjana Khatwa, Earth Scientist and Ramblers member, said:

“I grew up in the heart of Slough and as a child my experience of nature was limited to the local park and the school playing field. Today I live in rural Dorset and walking in the landscape is an essential part of my life; it is critical to my health and wellbeing.

“Having worked in the natural heritage sector for over 20 years, I am deeply aware of the inequity of access to natural spaces for Black and Asian communities and those living in deprivation. The heavy visitation to rural and coastal spaces once lockdown was lifted, demonstrated to me that our underserved communities crave to be in spaces rich with natural capital. Imagine a world where you could leave your city centre flat and within five minutes be walking through a field of wildflowers buzzing with wildlife. This is what we are asking the Government to include in the Environment Bill. To recognise that every person, no matter where they live, has a human right to access green spaces that allows them to connect with nature and their landscape.”

An Environment Agency report published last week² also highlighted the important of linking people to nature, emphasising the importance of “strategic design and planning of communities that will enable people to live healthy, fulfilling lives, while protecting the nation’s natural environment. The economic benefits of doing so, in terms of health and social costs avoided, are enormous.” 

The Ramblers’ research also found that our local areas should be greener, and that we think more green spaces would improve our quality of life:

• only just over a third of respondents (35%) described the streets where they live as green with lots of trees and plants
• three out of five GB adults (61%) said their quality of life would be improved if there was more nature in their local area (compared to just 28% who said more pubs and entertainment venues in their local area would improve their quality of life)
• over half (54%) of adults said more green spaces near where they lived would make their quality of life better
• 62% said better maintained green spaces would improve their quality of life
• 60% thought more or better walking routes near where they live would improve their quality of life.

City-dweller Terry Vincent loves to walk surrounded by nature and explains why it’s so important to her:

“We live in a flat in a built-up area, and we’ve no private garden, but it’s still lovely because we have access to two nature reserves within a few minutes’ walk – proximity is everything when you don’t drive and there’s minimal public transport.

“It’s when I’m outdoors and away from machine noises that I feel my connection to the whole planet most. In green spaces I feel self-aware and at the same time connected to everything I’m hearing and seeing. Sometimes it’s overwhelming. On my regular short walk around the fields I can hear birds, which I think are skylarks. The very first time I heard them I got a lump in my throat, the freshness of seeing something so new, that I’d never experienced before, brought me to tears of joy. How lucky I am.”

The Ramblers report, The grass isn’t greener for everyone: Why access to green space matters, launches a new campaign calling on government to improve people’s access to nature and green space. To find out more on the, visit www.ramblers.org.uk.  

Notes to editors:

1. ONS, May 2020.

2. Environment Agency, State of the Environment: health, people and the Environment, September 2020.