Two separate Select Committee Inquiries have recently focused on the role of parks and green spaces in the built environment.
The evidence put forward about the positive impact that parks and green spaces have on society was overwhelming – especially for children’s future health.
Over the past few months, Fields in Trust joined forces with Playing Out, researcher Tim Gill, and the Director of ZCD Architects, Dinah Bornat, to raise the profile of how better planning, building and urban design can enhance the health and wellbeing of children and young people – resulting in the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Select Committee calling an inquiry.
“When the Inquiry was launched, there was a familiar refrain in many of the 100 or so written submissions: children have less recognition in the planning process than bats and newts,” said Helen Griffiths, Fields in Trust's Chief Executive. “The bats and newts have better PR people - obviously.
“Sitting on the panel giving evidence alongside like-minded colleagues, it was apparent the Committee was completely unaware of the extent of the problem. So, we ask, what key actions could Government take to redress the imbalance?
“The environment we live in, and particularly access to green space, has a major effect on us. This is even more prevalent for a child when it comes to their brain development, dictating their health later in life.
“Making sure that children have accessible places to play is crucial to improve on the mere 21% who meet the daily physical activity target, especially for the 1 in 8 households in the UK in areas that don’t have access to a private garden.”
Despite making up around 20% of the population, young people are routinely left out of discussions about the future of their neighbourhoods. Few practitioners are leading the way to do things differently.
The recent Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select (EFRA) Select Committee evidence session on Urban Green Spaces was another important opportunity to flag to Government the disparity in green space provision - particularly in areas of deprivation - and the failures in the current system to protect the future of these valuable spaces for everyone.
A progress report just published by The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) makes it clear that the Government is largely off track to meet its environmental ambitions and legal obligations.
“The job of Select Committee inquiries is to find out more about the situation on the ground and to come up with recommendations to put to Ministers and hold them to account,” she said. “The scientific evidence is indisputable and yet just these recent discussions alone demonstrate how disjointed the Planning System is on these interrelated issues.
“There is little evidence so far of coherent leadership on parks and green spaces but if it continues to fall between government departments - it will continue to impact on any progress in this space. It’s time, now more than ever, to take parks and play seriously.”
This is an extract from a blog posted by Helen Griffiths on the Fields in Trust's website – the full post can be found here.
