With Andy Burnham, the former Mayor of Greater Manchester, officially becoming the UK Prime Minister, the industry has set out a list of priorities now that he has entered 10 Downing Street.
One of his tasks was the appointment of Dame Angela Eagle DBE MP as the Secretary of State for Environment, with a wider ministerial shake-up also likely to signal some changes for the wider industry.
Fran Barnes, Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) Chief Executive, said it looked forward to working with Andy Burnham as the new Prime Minister, as well as his Cabinet and wider government, as we face a period of both opportunity and challenge for environmental horticulture.
“The priority now must be to create the right conditions that allow British businesses to truly grow, invest and thrive,” she explained.
“As a sector worth £38 billion and supporting 722,000 jobs, taking action on the cost crisis our members have been facing into for too long is essential. The new Prime Minister and Chancellor must match their ambition for economic growth with practical actions that will give our members certainty and confidence. That means tackling rising costs, easing unnecessary regulatory burdens and creating the right environment for investment.
“Prime Minister Burnham is walking into Number 10 during a summer of extreme weather, as water companies across the country implement water restrictions that directly impact our retailers, growers, landscapers and their customers. At a time when plants, trees and green infrastructure are increasingly vital for helping communities adapt to climate change, it cannot be overstated that the businesses producing, planting and maintaining them have the water security they need. This underlines the urgent need for a national water resilience strategy, accelerated investment in new reservoirs and greater support for horticultural businesses to access the funding and planning needed to improve water storage and resilience.
“Environmental horticulture is uniquely placed to present solutions to many of the challenges the new Prime Minister faces. We create rewarding green careers that can help tackle youth unemployment, our plants and trees improve health and wellbeing, and green infrastructure is essential for building climate resilience and making our towns and cities more liveable.
“The sector and the country are at a crossroads. The decisions taken in the coming months will shape the future of both our sector and the wider economy. Once again, we congratulate Andy Burnham and look forward to working constructively with the Prime Minister and his government to unlock the full potential of British horticulture and build a positive future relationship with the sector."
The Gardens Trust has written to Andy Burnham, urging him to make one of his first key decisions as Prime Minister the protection of the historic parks and gardens, including public parks which were pioneered in Manchester.
“We have asked him to retain our role as a statutory consultee in the English planning system, following the Government’s consultation on its proposal to remove the role and instead simply notify us of planning applications within the Registered boundary of parks and gardens,” it said.
“This proposal would remove the protection for setting of historic parks and gardens, which is key to the significance and enjoyment of these special places.
“The Gardens Trust supports the drive for new housing, but this needs to be delivered with expert advice making sure that historic green space is available to support the new communities. Removing our statutory consultee role would put the nation’s green space treasure of parks and gardens, created and enjoyed over hundreds of years, at immediate risk of destruction through poorly-informed development.”
Meanwhile, the play industry has published an open letter to the new PM urging him to “continue what he started” 18 years ago.
“In 2008, you quite literally swung into action at an adventure playground to launch England’s first and only National Play Strategy,” the letter states.
“Backed by £235 million, the strategy set out what kind of country England wanted to be for its children. It promised thousands of new and improved play spaces, investment in adventure playgrounds and playworkers, and a stronger place for children in planning, schools, housing and public space.
“At its heart was something simple but important: children need time, space, opportunity and freedom to play.
“Eighteen years have now passed since the strategy was launched. That’s an entire childhood, from birth to adulthood, without a national commitment to play.
“Since then, hundreds of playgrounds have closed. Adventure playgrounds and play services have disappeared. Traffic, shrinking public space, risk aversion and the rise of a phone-based childhood have steadily reduced children’s freedom and independence.
“Children are spending less time outside, less time with friends and less time playing. Government is rightly acting to protect children from addictive social media. But reducing a phone-based childhood is only half the answer.
“We must also restore the conditions for a play-based childhood. Children need places to go, friends to meet, things to make, risks to judge and communities in which they feel accepted and welcome. They need the freedom to experience childhood, like we did.”
