Park cuts are a threat to health

DEAR Editor, We are concerned that the proposed 20 per cent cut to the parks and nature conservation budget for Birmingham City Council will damage our communities, increase the need for future spending on health and reduce investment in our city in addition to the inevitable decline in the quality of our green spaces for people and reduced habitat for wildlife.

The natural world is more fundamental to our health, wealth and happiness than the economy.

It is the world that sustains us, and upon which all economic activity depends. At present, this contribution is neither recognised nor valued by our economic structures leading to short sighted, comparmentalised thinking.

The natural environment drives investment. The value of any property you can think of will increase when close to a park, lake or natural landscape.

The parks and green infrastructure of our city provide spaces for physical activity, communities to come together, children to play, carbon sequestration, flood alleviation and a contribution to improved air quality. Healthy, happy and engaged communities rely on a healthy environment. As Dr William Bird, CEO and founder of Intelligent Health, has stated: “Simply looking [at] a tree is good for us.”

It is fundamental to the sustainable economic growth of Birmingham that these green spaces are managed. This costs money. The city benefits from many thousands