1 in 8 of our homes don’t have a garden
But most of us live just a short stroll from a park
WE may have a reputation as a green-fingered nation, but a surprisingly high number of us do not have a garden.
One in eight of Britain’s homes has no access to outdoor space, according to a survey by the Office for National Statistics.
And, less surprisingly, it found that those with the smallest backyards live in London.
One in five households there do not have a garden – although almost all live near a park, providing at least somewhere for them to enjoy the fresh air during lockdown.
The largest gardens are to be found in the wide open spaces of the Western Isles.
In England, black residents are nearly four times more likely than whites to have no access to outdoor space – even a balcony – the ONS survey found. But they are almost as likely to say they have a park or green space within easy walking distance – 86 per cent to 88 per cent.
Those in semi-skilled and unskilled manual occupations, casual workers and the unemployed are almost three times as likely to be without a garden as those in managerial, administrative, professional occupations – 20 per cent compared with 7 per cent.
Older people, who are at greater risk of severe illness from Covid-19 and thus have been advised to stay at home as much as possible, are, fortunately, among those most likely to have access to a garden.
Just 8 per cent of those aged 65 and over live without access to any kind of private outdoor space. In London, 21 per cent of residents do not have a garden or shared outdoor space – but those living in the capital are most likely to have a park close by. More than a quarter of households in Britain live within five minutes of a green space, with 72 per cent able to reach their nearest public park within 15 minutes.
Gardens in London are 26 per cent smaller than the national average at 140 square metres, about 1,500 sq ft or just over half the size of a tennis court. This compares with the roughly 2,000 sq ft average in Britain.
The City of London had the smallest average gardens, at 16 sq m, compared with 727 sq m in Na h-Eileanan Siar – the Outer Hebrides – which with 21,000 voters is the British parliamentary constituency with the smallest electorate.