Charity’s Election plea to save our parks

MORE than 90 percent of Britain's parks and play areas have no legal protection to stop them being targeted by housing developers, a charity has warned.

Fields In Trust, which campaigns to save parks, last night issued a rallying cry to General Election candidates, urging them to sign a pledge to safeguard green spaces across the country.

Britain has t he equivalent of 324,000 football pitches of public parks and green spaces, but less than six per cent has been granted legal protection to prevent it being built on.

The Mail on Sunday’ s Save Our Parks campaign has revealed how playgrounds are closing at the rate of nearly two a week as they fall victim to neglect, vandalism and property developers, and as cash-strapped councils sell off huge swathes of land to property firms.

Fields In Trust, which counts Prince William as its president, has warned that a staggering 2.6 million people across Britain now live more than a ten- minute walk from a park or green space.

Research has revealed that parks save the National Health Service £111 million each year through the health benefits they bring, from increased levels of exercise to the mental health boost of simply enjoying nature.

Fields In Trust chief executive Helen Griffiths said: ‘There is overwhelming evidence that parks and green spaces contribute health and wellbeing benefits to our communities. We are calling on Election candidates to advocate policies that protect and support parks, and endorse local efforts to help maintain and improve the green spaces in their constituencies.

‘There is an urgent need to ensure the current level of park and green space provision is maintained, and to review what more can be done to legally protect vulnerable spaces for future generations to enjoy.’

Ministers recently unveiled plans to help create more ‘pocket parks’ by reviving rundown green areas and transforming neglected or derelict urban spaces.

The scheme was launched in response to this newspaper’s campaign, which called on the Government to invest in green spaces after years of cutbacks.

Earlier this year, our campaign scored a double victory after two local authorities – in Essex and Devon – scrapped their plans to axe green spaces.

•Voters can ask their local candidates about their approach to parks and green spaces, and encourage them to sign the pledge, at fieldsintrust.org/pledge.