Forty towns and cities across the UK will share £15.5 million in funding to create and improve green spaces as part of a major new initiative. The investment aims to boost nature access for millions of people by 2035, with priority given to areas that currently have the least green space.
The Nature Towns and Cities programme has been launched by a coalition including Natural England, the National Trust and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Portsmouth, Bradford, Fife, Torfaen in Wales and Belfast are among the first areas selected for funding following an application process that began last autumn.
Transforming urban landscapes nationwide
The money will help local authorities work with communities to design plans for better green spaces and nature connectivity. Projects could include improving existing parks, planting new wildflower meadows, creating pocket parks and adding more street trees to urban areas.
This initial funding forms part of wider ambitions to mobilise £1 billion of investment into greening 100 towns and cities over the next decade. The money will come from private, philanthropic and public sources as the initiative expands.
Addressing nature poverty crisis
Eilish McGuinness, chief executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said the investment would help communities "better plan their urban nature recovery, connecting people and communities to their natural environment in the places they live". The fund has already invested over £1 billion in regenerating more than 900 urban parks and green spaces over three decades.
Marian Spain, chief executive of Natural England, highlighted the scale of the challenge facing urban communities. "For millions of people in urban areas there is no green space within a 15-minute walk of their home," she said, adding that nature helps improve mental and physical wellbeing whilst mitigating climate change impacts.
First official designations announced
Birmingham has been declared the UK's first official "Nature City", whilst Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole have collectively been named the first "Nature Towns". The coalition said these designations recognise the local authorities' commitment to transforming urban communities through better nature and green space provision.
Anthony Hunt, leader of Torfaen County Borough Council in south-east Wales, said the funding would enable new approaches to community partnership working. "We want nature to flourish in Torfaen and for more people to experience its many health and well-being benefits," he said.
The initiative will be supported across the devolved nations through Natural Resources Wales, Northern Ireland Environment Agency and NatureScot. Hilary McGrady, director general at the National Trust, said the programme would help "nature, beauty and history spring to life in some of the most nature-deprived places in the country".
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
