Green spaces | LocalGov


Councils could be forbidden from using destructive pesticides in parks 25/04/2025 MPs will today debate a proposal that could see the use of 'toxic' weedkillers by councils banned.
Council green lights Spurs park plans 13/02/2025 Enfield councillors have approved an application from Tottenham Hotspur for a new women’s training facility in a public park.
Gardeners face eviction from 100-year-old allotment 14/10/2024 More than 60 gardeners are facing eviction from land in Somerset that has been an allotment site for over 100 years.
APSE: Parks under threat from cuts 14/10/2024 Parks and green spaces across the country are under threat from council funding cuts, the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) has warned.
Councils invited to bid for nature funding 02/10/2024 Local authorities across the UK have been invited to apply for grants to improve access to nature and green spaces in urban areas.
Council loses £600k buying back land it sold ‘wrongly’ 02/05/2024 Shrewsbury Town Council has spent £1.34m buying back land it had ‘wrongly’ deemed ‘surplus to requirements’.
Green Liverpool projects win European funding 08/04/2024 Greening projects designed to complement new active travel routes in Liverpool will be funded by a European climate grant worth almost £80,000.
Two-thirds of councils to cut neighbourhood services 27/02/2024 Community services will have to be ‘drastically scaled back’ or cut altogether without further funding for councils, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.
Brighton U-turns on pesticide use 25/01/2024 The use of a controversial pesticide will be reintroduced by Brighton and Hove City Council less than five years after it pledged to become ‘pesticide free’.
City Hall to decide on Wimbledon expansion plans 23/01/2024 The Mayor of London’s office has called in a controversial planning application to expand Wimbledon’s tennis grounds.
London council launches green investment scheme 17/11/2023 Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council is inviting residents and businesses to invest in green projects across the borough.
‘Strong correlation’ between poverty and shortage of green space 16/10/2023 There is a ‘strong correlation’ between deprivation and a lack of green space, a new report into Local Green Spaces (LGS) has found.
Recycled soil used to create Liverpool’s largest park 08/08/2023 Liverpool City Council has used recycled soil from a former landfill site to create one of the largest transformed urban green spaces in England.
Council ‘disappointed’ by planning decision 06/06/2023 Wiltshire Council has said it is ‘disappointed’ at the Planning Inspectorate’s decision to override the council's rejection of a planning application.
Leicestershire hits 250,000 tree planting milestone 02/06/2023 An environment plan in Leicestershire has reached a milestone with 250,000 trees now planted throughout the county.
Council unveils plans to make Carlisle ‘more vibrant’ 01/06/2023 Cumberland Council has unveiled plans to make Carlisle city centre ‘more vibrant and welcoming’.
Why green belt expansion requires a strategic review 25/05/2023 Ian Barnett, national land director, Leaders Romans Group (LRG) argues that a strategic approach can expand the green belt and deliver more houses.
Green belt building could deliver 150,000 new homes 25/05/2023 Plans by the Labour Party to allow building on green belt land could result in more than 150,000 new homes, analysis has suggested.
Toxic ‘chemical cocktails’ discovered in rivers 24/05/2023 A toxic concoction of ‘chemical cocktails’ have been detected at over 1,600 river and other freshwater sites across England, wildlife charities have found.
Boosting urban biodiversity with new innovations in green infrastructure 24/04/2023 Cities play a critical role in addressing biodiversity loss. Alexander Ilsink, Mobilane, looks at how to maximise the potential of green infrastructure.
Council and HS2 at loggerheads over tree felling 31/03/2023 Buckinghamshire council has served a tree preservation order on HS2 Ltd after discovering that the company was cutting down trees in a SSSI.
Council seeks legal advice after minister green lights solar farm 29/03/2023 Telford & Wrekin Council is taking ‘urgent legal advice’ over the Government’s decision to allow a new solar farm to go-ahead despite local opposition.
Green gatekeepers: How local authorities are creating sustainable cities 14/11/2022 Steve McIntyre outlines how local authorities are leading the green charge to welcome nature back into cities.
Cities require urgent rethink, study says 18/10/2022 Britain’s cities require urgent transformation, including more green spaces and public transport, if the country is to meet its net zero targets, study says.
Government urged to reform Green Belt policy 16/09/2022 The Government has been urged to reform the Green Belt policy as new figures reveal there has been an increase in protected green areas.
Council wins High Court case to protect ‘green spaces’ 02/08/2022 Worthing Borough Council has welcomed a decision by the High Court to rule against plans to build 475 homes, which it argues would spoil its ‘green spaces’.
One in five children at risk of obesity 19/05/2022 Government should help provide more affordable leisure opportunities, council chiefs say as study reveals children are not getting enough exercise.
Green space provision should be central to levelling up, charity says 18/05/2022 The amount of green space per person is lower in areas that the Government is targeting as part of the levelling up agenda than it is elsewhere, study reveals.
Mental health impacted by decline in green space 05/05/2022 Green space provision around housing developments has dramatically declined over the last century with negative consequences for mental health, research finds.
Green spaces provide £25.6bn of ‘welfare value’ every year, study finds 04/05/2022 A new study has shown that parks and green spaces in England and Wales provide adults with £25.6bn of ‘welfare value’ each year.
Why local authorities need to re-think the role of urban farming in their planning 07/04/2022 New evidence from urban areas has shown that any space used for growing food provides all kinds of benefits to the eco-system and people's health. Dr Dan Evans reports.
Council wins planning case against unauthorised caravan site 06/04/2022 Cheshire East Council has won a planning appeal in the case of an unauthorised caravan site set up on green belt land.
Government proposes new targets to protect environment 17/03/2022 New legal targets on air quality, nutrient pollution and water quality have been proposed by the Government as part of its Environment Act.
The greenfield / brownfield debate 20/12/2021 David Churchill, partner, Carter Jonas London examines the ongoing greenfield / brownfield debate.
Over 20,000 green spaces on ‘endangered list’ 17/11/2021 Over 20,000 parks and green spaces are at risk of being lost to building development, a charity has warned.
Record number of parks achieve Green Flag Award 14/10/2021 Over 2,000 parks and green spaces across the UK have received a Green Flag Award for 2021.
Young people urged to 'reclaim' their parks 09/09/2021 Young people often feel unwelcome in parks and other green spaces, a charity has warned.
Study warns of 'dramatic' increase in Japanese Knotweed cases 06/09/2021 The number of confirmed Japanese Knotweed cases in the UK have increased by 28% over the last five years , a new study has revealed.
Public call on councils to do more to protect the natural environment 19/07/2021 Only a third of the UK public think local government is doing enough to protect and enhance the natural environment, a report has revealed today.
Calls to invest £1bn a year in wild spaces to boost public’s health 04/06/2021 A new report has called for an urgent £1bn per year funding package to restore nature at scale.
Green space 'not equally accessible to all' index reveals 27/05/2021 The most deprived communities tend to have the less access to green spaces, an annual report has found.
Landowner sentenced to jail for siting caravans on greenbelt 06/05/2021 A landowner has been given a suspended jail sentence by the High Court after siting caravans on greenbelt land in Cheshire East.
Private outdoor space for public housing: how much is enough? 23/03/2021 Recommendations for private outdoor space standards for public housing could help local authorities optimise those benefits for residents. Paul Miller reports.
Liverpool parks to be protected 'forever' 19/03/2021 Liverpool City Council has become the first local authority to legally protect the future of its parks and green spaces.
Coalition publishes new vision for planning reforms 15/01/2021 The Government has been urged to rethink its ‘damaging’ reforms to the planning system and put people, climate and nature at its heart by a coalition of 18 organisations.
Record number of spaces achieve Green Flag Awards 14/10/2020 A record number of parks and green spaces have been recognised in this year's Green Flag Awards.
Call for £5.5bn to level up access to urban green spaces 07/07/2020 The prime minister has been urged to invest £5.5bn to 'level up' access to urban green spaces by a coalition of councils, city leaders and charities.
Parks are a 'smart investment' argues new report 24/06/2020 Parks save the health service over £2bn a year making them a ‘smart investment’, according to the Parks Alliance (TPA).
Think tank calls for £100bn investment in the North's nature 01/06/2020 The Government has been urged by a think tank to invest up to £100bn over the next 25 years to create a plan for nature in the North of England.
Public parks at 'significant' risk of loss, charity warns 28/05/2020 Hundreds of thousands of people could lose their local green space in the coming years due to development, research has warned today.
Council mows grass in two metre 'channels' to promote social distancing 14/05/2020 Birmingham City Council has come up with an unusual way to remind people to obey social distancing rules, by mowing two metre strips into its parks and green spaces.
Walkers urged to find 'missing' paths before 2026 deadline 11/02/2020 There are around 10,000 miles of historic paths missing from the map in England and Wales, according to a walking charity.
From grey to green: The role of SuDS in Britain's green spaces 31/01/2020 Ian Geeson describes why green spaces are a key element of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and the role they play in helping Britain to avoid flooding.
Joint venture unlocks ‘biggest brownfield’ site in the Black Country 21/10/2019 Industrial land in Sandwell is set to be the site of a 750-home community after a deal was struck by the council and the West Midlands Combined Authority.
Only 10% of recent homes built on the Green Belt are 'affordable' 14/10/2019 Only one in ten homes built on land released from the Green Belt over the past decade are considered ‘affordable’, a new report has found.
Councils urged to only cut road verges twice a year 27/09/2019 Road verges should only be cut two times a year in order to protect wild flowers and wildlife, new guidelines have recommended.
New financial model needed for national parks, review says 23/09/2019 A review of the way in which green spaces are managed could see more affordable housing built in rural areas and the introduction of a new financial model for national parks.
Building on 'brownfield' sites at five-year low 03/06/2019 Construction on derelict land has fallen to a five-year low while development in countryside areas has increased, according to the latest figures.
Parks in danger of being sold, campaigners warn 23/05/2019 Campaigners are calling on local government and landowners to legally protect the parks and green spaces they own.
To what extent is the environment shaping national politics? 15/05/2019 Erica Popplewell explores what the local election results can tell us about concerns for the countryside and environment.
Play as a powerful motivator 26/04/2019 Beth Cooper explores the value of play and green places in preserving the nation’s health.
Brokenshire announces £13m of ‘much-needed’ park funding 18/02/2019 Councils across the country are to benefit from a multi-million pound funding boost to ‘breathe new life’ into green spaces.
Only a week left to enter Street Design Awards 14/02/2019 The Street Design Awards, celebrating innovation and best practice in street design schemes, have been relaunched by Local Government News magazine.
Majority supports new housing but only on brownfield sites, survey finds 01/02/2019 New research shows that the majority of people support the building of new homes but oppose developments being located on green field sites.
Councils release record 10,000 hectares of green belt for housing 05/10/2018 Record amounts of green belt land have been released for housing, according to environmenal campaigners.
Nearly half a million new homes to be built on Green Belt land, campaigners say 06/08/2018 Nearly half a million new homes are set to be built on land that will soon be released from the Green Belt, study shows.
Nearly 2,000 green spaces celebrated in Green Flag Awards 17/07/2018 From traditional parks to burial sites, a record number of green spaces have been awarded a Green Flag this year.
Green spaces are being lost to housing at ‘alarming rate’, campaigners say 04/06/2018 The Government’s ‘market-driven rhetoric’ is leading to the countryside being lost to housing at an ‘alarming rate’, campaigners warn.
Parks provide over £34bn of health benefits, report says 08/05/2018 Parks and green spaces across the UK provide people with over £34bn of health and wellbeing benefits, report says.
Campaigners reveal enough brownfield sites for one million homes 12/02/2018 Local authorities have identified enough brownfield land for over one million new homes, research reveals.
Japanese knotweed: New advice to tackle a growing problem 05/02/2018 Conor Leyden explains why new guidance can help councils to understand the issues surrounding the management of Japanese knotweed.
Council agrees to place parks in charitable trust 11/01/2018 Knowsley has agreed to establish a charitable trust to manage the borough’s green spaces after the scrutiny committee requested the decision be put on hold.
Why planning policy should be a part of the welfare state 21/12/2017 Localis' Jack Airey looks at how green belts can be made to serve the public interest through the creation of 'yellowfield registers' by councils.
Mayor Khan pledges to restrict building on Green Belt land 27/11/2017 Sadiq Khan has pledged to protect ‘the lungs of the capital’ as he sets out new plans to strengthen safeguards for the Green Belt.
Liverpool approves plans to hand parks contract to council company 27/10/2017 Liverpool City Council has approved plans to award its parks and green spaces maintenance contract to Liverpool Street Scene Services Limited.
Council-owned company set to take over maintenance of Liverpool’s green spaces 20/10/2017 The contract to maintain Liverpool’s green spaces is to be handed to a council-owned company which operates the refuse, recycling and street cleansing service.
Councils clash over green belt development proposals 06/10/2017 South Bucks council has criticised their southern neighbours in Slough for publishing proposals to build on green belt land within the former’s boundary.
Green belt should be developed to meet housing needs, say real estate experts 04/10/2017 Releasing green belt land for development is necessary to meet housing needs, real estate adviser argues.
Councils support parks research despite funding pressures 19/09/2017 Council chiefs have thrown their support behind a new Government-created group looking into the future of parks despite funding pressures.
£30m green belt garden given go ahead 13/06/2017 Salford’s £30m ‘historic’ garden has been given the go ahead by the Government after concerns were raised about locating it on the green belt.
Housing minister gives green light to controversial local plan 30/03/2017 The housing minister has given Bradford’s local plan the go ahead after a delay caused by concerns regarding Green Belt boundaries.
Green spaces can save NHS money, report claims 02/02/2017 Green spaces can help reduce costs for public services such as the NHS, report claims.
Challenging the false dichotomy between conservation and development 13/01/2017 Should councils take a more strategic approach to developing sections of Green Belt land in order to fund nature conservation? William Eichler investigates.
Controversial Birmingham development plan to go ahead 25/11/2016 Whitehall has given the go-ahead to Birmingham’s plans to build thousands of homes on green belt land in order to address the city’s ‘acute’ housing shortage.
London’s Green Belt under ‘greater threat than ever’ 12/09/2016 London’s Green Belt is under ‘greater threat than ever’ despite Tory manifesto promises it would be ‘safe under us’.
Councils must treat planning applications for Green Belt ‘consistently’ 14/07/2016 Councils must apply planning rules properly when considering applications for building on the Green Belt, the Local Government Ombudsman has warned.
Minister outlines how satellite data is transforming environmental protection 03/02/2016 Satellite data is now being used to protect and improve the UK’s natural environment.
Manhattan-style ‘pocket parks’ to be created in UK towns and cities 09/11/2015 England’s ‘unloved spaces’ will be transformed into Manhattan-style ‘pocket parks’, according to new proposals.
Report: Link stamp duty to energy efficiency 23/09/2015 Stamp duty should be used to ‘re-energise the energy efficiency market’ by linking it with performance and handing the proceeds to city-regions to fund incentives, according to a new report.
Record numbers waving the Green Flag 23/07/2015 A record number of parks and green spaces have been given the Green Flag Award this year, partly due to the scheme’s expansion into new territory.
Battle lines drawn over All Weather Pitch reclamation 23/07/2015 A war of words has broken out between companies specialising in the recycling and reclamation of All Weather Pitches. Ken Oxley reports.
Urban beauty is being restricted to the rich says think tank 23/07/2015 Green spaces and beautiful urban surroundings are the realms of the wealthy, a report by the independent think tank ResPublica reveals.