Alliance sets out business case for parks

Parks in England are a ‘smart investment’ and deliver more than £6.6bn of benefits each year, according to a new study.

The Making Parks Count report by the Parks Alliance claims that for every £1 spent on parks in England an estimated £7 in additional value for health and wellbeing and the environment is generated.

The case clearly demonstrates that parks are a smart investment, according to the group.

Unfortunately, because these returns have never been properly understood, parks have suffered from years of underfunding and there remain gross inequalities in access to quality green spaces across the country.

And although finalised just before the pandemic struck, the report underlines how parks are uniquely placed to tackle these 21st century challenges and provide a significant return for any investment made to kick start the economy post COVID19 or as part of a comprehensive green recovery.

‘Making Parks Count makes the case for parks,’ said Alliance chair, Matthew Bradbury.

‘This is the first time that research and evidence of the proven benefits of parks in England has been brought together and a value placed on them at a national level. In doing we have exposed the magnitude of the true value of parks for decision makers in local and central government and across health and environment sectors.

Over the last decade the quality of some parks has fallen, the amount of urban green space reduced and opportunities for seizing these benefits lost. Ensuring parks are part of kick starting the economy and the subsequent Green Recovery provides an opportunity to turn this around,’ he added.

The full report – Making Parks Count – is available to read here.

Photo Credit – StockSnap (Pixabay)