A new paper, unveiled today (17th September) by The Wildlife Trusts, outlines how improving access to nature across Britain should be a priority for Prime Minister Burnham’s Government. It follows research suggesting many still do not have parks, gardens or bodies of water within a 15-minute walk of their home, undermining the public health benefits associated with spending time outdoors. 

Following the heat emergency of the summer, when inner city temperatures soared to over 38 C, the paper – Unlocking nature for all: How to increase access to nature for a fairer, healthier country – suggests that to reduce the impacts of climate extremes and improve physical health and well-being outcomes, peoples’ access to nature must improve. 

Having been promised a government-led green paper to tackle this issue since autumn 2025, The Wildlife Trusts have now set out their own proposals and innovative solutions to improve access to green and blue spaces, which they encourage ministers to consider. Proposals include: 

Improving local authority and community routes to creating parks and gardens  

• Making it more affordable for local authorities to use compulsory purchase powers for land purchase.
• Making it easier for community groups to buy land. 

Ensuring public parks and gardens are well maintained  

• Treating nature as essential infrastructure and thus freeing up capital funds to pay for the ongoing maintenance of natural spaces. 

Recognising access to natural spaces as a crucial part of development and planning 

• Making it mandatory for developers to create climate-friendly and nature-friendly housing estates.
• Making access to major rivers, especially those running through urban areas, a statutory right.  

Despite the known benefits of nature-rich spaces - with their cooler air and shaded streets - to communities’ health, research from The Wildlife Trusts and Liberal Democrats for Nature and Climate¹ recently found that 238 English parliamentary constituencies (44% of the total) have 20% or more local properties situated more than 15 minutes’ walk from green or blue space. This is despite the Government’s own target of ensuring access to nature within 15 minutes for all citizens.² 

Matthew Browne, head of public affairs at The Wildlife Trusts, said: 

“This research reveals stark inequalities in access to nature across England with direct parallels between economic and nature deprivation. Seven of the ten most economically deprived constituencies feature on the low access to nature list, including Bradford West and Birmingham Perry Barr, for example.  

“Coupled with the extreme heat we’re experiencing in urban areas, this access crisis is on a par with that of Victorian Britain, when filthy air and water led to a programme of public park building for the benefit of all. In facing today’s challenges, we need to embrace this same level of urgency once more, utilising existing legislation so that real change can be felt quickly in local communities. At a time when the Prime Minister is promising growth in every postcode, he must ensure this is true in every sense of the word, building nature into the heart of community resilience and regeneration. Otherwise, he risks leading the only Labour Government since World War Two to fail to recognise the importance of access to nature.” 

Alongside the policy recommendations set out by the paper, a public consultation, conducted by The Wildlife Trusts, gathered views from thousands of people across the country who sought out parks, woods and waterways during the 2026 summer heatwaves. One contributor said, “Walking in my local woods in heatwaves is cooling. The physical benefits of a brisk, daily walk are well-known and I feel them.” Another said, “I have a long-term health condition which affects my mobility and mental health, particularly during periods of extreme heat. Access to natural spaces is incredibly important to me.” 

Dom Higgins, head of health and education at The Wildlife Trusts, said: 

“The mountain of research and evidence from the public that shows the impact of nature on our physical and mental health is hard to ignore - natural spaces in our cities can literally save lives by keeping the air cooler³ and cleaner⁴ and reducing the strain on our hearts and lungs.⁵  The blood pressure of pregnant women is lower when they live near an accessible park or garden⁶ and young children who spend longer in nature-rich spaces have healthier lives.⁷   

“Yet, despite the growing body of scientific evidence, having access to the natural world in whatever form that takes – from a river walk to a pocket park in an urban neighbourhood – is still not equal across the UK. In an age of increasing climate-driven extreme weather events and growing health implications, access to nearby healthy natural spaces should be the right of every citizen.”  

Wildlife Trusts across the UK are already working with local authorities to bring nature back to communities; from extensive tree planting in Wigan, to community gardens in Greater Manchester and a re-imagined city centre in Nottingham, replacing a dated shopping centre with a living green heart. Now, the Trusts argue, is the time for the Government to address inequal nature access so that projects like these can have even wider impacts across the country. 

Read the full paper