A new paper, unveiled today 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 Britain – suggests that to reduce the impacts of climate extremes and improve physical health and wellbeing 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 Climate 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. The analysis revealed that three parliamentary constituencies across Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust’s area rank among the ten worst in England for access to nature.  Harrow West has the poorest access to nature of all 238 English constituencies identified as having low access, with just 28.77% of properties located within a 15-minute walk of an accessible green or blue space. Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner ranks fifth, and Harrow East ranks eighth.

This is despite the Government’s own target of ensuring access to nature within 15 minutes for all citizens - in Harrow West more than seven in ten homes are beyond the Government's recommended standard.

Laura Burrows, Chief Executive, Herts and Middlesex Trust said:

“I grew up in Pinner, one of three constituencies mentioned in the top ten in our area and feel both incredibly sad and concerned about the findings of the report. I believe everyone should have access to nature, not as a luxury but as a right.

“We know time spent outdoors supports our physical and mental well-being, with people living close to parks, rivers, woodlands and other accessible natural spaces tend to enjoy healthier, happier and longer lives. Yet despite successive governments committing to ensure everyone can access green or blue space within a 15-minute walk of home, the latest figures show that many communities, including these local areas where our members and supporters live and work, remain a long way from achieving that ambition.”

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 cooler and cleaner and reducing the strain on our hearts and lungs.  The blood pressure of pregnant women is lower when they live near an accessible park or garden and young children who spend longer in nature-rich spaces have healthier lives. 

“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.” 

You can read the full paper here.