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Stamford Climate Action Group reflects on Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan




The Government recently published its 2023 Environmental Improvement Plan, which includes a new commitment that ‘everyone should live within 15 minutes’ walk of a green or blue space’, writes Cheryl Allibone of Stamford Climate Action Group.

Intuitively many people might see this aim for ‘Green in 15’ as a good thing, and there is a growing body of evidence for why this matters to people for our mental and physical health.

We know that poor mental health represents the largest cause of disability in the UK and rates are on the increase. It is a contributory factor in poor physical health and difficulties in maintaining relationships, and acts as a barrier to full participation in education and the workplace. The Mental Health Foundation highlights that 1 in 4 people in England will experience a mental health problem in any given year. The costs of mental health problems to the UK economy are estimated to amount to £70-£100 billion each year, around 4.5 percent of GDP

The quarry in Casterton Road
The quarry in Casterton Road

Studies have shown that people report lower mental distress and higher wellbeing when living in urban areas with more greenspace. In children, a greater quantity or proximity of natural spaces around the home or school is significantly related to improved cognitive performance and reduced incidence of behavioural issues. Living environments with a greater amount of greenspaces are associated with reduced likelihood of depression and anxiety amongst older people.

There are a number of measures in the Government’s programme to achieve this ambitious target, such as identifying key areas for nature restoration through the roll out of Local Nature Recovery Strategies and scaling up green social prescribing across the healthcare system.

Cheryl Allibone
Cheryl Allibone

We all need nature – good mental health is just one of the benefits, alongside the physical health benefits and all the services nature provides (water to drink, air to breathe, food to eat….). Having nature ‘on our doorstep’ means we’ll not only improve our local environment, but also avoids car journeys which clog up the roads in order to get our breath of fresh air!

If you are interested to find out more see Natural England research report and the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan.



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