More funding for green spaces is good for the housing crisis

February 20, 2019
Planning disputes on new build land

James Brokenshire, secretary of state for communities, has announced £13 million of funding for green spaces.

James Brokenshire, secretary of state for communities, has announced £13 million of funding for green spaces. This will include £9.7 million for day-to-day maintenance and creation of new spaces, alongside £2.7 million for the Pocket Parks Plus programme.

The Government will also provide a further £1.2 million to the National Trust and The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the Future Parks Accelerator Initiative.

Brokenshire said: “Our parks and green spaces are huge assets to our towns and cities, offering precious spaces for all of us to get together, to exercise and to play.”

He added: “The future of our nation’s parks is an issue close to all our hearts and we will do all we can to preserve these vital green lungs that breathe life into our communities.”

The National Federation of Builders (NFB) welcomes the new funding because of the positive impact that green spaces have on communities, development and place-making.

Developers are increasingly delivering their own open spaces and therefore praise efforts to place green spaces at the heart of communities.

Communities need to see investment in green spaces and housing and it is constructive when one supports the other.

Richard Beresford, chief executive of the NFB, said: “New and well maintained open spaces can encourage development by reassuring local people that new homes do not mean a loss of quality green and open space.

“Strategic green spaces are at the heart of our communities and we welcome every effort to make sure they remain there.”

EAN Breaking News

Breaking News. Have a new story to share with us? Then please get in contact today!

You May Also Enjoy

Estate Agent Talk

Buying Alone? What Solo Buyers Need to Know Before Making an Offer on a House

Figures show that solo buyers accounted for 36.9% of Barclays’ mortgage completions in June 2026, as more people chose to step onto the property ladder without a partner beside them. Choosing independence over waiting for a joint purchase has doubled over the last 50+ years, with solo first-time buyers doubling from 15% before 1980 to…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

How to Make a New-Build Living Room Feel Less Like a Show Home

An empty new-build living room can be surprisingly difficult to furnish. The walls are freshly painted, the sockets are in place, and there is nothing to remove before decorating begins. Yet once the sofa arrives, the room can still feel unsettled: too bare in some places, awkwardly crowded in others. The answer rarely involves buying…
Read More →
Breaking News

Mortgage Borrowing Dip

Key points: Net borrowing of mortgage debt by individuals decreased to £3.9 billion in September, from £4.2 billion in August, below the previous 6-month average of £4.9 billion. Net mortgage approvals for house purchases decreased to 53,400 in September, below an average of around 58,800 over the previous 6-months. Approvals for remortgaging increased to 42,600…
Read More →
Breaking News

Autumn Budget 2026: Property industry reaction

Following today’s Autumn Budget, reaction from property industry experts on six key areas for the property market. First-time buyer support: The £4.7bn Your First Home equity loan scheme, supporting 70,000 buyers, alongside the introduction of a new First Time Buyer ISA. Inflation and borrowing costs: The extension of the fuel duty freeze, household energy support…
Read More →
Breaking News

Can you legally BAN Halloween Trick or Treaters?

People who dread the annual knock of trick-or-treaters may have more power to keep Halloween callers away than they realise. As millions of children prepare to take to the streets on October 31, a property law expert has explained what homeowners can do if they do not want strangers walking up their path or knocking…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

What the sector need to do differently to give first time buyers a chance

By Peter Hawley, Director, SOWN (part of LRG) The mortgage and property sector needs to stop assuming that younger buyers are either ready to buy outright or not ready at all. For many, the reality is somewhere in between. They may have stable employment, a deposit and a strong desire to own, but still find…
Read More →