The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) advocates for urban green spaces, following the deputy prime minister and housing secretary, Angela Rayner’s announcement to overhaul the planning system.

Rayner’s announcement comes in-line with Labour’s plan to build 1.5m new homes over the next five years.

Jennifer Pheasey, director of public affairs at the HTA, responds , acknowledging the importance of addressing the housing shortage in England.

“We urge that this ambition be balanced with the equally crucial need to enhance urban green spaces and gardens with them, which are vital for biodiversity, urban cooling, flood resilience, and overall public wellbeing.”

In the week where Britain has seen its hottest day of the year so far, Pheasey reminds the government of green space cooling benefits.

“Green spaces provide natural cooling and make cities more liveable during heatwaves. In 2020 alone, they prevented the loss of 49,126 lifeyears due to air pollution.”

The HTA is advocating for a bold national programme of urban greening supported by reformed planning processes and guidelines.”

“This should set clear targets for garden size and biodiversity, ensuring at least 29.5% of space in new developments is dedicated to gardens to maintain the current proportion of Britain’s urban residential gardens.”

Almost 30% of the UK’s urban areas are domestic gardens, covering around 0.54 million hectares million hectares.

“Enhancing green spaces is not just about addressing the housing crisis but also about improving the quality of our communities. Prioritising green spaces promotes renewal, raises living standards, and fosters healthier, more vibrant neighbourhoods.”

The HTA concludes by saying it looks forward to working with the government “to ensure that new planning policies balance housing development with the creation of sustainable, high-quality green spaces.”