What garden of England?

 People from the poorest areas die on average 19 years younger than those from the wealthiest. While there are multiple factors of deprivation that contribute to that morbid inequality, recent research has found that “living in areas with higher amounts of green spaces reduces mortality”, particularly from cardiovascular disease. And a study published in Environment International this week found that children living in areas with higher air pollution and very low levels of green space might have up to 62% increased risk of developing ADHD.

Homes in the poorest areas of England have less than a third of the private garden space enjoyed by those in the richest, giving those residents a mental and physical health disadvantage that leads to worse outcomes from the cradle to the grave.

In the richest 10% of areas in England, properties had 379m sq on average, compared with 114m sq in the poorest 10%. 

Across England, 12% of properties in the poorest areas had no garden space, compared with 8% in the richest. However, the lowest levels of garden access were found in the third-poorest group, where almost 15% lacked private outdoor space.

In Somers Town, north London, among the 20% mostdeprived areas in the country, according to ONS figures, eight in 10 properties had no private outdoor space. In Ladywood-Summerhill, Birmingham, which is also among the poorest 20% of areas nationally, more than half of addresses had no garden. Those with the very lowest levels of private outdoor space were in city-centre locations. The neighbourhood with the least access to garden space in England was in central Birmingham, where just 2% of addresses had outdoor space.

 There are significant mental health benefits from access to green space. People who are more connected with nature are usually happier in life and more likely to report feeling their lives are worthwhile. And experiencing biodiversity, through bird species richness, plant species richness, habitat diversity and butterfly richness, is related to improved wellbeing, increased positive mood and lower levels of anxiety.

A 2014 review of evidence found that people “who are more connected to nature tended to experience more positive affect, vitality, and life satisfaction compared with those less connected to nature”. Natural England has estimated that if everyone in England had good access to green space it could reduce NHS pressures.

Poorest areas of England have less than third of garden space enjoyed by richest | Inequality | The Guardian