A £15.6m green spaces project aimed at transforming communities in England has scooped a prestigious award for sustainability. The Green Spaces for People programme beat off tough competition from more than 100 businesses to win a Green Apple Award in a campaign to find Britain's greenest projects and businesses. Previous winners include Balfour Beatty, Marks and Spencer and E-On.
Green Spaces for People is being delivered by three of the UK’s largest housing groups: Places for People, Riverside and Peabody, and is funded by the Big Lottery Fund. It is transforming 80 neighbourhoods across the country and enhancing the quality of life for local residents.
The programme began in 2008 and is regenerating over 30 hectares of under-used or derelict spaces into high quality and well designed areas for local communities to enjoy. This includes new:
- parks
- community gardens
- wildlife habitats
- sport facilities
- play areas
Alongside high quality design, what makes the programme extra special is the involvement of local communities in identifying priorities for their local project. This means that each space is designed to suit the needs of the local people and aims to inspire community involvement.
There is significant evidence from organisations like CABE, for example, that high quality green space can promote a number of positive benefits, including better health, enhanced wildlife and biodiversity, and reduce the environmental impact of housing.
To date, over £10.5m has been invested, transforming 56 neighbourhoods.
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