Background
Neighbourhoods Green began in 2003 when Peabody Trust and Notting Hill Housing Group identified the need to raise the profile of the green and open spaces owned and managed by social landlords.
The initiative was supported by CABE Space (now part of Design Council Cabe), English Nature (now Natural England) and Groundwork London. With funding from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (now Department for Communities and Local Government), the project researched the status and profile of green space with social landlords in London, prepared a toolkit and case studies to promote good practice, and published material which offered support and guidance to social landlords on the green space agenda.
Download Neighbourhoods Green publications here.
The project is now being delivered nationally with an aim to mainstream the role of green space assets into the operational and strategic context of social housing. Learn more about the project.
Identifying the need
In England, 17% of households are social tenants. Social landlords are the main providers of affordable housing in the country, providing homes for 8.5 million people.
Significant quantities of green and open spaces surround these homes. In some areas, the green space stock of social landlords is estimated to be equal to, or greater than, the amount of green space owned and managed by the local authority.
The external environments of estates play an important role in how residents feel about where they live. The quality of open space also has a profound impact on people’s health and well being and can provide a focal point for social interaction.
In 2009, CABE Space found that 95% of people thought it was very important to have green spaces near to where they live.
Yet, residents living in social housing are more likely to live in areas of public open space deficiency and poor environmental quality. In deprived, inner-city areas, people have access to five times fewer public parks and good quality green space than people in affluent areas.
Social housing green spaces are on the doorsteps of millions of people and offer the opportunity to provide residents with the same benefits of a good quality park. These include:
• socialising and relaxation
• play
• experiencing nature
• growing vegetables
• participating in sports
• getting to know neighbours
These neighbourhood green spaces are a valuable local amenity and offer the potential to improve local well-being and quality of life for those who have the most to gain. These spaces require a commitment to quality in their design, management and maintenance and a recognition of the valuable opportunities they can offer communities.