A new report shows how green spaces can cool towns and cities during heatwaves, reduce the risk of flooding, improve our mental and physical health, support biodiversity and help create healthier, more resilient communities – and claims that the Government is underinvesting in them.
The Value of Green Spaces report from the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) warns that the UK is "dismantling its natural armoury against extreme weather". As heatwaves, flooding and drought become more frequent, and pressure on the NHS continues to grow, it argues that investing in green spaces is no longer an optional extra but a practical solution to some of the UK's biggest challenges.
Launched at Horticulture, The Conference, the report demonstrates that parks, street trees, public planting and wider green infrastructure should be treated as essential national infrastructure alongside housing, transport and energy.
Fran Barnes, Chief Executive of the Horticultural Trades Association, said: “Green spaces quietly work for us every day. They cool our towns and cities during heatwaves, absorb rainwater during storms, improve air quality, support wildlife and help keep us physically and mentally healthy. Yet they are too often treated as an optional extra rather than the essential infrastructure they are.
“As the government plans new homes, invests in infrastructure and prepares for a changing climate, green spaces must be built into those decisions from the start, not added as an afterthought. Investing in green infrastructure is investing in healthier people, stronger communities and a more resilient UK.”
One large street tree can provide the cooling equivalent of around 10 air-conditioning units
Following the UK's record-breaking heat over the past two years and more than 2,700 excess heat-related deaths during May and June 2026, the report highlights the vital cooling power of urban planting. It finds that one large street tree can provide the cooling equivalent of around 10 air-conditioning units, while green infrastructure can reduce city temperatures by up to 5°C during heatwaves. Grass surfaces can be up to 24°C cooler than asphalt, and trees have been shown to reduce harmful heat exposure by up to 96%.
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As the UK's ageing population puts pressure on public finances, the report also identifies green spaces as a form of preventative health infrastructure, with evidence linking access to nature to better physical and mental health and reduced pressure on NHS services.
The report says that time spent in green spaces saves the NHS £148 million per year in reduced GP visits, which is enough to pay the salaries of more than 3,500 nurses.
Meanwhile a therapeutic gardening pilot scheme in East Lothian saw patients referred for mild-to-moderate depression require 67% fewer GP appointments within three months of finishing the programme.
Children living more than a 20-minute walk from green spaces have over two hours more screen time and poorer mental health than those living within a five-minute walk
The report also highlights growing inequalities in access to green infrastructure. People living in neighbourhoods with the highest access to green spaces also live an average of 2.5 years longer than those who don't. Children living more than a 20-minute walk from green spaces have over two hours more screen time and poorer mental health than those living within a five-minute walk. Around 8 million people now live more than a 15-minute walk from a green space, with lower-income households and ethnic minority communities disproportionately affected.
The report also warns that 409 square kilometres of private green gardens are at risk of being paved over in the next five years, while public parks lost £690 million in funding between 2010 and 2021.
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New YouGov polling reveals that the public supports protecting and expanding green spaces. 93% say parks and trees are important in new communities and 85% want existing green spaces protected. 76% support increasing public green space through planning and 50% believe nature should be prioritised even if it reduces land available for housing development.
However, despite strong public support and recognition of their benefits for wellbeing, quality of life and the environment, the report identifies a significant "say-do gap". Only 12% of UK adults have planted trees or greenery to provide shade or cooling around their home, and just 4% have replaced hard surfaces with planting or permeable alternatives to improve flood resilience.
The report calls on the government, local authorities, developers, businesses and communities to work together to protect, expand and sustainably fund green infrastructure.
