Green light for £1bn project to add nature to urban sites

A billion pound "mission" to bring nature into the heart of urban areas in the UK has been launched by a coalition of environmental and heritage bodies.

- Steven Morris

The first phase of the Nature Towns and Cities initiative will involve £15.5m being invested in 40 towns and cities across the four nations.

Schemes that will be funded range from the launch of a large regional park to improving micro green spaces on the banks of canals and rivers.

Innovative projects include a "greening permit" scheme allowing citizens to cultivate public spaces, and an "environmental justice map" to pinpoint the areas of greatest need.

The mission, billed as the first of its kind, is led by a partnership between the National Trust, Natural England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which is providing the £15.5m.

Its aim is to create a bigger coalition and attract £1bn from private, philanthropic and public sources by 2035 to give at least 5 million people access to green space a short walk from home and provide 1 million children with an opportunity to play in nature close to where they live.