Towns and cities initiative to boost nature for millions across the UK

DOZENS of urban areas are set to benefit from a £15.5million investment to support the creation or improvement of green spaces, streets and neighbourhoods.

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A coalition of organisations, including Natural England, National Trust and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, have launched the Nature Towns and Cities initiative to boost nature for millions of people across the UK by 2035, prioritising those that have the least access.

Kickstarting the programme, the group announced that 40 towns and cities will receive the first grants, worth a total of £15.5m, from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Portsmouth, Bradford, Fife, Torfaen in Wales and Belfast are among the areas to have been selected for the funding following an application and assessment process that started last autumn.

The money will help local authorities co-design plans with partners and communities for the provision, quality and connectivity of green spaces and nature, such as improving existing parks, planting new wildflower meadows, creating new pocket parks and planting more street trees.

It comes as part of the initiative's wider ambitions to mobilise £1billion of investment into greening across 100 towns and cities from private, philanthropic and public sources over the next decade.