PEOPLE in Redditch have worse access to green space than most people in the West Midlands, new figures suggest.

The Health Foundation said the Government must prioritise providing access to green spaces in its plan to build more homes, adding "innovative action" is needed to improve access in deprived neighbourhoods.

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs estimates 9,276 of the 38,082 households in Redditch do not have an accessible green space of two hectares or larger within one kilometre of their house – accounting for 24% of homes.

It suggests people in Redditch have slightly worse access than most people in the West Midlands, where 23% of all households do not have access to green spaces.
Across England, 78% of households have a green space of at least two hectares within a kilometre.

Defra's statistics also use other standards from Natural England to measure access to green space, which vary in distance and size.

In Redditch, 9% of households meet the doorstep standard, meaning they have an accessible green space of at least 0.5 hectares within 200 metres.

Meanwhile, 10% meet the local standard – a green space of at least two hectares within a five minute walk from home.

And 65% of households meet the neighbourhood standard, as they had a green space of at least 10 hectares within one kilometre or a 15 minute walk from home.