Poorest communities in England to be left behind on green space access, report warns

The poorest and most nature-deprived communities in England will be further left behind in their access to green spaces if proposed changes to planning laws go ahead, a report finds.

More than 7.4 million people in England live in areas completely devoid of immediate biodiversity, including 1.42 million children under 15, the report commissioned by a number of wildlife and environmental NGOs says.

The severe nature poverty is driven not by the rural-urban divide, but by extreme environmental disparities within towns and cities, and new “loopholes” for developers will exacerbate it, it says.

Biodiversity net gain rules, introduced in 2024, made it mandatory in England for most new developments to deliver at least a 10% increase in biodiversity value. The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in world, and the landmark policy was intended to help nature recovery. It was considered world-leading, referenced at Cop16 in Cali, Colombia, and replicated in countries such as Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, and India.

But the Labour government, which has a target to build 1.5m homes by the end of this parliament, introduced a series of exemptions for housebuilders after lobbying from the sector. These include an exemption for sites of 0.2 hectares (0.5 acres) and under, and a proposed exemption, now out to consultation, on removing biodiversity net gain rules for brownfield sites up to 2.5 hectares.

The coalition of charities warned the exemptions will hit the poorest communities in England, depriving them of access to nature while more affluent people continue to enjoy green environments.

The report, published on Thursday, shows that in the most deprived areas four in five (82%) planning applications are for small sites under 0.2 hectares. Across one year, the report says the exemption for small sites could mean the loss of biodiversity equivalent to nearly 11,000 mature trees or 400 football pitches of wildflower meadow.

In addition, four times as many potential brownfield homes are concentrated in the poorest fifth of England’s population, as compared with the richest fifth of the population.

Richard Benwell, CEO at Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: “Nature should not be a luxury reserved for the wealthy. England’s poorest communities are already being left with the worst access to nature, and biodiversity net gain loopholes are further exacerbating this problem.

“If ministers are serious about tackling inequality and improving people’s health, they must stop weakening nature protections and make sure every community benefits from greener, healthier places to live. If ministers weaken these rules, it is ordinary people in poorer communities who lose out.”

The charities are calling for the brownfield site exemption to be scrapped, and for the government to enact a legally binding five-year policy lock in to protect biodiversity net gain from further detrimental changes.

“This report shows the government’s proposed brownfield exemptions double down on that inequality: brownfield housing capacity is four times more concentrated in deprived areas than wealthy ones,” said Jason Reeves, head of policy at the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management.

“Our members see every day how nature-integrated development reduces flood risks, protects property values and brings positive health outcomes. Denying the nation’s poorest communities those benefits isn’t just bad for the environment, it risks undermining the government’s own housing ambition of safe and decent homes for all.”

Across England the most deprived 20% of neighbourhoods have almost a third of people facing highly restricted biodiversity access – nearly three times the rate of the most affluent communities.

In London, Croydon shows the most extreme inequality in access to nature, the report says. Its most affluent neighbourhoods enjoyed 73% biodiversity access, against just 24% in the most deprived – a 48% point gap within a single local authority.

The government’s backtracking on the biodiversity rules, which were brought in by the Conservatives in 2024, would worsen outcomes for people already living in nature poverty, according to the report.

Carl Bunnage, the RSPB’s head of nature policy, said: “It is time for the government to stop dismantling what should have been a world-leading policy, especially as those in society already missing out will be hit hardest.

“The biodiversity net gain system must be restored so it delivers nature on everyone’s doorsteps as originally intended.”

Defra has been approached for comment.