Young first-time buyers forced to settle in “natural deserts”, according to British data | First buyers

In the United Kingdom, young first-time buyers are forced to settle in regions devoid of nature, according to a study.

Experts say young people are moving to “natural deserts” because government policy has failed to create new, greener, healthier properties.

For every square meter of green space lost per person, 494 additional first-time buyers are attracted to this area, the study reveals.

The study was carried out by the English nature coalition Wildlife and Countryside Link, which is calling for the government’s new planning bill to be amended to improve access to nature.

The proposed legislation is likely to exacerbate these problems, as property developers will be able to build on formerly protected green spaces, without having to replace the loss of nature in neighboring areas.

Natural areas, parks, and community gardens created to compensate for the removal of green space to make way for housing developments don’t even have to be in the same county.

Richard Benwell, chief executive of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: “With the right reforms, we can transform today’s natural deserts into greener, healthier places to live. People of all ages and backgrounds deserve homes they can afford without sacrificing their beneficial connection with nature.

“That means rethinking how we build the homes we need while creating greener, high-quality communities that protect people’s health and creating the homes nature needs.”

Currently, areas with fewer parks and green spaces relative to their population tend to attract more first-time buyers due to lower housing costs.

Wildlife and Countryside Link carried out a regression model analysis using the official Office for National Statistics (ONS) datasets for first-time buyers by local authority in 2023, and compared this to ONS data on the number of adults in each authority as an indicator of the proportion of adults who were first-time buyers.

They then analyzed and mapped percentage rates for first-time buyers with in-depth green space data, which found a direct and statistically significant correlation between a lack of green space and a higher number of first-time buyers.

Lack of access to nature has crucial consequences on physical and mental health. Recent studies show that living near parks or natural green spaces reduces anxiety and depression by around 20%.

Conversely, those living more than 800 meters from green spaces reported significantly higher levels of wellbeing problems, particularly during Covid-19 lockdowns. With the risk, therefore, that the increasingly unaffordable nature of housing in nature-rich areas for young homeowners could worsen health inequalities.

Ingrid Samuel, director of the National Trust, said: “The Government is right to tackle the housing crisis, but it must also tackle the parallel crisis of access to nature. Green spaces are not a luxury – they are a fundamental human need, vital for physical and mental health.”

“If new homes are built without new parks, waterways and wild spaces, the British public will have been disappointed. This is why we urge ministers to support amendments to the planning bill that ensure green and blue spaces in every future development.”

Previous research by the charity found that one in three households in England do not live within a 15-minute walk of a natural space such as a park, and the most deprived communities are more than twice as likely to be deprived of nature.

Wildlife charities are backing amendments to Part Three of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill which would ensure every community has access to green space, which the Government has so far neglected to pass.

These changes would strengthen the protection of existing green spaces and require the integration of new parks and natural areas into developments.