Landscape & A m en it y
February 2024
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HTA issues Environmental Horticulture Manifesto ahead of general election The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) has officially released its Environmental Horticulture Manifesto, outlining ten key priorities for a future UK Government. The manifesto underscores the significance of green spaces, plant health, and sustainable practices, aiming to position the UK as a global leader in environmental horticulture. The manifesto draws on recent YouGov poll data conducted on behalf of the HTA in December 2023, involving Members of Parliament. The results reveal that a majority of MPs, 53%, support the creation of a crossgovernment Office for Green Spaces, the HTA’s lead policy ask. Notably, this proposal garnered support from MPs across various parties. Key insights from the survey also indicate that MPs acknowledge
the substantial benefits of the environmental horticultural industry in areas such as Jobs and Skills (82%), the Nation’s Health and Wellbeing (80%), the Economy (72%), and the Environment and Biodiversity (76%). With political parties currently writing their own manifestos ahead of the General Election later this year, the HTA believe that utilising the value of plants is a key policy solution in areas such as the environment, health, skills, jobs and the economy. HTA Chief Executive Fran Barnes said: “This manifesto marks a pivotal moment for the future of environmental horticulture. With the right support and policies in place, the UK horticultural sector has the potential to emerge as a global leader in sustainable practices and deliver green growth, ensuring that future generations
can benefit from the original green industry. “We strongly urge policymakers and prospective parliamentarians to seize these opportunities and recognise the value of our sector. If we look at one area of our industry, domestic gardens, we know that these comprise 29.5% of the UK’s urban space. In England alone, this garden area surpasses our National Nature Reserves by more than four and a half times. This substantial resource is significant for the environment and wildlife, providing a habitat for thousands of generalist species that thrive in these spaces. We also have 30 million regular gardening enthusiasts, and almost two-thirds (62%) of UK adults have a garden/ outdoor space, which they report using to cultivate plants, trees, or flowers. This means gardeners in every UK parliamentary constituency who hugely value the UK’s green spaces.
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“Supporting this growing nation of gardeners not only fuels local and national growth across the UK, but it is also a solution to adapting to our changing climate - aligning with 7 of the 10 Environmental Improvement Plan goals.
Furthermore, environmental horticulture contributes to the well-established mental and physical benefits derived from spending time in nature-based spaces.” HTA
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Government’s £93m funding for 1,100 grassroots projects More than 1,100 grassroots sport projects will benefit from £93 million of funding as part of the continued drive to get more people active, the Government has announced. Research shows exercising more was the UK’s most common New Year’s resolution for 2024, and the Government is helping hundreds of thousands more people across the UK keep their resolution and get active by delivering high-quality grassroots sport facilities. From Belfast to Bracknell, over 1,100 projects are receiving funding that will go towards facilities such as changing rooms,
pavilions, state of the art 3G artificial grass pitches, goalposts and floodlights, improving access to sport and physical activity for local communities. Sports Minister Stuart Andrew said: “Sport and physical activity are vital to our mental health and wellbeing, and each year thousands of people make a New Year’s resolution to exercise more. “We know one of the major barriers to getting active is having access to high-quality sports facilities, which is why we are investing in 1,100 more projects, backed by £93 million. “This government has delivered thousands of new projects across
the UK with the aim of getting over 120,000 more people to get active, helping us to make big strides towards meeting our ambitious target of 3.5 million more people active by 2030.”
UK Government in 2023/24, delivered in partnership with the Scottish FA, the Irish FA, Cymru Football Foundation and Football Association of Wales. A further £9 million is
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also being committed across the home nations for projects to be delivered through 2024/25. DCMS Enquiry 2
As part of an £81 million investment, 900 projects in England are already benefiting from funding from the Government and its Football Foundation partners the Premier League and The FA, with many more to follow. Local communities across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will also benefit with an unprecedented £12 million being invested by the
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