The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) estimates from new statistics
- that 30,910 of the 91,944 households in York do not have an accessible green space of two hectares or larger within one kilometre of their house – accounting for 34 per cent of homes.
Two hectares is approximately the area of two-and-three-quarter football pitches.
The figures suggest people in York have worse access than most people in Yorkshire and The Humber, where 23 per cent of all households do not have access to green spaces under the same classification.
Wellbeing charity The Health Foundation said the Government must prioritise providing access to green spaces in its plan to build more homes.
Gwen Nightingale from the charity said studies show people living in areas with more access to green space tend to have better general health, mental wellbeing, and higher life expectancies than those with limited access.
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A MAJOR shop in York was evacuated after an incident.
