Milton Keynes named as UK’s best city for access to outdoor spaces
Milton Keynes has been named as the UK’s best city for access to outdoor spaces, according to data released by a property services group.
My Home Move Conveyancing has ranked Milton Keynes as the best in the country after examining factors including the number of residents within walking distance of green space.
The study found Milton Keynes was home to 1,536.71 hectares of country parks and had one of the lowest projected reductions of green spaces in the next 20 years at 1.35 per cent.
It also found that out of the available properties for sale in the area through Rightmove, 68 homes had garden access per 10,000 of the area’s population, while only 8,973 residents lived further than a ten-minute walk from a public green space.
According to the data, Milton Keynes had the most expensive average house price per area of any of the top ten, with an average cost of £329,000.
Milton Keynes topped the standings with a total index score of 60.07 (out of 100), with Lincoln in second with 58.57 and Gateshead in third with 57.07.
Factors analysed included average housing prices to buy and rent properties, garden accessibility on properties, green space provision per person and park provision per area, with these given a weighted score out of 100, to help calculate the final index results.
Natural England’s recent People and Nature Survey explained that daily access to nature was a great boost to physical and mental health, with research suggesting that living near a green space can reduce the risk of depression by around 20 per cent.
Reacting to the findings, director of My Home Move Conveyancing Alistair Singer said: “What stands out in this study is how differently green space plays out depending on where you choose to live.
“For buyers, the key is to work out how your next home will interact with the green space in the area - how close it is, how easy it is to get to, and whether it’s somewhere you’ll realistically use on a regular basis.
“Cities like Milton Keynes rank highly because of their strong balance between affordability and access to green space. Most buyers still have quick and easy access to their local park, and others have access to a garden right on their doorstep without stretching their budget too far.
“From a conveyancing perspective, we are noticing an increasing interest in these greener areas.
“Buyers are thinking more carefully about the environments they want to live in - whether that’s access to parks or simply a less built-up area.
“It’s also worth considering how secure that access is. Just because a piece of land is open today doesn’t necessarily mean it will stay that way.
“As part of the conveyancing process, we look into planning history, proposed developments, and any restrictions on nearby land to help build a clearer picture of how an area might change over time.
“Doing that due diligence will give you the confidence to move forward knowing exactly what you’re buying into.”