Green spaces are in top five must-haves (From Croydon Guardian)

Green spaces are in top five must-haves

11:39am Monday 19th December 2011

More families are chasing after David Cameron’s happiness factor and looking for homes near green space to escape the hurly-burly of modern urban life.

As the prime minister’s national well-being debate enters a new phase with the launch of a consultation on the findings of the government’s happiness survey, it seems homebuyers are taking matters into their own hands.

“Green spaces and access to local parks are definitely an important factor in the decision process when buying a house,” said Nick Beattie at Barnard Marcus.

“We have recently seen a significant increase in the number of purchasers looking to migrate from London out to Surrey. The key driving factor is a bid to find a more peaceful and idyllic life after living in the city – with greater access to outside space and parkland.”

The need for green amenity was a surprise inclusion in the top five factors people listed in a survey by the Office of National Statistics on what contributed to their well-being last year. Most respondents cited the importance of family, friends, health, financial security and fairness. But a significant number highlighted the need to have a “decent neighbourhood park and litter-free streets”.

ONS chief Jill Matheson explained: “We expected people to talk about the environment, but the majority of comments about this were focused on ‘the importance of access to good-quality local green spaces’, ‘not living in ugly surroundings’ and ‘good architecture’.”

The Government wants tomorrow’s generations to focus more on what contributes to well-being and less on material wealth. After the consultations on the survey finish next January, 2012, it’s likely the findings will be used to mould future policy.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Landscape Institute are already working on initiatives to encourage investment in green rather than grey infrastructure. But estate agents and property experts in south and west London say home seekers are voting for a greener environment with their choice of location for their homes.

“Customer feedback echoes the results of the new government survey on the importance of parkland and open space,” said Paul Bennett, sales and marketing director of St James property developers.

“All our developments have a green focus, even those located in west London. The Hamptons in Worcester Park for example, is set within 30 acres of its own parkland.”