On 30 July, Greater Manchester will elect a new mayor.
Thanks to campaigning by our members, the previous mayor, Andy Burnham, pledged to support leisure walking in Greater Manchester.
Now, we need to make sure our new mayor does the same!
Walking in nature is proven to improve our health and happiness, whether on countryside paths, in parks or down tree-lined city streets. But too many people are cut off from nature and the outdoors because local paths are missing, blocked or unusable – and access to green space is far from equal, with less well-off communities more likely to miss out.
That's why we’re calling on all candidates to support our walking manifesto for Greater Manchester. It calls on candidates to commit to improving the region's rights of way and wider path network by:
- Supporting ongoing work to develop a strategic plan to improve and expand Greater Manchester's leisure walking routes
- Working with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and local authorities to repair popular paths, create new routes and remove physical barriers
- Ensuring that green spaces and public rights of way are protected or enhanced in any new development scheme
It’s estimated that the NHS could save £2.1 billion every year in treatment costs if everyone in England had access to good quality green space – but according to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority only 44% of people in Greater Manchester live within a five-minute walk of a park or green space.
Meanwhile, our path network continues to suffer from years of underfunding and neglect, with increasing blockages and obstructions.
Please join us in writing to the leading candidates today!