Residents are being encouraged to take part in a new study about green spaces in County Durham.
Feedback from the study will help Durham County Council to better understand how people think and feel about their local green areas.
The study, which has been developed by Durham University with input from the council, aims to give both organisations a greater understanding of green spaces and how people would like them to be managed.
Durham County Council manages millions of square metres of land around the county, including railway paths, grassed open space, nature reserves, sports pitches and much more.
Cllr Mark Wilkes, the council’s cabinet member for Neighbourhoods and Climate Change, said: “Our council recently declared an eco-emergency in response to the decline in biodiversity across the county and the UK in general.
“To help tackle this, we are keen to find out more about what people think about their local green spaces and how they should be managed.
“The results of this study will be a valuable tool in helping us to make better-informed decisions about the way we look after green spaces and protect them for the future.”
Lead investigator Jack Hughes, a research postgraduate in Durham University’s Department of Psychology, said: “Green space management is an under-researched area.
“Researchers and local authorities have no data on what people want their grassy areas to look like. Our research hopes to build this knowledge base.”
The study, which takes roughly 10 minutes to complete, can be accessed by clicking here, and residents have until the end of February 2024 to submit their comments.
