You can only enjoy the UK’s most beautiful scenery if you earn more than £45,000
The most beautiful scenery in the UK is the preserve of families who earn more than £45,000 a year, according to a new report by think tank ResPublica.
By carrying out a poll of people living across Britain, they found that 54 per cent feel they have access to the most beautiful spaces, places and buildings in their local area – just over half of all residents.
The researchers believe this is largely because of the size of the minimum salary required – £45,000 is is £13,000 more than the average national salary was in 2014.
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Homeowners felt the most able to visit nice places, with 57 per cent saying they had access, while 45 per cent of those in social rented housing said they had access.
ResPublica and associated organisations argue that to ensure all Britons get to enjoy the scenery of their country, there ought to be a “community right” to local beauty, both in rural and urban parts of the country. They want this to be enshrined in law.
Beccy Speight, chief executive of the Woodland Trust, commented:
Beautiful places matter and, as this report shows, policy needs to catch up with the evidence. A much needed increase in opportunities to access nature and green space would make a huge difference to many peoples’ lives and is vital for the health and prosperity of the nation.