Britain must reconnect with nature to combat 'mental health epidemic', says Caroline Lucas

Caroline Lucas is urging British people to reconnect with nature to address the “mental health epidemic” facing the country.

In a speech lamenting the decline of British wildlife, the Green Party co-leader will call for the government to change planning rules to ensure everyone in the UK has access to green space.

While acknowledging environment secretary Michael Gove has taken green issues far more seriously than his predecessors, Ms Lucas will describe the bigger picture as “abysmal”.

The UK has been described as “one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world”, with around 15 per cent of its wildlife facing extinction.

Experts have warned that iconic species like hedgehogs and wildflowers have faced catastrophic declines in recent years due to pesticide use, land conversion and climate change.

According to Ms Lucas, neither of the major political parties had adequately grappled with this crisis, despite warm words from Theresa May about leaving the environment “in a better state than we found it”.

To save the British countryside and improve the nation’s health, Ms Lucas will emphasise the importance of individuals connecting with and understanding nature.

“All of us need to get back in touch with nature. We’re facing a mental health epidemic in this country alongside the systematic degradation of our land,” Ms Lucas will say.

“Nearly two-thirds of people say they have experienced a mental health problem – and this rises to seven in every 10 women, young adults and people living alone.

“Research shows moving to greener areas improves people’s mental wellbeing for the long term – but with those living in the most deprived areas having the highest rates of mental health problems and the least access to green spaces, we should be taking nature to the people.

“That means the government changing planning rules to ensure everyone in the UK lives within five minutes’ walk of a nature-rich green space, where local people can get involved in regenerating our depleted ecosystem – improving the health of communities and the environment.”

These comments will come at a panel event Ms Lucas is chairing at the Green Party autumn conference in Bristol.

To instil a love of nature in the next generation, Ms Lucas has also been campaigning for the government to introduce a natural history GCSE that will give children the tools to protect Britain’s dwindling wildlife.

Mr Gove has agreed to discuss this idea at a meeting on 29 October.

In September Ms Lucas marched on Downing Street with around 10,000 wildlife lovers at the The People’s Walk for Wildlife.

The event was launched by naturalist Chris Packham to raise awareness of the plight of Britain’s nature and galvanise a generation of activists to save it from destruction.