that takes place in the face of a 50% reduction in recent years, so that communities can reap the social, aesthetic and environmental benefits provided by plants.

In its report, Greening the UK: Local Authorities Commitment to Urban Planting, which is published today, the campaign warns that a significant number of councils are allowing developers to scale down or remove completely the planting outlined in approved planning agreements. This is due to a lack of onsite inspections by planning officers and by the failure to bring action against developers that violate planning agreements. Astonishing, considering that 71% of councillors noted

occasions during the past year when developers had failed to deliver on their planting obligations.

The report includes a foreword by the Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, who says:

To me, urban planting and green space are essential to the sustainable development of our towns and cities as we move into a period of increasing environmental uncertainty.I know from my own City of Salford how urban planting can transform a neighbourhood, bring people together, and help to brighten up the environment.

The Greening the UK campaign has been highlighting the 50% reduction in soft landscaped areas on new developments over the past decade. It has also demonstrated that only 50% of the green planting outlined in approved planning documents is ever delivered.

Despite this known decline, a surprising finding from the survey was that 53% of councillors believed green spaces and urban planting had increased over recent years.

Plants installed in gardens and in public planting schemes benefit the environment by absorbing carbon dioxide and absorbing rainfall through their leaves and roots helping to prevent and mitigate the effects of climate change and flooding. Trees also provide shade and shelter in public spaces, reduce temperatures in hot spots and protect against strong wind flows in urban areas. Research also shows that plants help improve social behaviour, reduce crime, increase recovery rates in hospitals and workplace productivity and are a healthy addition to the social, environmental, physical and mental wellbeing of people.

David Gwyther, Director General of the Horticultural Trades Association, said, This is a call to action. Local authorities need to increase the frequency of their inspections on new private and public developments to ensure promised planting and landscaping actually takes place. Fundamentally, they should also increase the levels of planting on new, private and public developments and they should review their planning departments to ensure they have access to high quality horticultural advice.