North Lanarkshire Council Receives £639,035 for North Lanarkshire Nearer to Nature Project

That the Parliament welcomes what it sees as the significant grant of £639,035 awarded to North Lanarkshire Council as part of the Nature Towns and Cities Programme; notes that this innovative programme is led by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with the National Trust and Natural England, and further supported by NatureScot, Natural Resources Wales and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency; understands this funding will help deliver the local authority’s North Lanarkshire Nearer to Nature project, which will create an environmental justice map and digital platform to spotlight areas of greatest need and present inspiring visions of what North Lanarkshire’s greenspaces could become, helping the area to attract private investment; believes that this work addresses the reality that nearly 69% of residents reportedly live within 500 metres of a derelict site, significantly higher than the Scotland average of 26.5%; applauds the project’s commitment to genuine co-creation with communities, empowering residents in the Uddingston and Bellshill constituency and beyond to shape investment priorities and design 18 projects, including two in the Bellshill Community Board Area, supported by two full-time specialists and a dedicated team of Greenspace Ambassadors; understands that this grant forms part of the programme’s first phase, which is awarding £15 million across 19 partnerships covering 40 towns and cities in the UK, including £1.4 million for Scotland to help residents in Fife and North Lanarkshire enjoy nature and green spaces close to home; commends everyone involved for their commitment to helping communities reap the health and wellbeing benefits that it believes access to nature brings, particularly in areas that currently lack quality green space, and looks forward with great anticipation to seeing North Lanarkshire Council’s project come to life.