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Londra Gazete, 01 December 2022 LondraGazete.com/English 5

UK’s greenest city centres

named in study

EXETER is named the UK’s green-
est city centre according to its green
spaces.
The University of Sheffield study
analysed the hearts of 68 urban cen-
tres and ranked them on tree cover,
its vegetation and the amount of
parks.
It found Exeter to be the green-
est, followed by Islington, Bristol,
Bournemouth and Cambridge.
Less than half of the population Mark Ashdown from Bristol Tree
Forum said they were “pleased to
Christian, Census 2021 shows see this report, though it would
help to know what part of the city
FOR the first time fewer than half cluded in the census since 2001. was surveyed”.
of people in England and Wales de- Ticking "no religion" does not Trees, vegetation cover and public
scribe themselves as Christian, the mean having no beliefs, says Prof green spaces have been shown to While previous studies have lights the need to urgently improve
Census 2021 has revealed. Linda Woodhead, from King's Col- have positive impacts on biodiver- looked at the greenness of whole the greenness of city centres at the
The proportion of people who lege London. sity and human health, the authors cities, including broader suburban bottom of the list, and to ensure
said they were Christian was 46.2%, "Some will be atheist, a lot will be said. areas, this research is the first of that action is taken by local authori-
down from 59.3% in the last census agnostic - they just say, 'I don't real- Bristol is adding to its green cre- its kind to focus specifically on the ties to close the gap”.
in 2011. ly know' - and some will be spiritual dentials by introducing a launch a heart of city centres. Mr Ashdown said: “We note how-
In contrast the number who said and be doing spiritual things." she Clean Air Zone to tackle high levels Researchers said the findings ever that, for tree cover, we come
they had no religion increased to said. Separately when people were of traffic pollution in the city centre. showed a “clear divide” between the eighth and are probably on a down-
37.2% of the population, up from a asked about their ethnic group, Glasgow was ranked the least south of England and former indus- ward trajectory due to the loss of
quarter. 81.7% of residents in England and green by researchers, followed by trial heartlands in the north. our city centre trees without suffi-
Those identifying as Muslim rose Wales identified as White, down Leeds, Liverpool and Sheffield and Senior author of the study, Dr cient new replacement tree planting
from 4.9% in 2011 to 6.5% last year. from 86.0% a decade earlier, accord- Middlesbrough. Paul Brindley, said it “clearly high- places being made available.”
People were also asked about their ing to the census.
ethnic group and national identity And 74.4% of the total population
- the responses of which were re- identified as White as well as Eng-
leased in the results just published. lish, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish
People were asked the broad ques- or British. One in 10 of households UK seeing a 'second spring' due
tion what their religion was rather across England and Wales are now
than being asked more specifically made up of people from two or more
about their beliefs or religious prac- different ethnic groups - an increase to mild November weather
tices, in the voluntary question in- from 8.7%.
AMONG the yellow and brown into life, experts have said, with pos- tiful rain will have encouraged un-
Train strikes: Drivers walk clumps of fallen leaves and the skel- sible disruptive effects on nature’s seasonal plant growth,” said John
etal frames of deciduous trees this cycles.
David, head of horticultural taxono-
The apparent second spring has my at the Royal Horticultural Socie-
out in pay row autumn are some surprising finds: come after the UK recorded an un- ty.
green shoots and bright flowers.
Recent mild temperatures and wet precedented 10 months of above He added: “This summer caused
RAIL travel is being disrupted this represents train companies, said conditions have encouraged some average temperatures, following a quite a few plants, shrubs and trees to
weekend with train drivers at 11 it was "incredibly frustrated" that plants that should be going into dor- record-breaking summer heatwave. lose leaves or die down to survive the
companies walking out as part of a Aslef's leadership had decided to mancy for the winter to burst back “Recent mild conditions and plen- heat and drought. It was noticeable
long-running pay row. take further strike action. that when the rain returned in Sep-
The strike by the Aslef union is "We regret Aslef's decision, which tember quite a few plants produced
affecting people travelling to Christ- will cause real disruption to passen- new leaves that would not normally
mas markets and major sporting gers and hit its members' pay pack- do so at this time of year, and some
events. Passengers are being advised ets," a spokesman said. also came into flower again.”
to check before they travel. A Department for Transport David said the autumn had so far
However, strike action at London spokesperson said that the strike been “exceptionally mild”, and that
Overground has been suspended was "disappointing" and unproduc- RHS Garden Wisley, in Woking, Sur-
while union members consider a new tive, particularly due to its timing rey, still had not had an air frost.
pay offer. during the World Cup football tour- “The mild weather seems set to
Aslef, which represents drivers, continue, as we are experiencing a
wants wages to keep pace with the nament and a busy retail period. series of deep low-pressure systems
rising cost of living. It said talks with "This dispute has gone on far too coming across the Atlantic bringing
rail firms broke down after no pay of- long and is not only causing disarray warm, humid air,” he said.
fer was made. in people's lives, but is harming the The north of England has also had
"We regret that passengers will be economy too. We urge union leaders unseasonal weather, with one gar-
inconvenienced for another day. We to reconsider this action and instead dener at a National Trust property
don't want to be taking this action," work with employers, not against there reporting fuchsias and dahlias
said Aslef's general secretary Mick them, to agree a new way forward. blooming into October. Since then a
Whelan. The future of our railway depends on frost had “knocked things back”, he
The Rail Delivery Group, which it," the spokesperson added. said.