Can Tonbridge Become the Next Accredited Nature Town?

The UK is seeing a national movement to integrate nature into the urban environment: could Tonbridge join the pioneering ranks of places striving to become an accredited Nature Town?

What is the Nature Town Scheme?

The Nature Towns and Cities initiative is a significant UK-wide programme committed to ensuring that the benefits of nature and green space are accessible to everyone. The scheme is a coalition founded by major national organisations: The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the National Trust, and Natural England.

Accreditation is awarded to towns and cities that demonstrate a commitment to embedding nature and green infrastructure at the core of their planning, communities, and policy decisions. The ultimate goal is to create greener, healthier, happier, and more resilient places to live and work.

The initial phase of the programme has been financially supported by substantial grants from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which has provided capacity-building funding to numerous partnerships across the country to develop their urban nature recovery plans.

The Nature Towns and Cities initiative is a significant UK-wide programme. The scheme is a coalition founded by major national organisations: The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the National Trust, and Natural England.

Who Can Apply?

Applications for the Nature Towns and Cities accreditation are designed to be a collaborative effort. They must be submitted by place-based partnerships which include the relevant local authority. While the local authority must be a part of the application, the partnership needs to choose a lead applicant to submit the application and supporting evidence, and this lead does not need to be someone from the local authority itself. The entire accreditation scheme was co-designed and tested with a group of local authorities, the voluntary sector, independent experts, and other government agencies to ensure a robust and inclusive framework.

The Pioneers and the Benefits

The mission gained significant traction with the announcement of the first places to achieve accreditation. Birmingham was declared the UK’s first official Nature City, while the conurbation of Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) were collectively named the first official Nature Towns.

The benefits of this focus are widely recognised and extend far beyond simple aesthetics:

Health and Wellbeing: Increased access to nature improves mental and physical health.
Climate Resilience: Urban greening helps mitigate the impacts of climate change, such as managing surface water run-off and cooling urban heat islands.
Biodiversity: Creating new habitats supports local wildlife populations.
Economic Investment: Greener, more desirable places attract investment and drive “green growth.”

Tonbridge’s Natural Advantage

Tonbridge already boasts an impressive natural environment that many urban areas lack. The River Medway is a defining feature, flowing directly through the centre of the town and providing a vital ‘blue’ corridor for wildlife and recreation. This is complemented by the expansive Tonbridge Park, located right next to the town centre, and Haysden Country Park, which sits on our doorstep, offering beautiful green space for local residents.

We have the natural foundation for a Nature Town. The challenge, however, lies in how we can weave this nature into the urban core, rather than simply having it around the edges.

The Urban Challenge and the Masterplan

To truly achieve Nature Town status, Tonbridge needs to focus on urban greening. This means looking beyond the existing parks and exploring innovative ways to introduce nature along our streets.

Could we see living walls on commercial buildings? What about rain gardens or sustainable drainage systems installed along the High Street? Could we establish new pocket parks or tree planting initiatives that increase the tree canopy in the busiest parts of the town?

The recent announcement of the Tonbridge Town Centre Masterplan could prove to be a huge accelerant to this aspiration. If nature and ecology are consciously embedded into the heart of the Masterplan’s redesign and development goals, Tonbridge could swiftly take the necessary steps to meet the stringent criteria for Nature Town accreditation, creating a healthier and more beautiful town for generations to come.

Do you have something you want to tell the Tonbridge Bean about our town? Write to us at tonbridgebean@gmail.com with your thoughts and photos!