Test Valley Borough Council is calling on residents to have their say to help protect and enhance green spaces across the borough for the next ten years.

The council has launched a consultation for the next four weeks, on its Draft Green Space Strategy. The document covers the issues that are facing green space, which include cemeteries, parks and play areas, among others, which are 0.2 hectares square.

Sports pitches are not covered in the document, as this was previously addressed separately.

The council wants to ensure that the spaces are safe, enjoyable and accessible spaces for years to come. This includes supporting the health and wellbeing of people, preserving biodiversity, combatting invasive species and maintaining the areas.

Now, the authority is calling on residents to have their say on how the council can best deal with these issues, including managing diverse spaces with a range of wildlife, in the face of a warming climate. They also hope to work with a range of local organisations including Andover Vision to help them achieve this.

Portfolio holder for Community and Leisure, Councilor Ian Jeffrey, said: “We want to be able to continue offering a range of green spaces to provide places for fun, recreation and health, as well as high-quality environments for our wildlife.

“The voice of our communities is absolutely key and that’s why we need to capture your opinions for such an important document as we shape our green space network for the next ten years.”

Residents can have their say before October 23 by emailing greenspacestrategy@testvalley.gov.uk.