Outdoor Recreation is now an indicator of success for Programme for Government (N.Ireland)

The Northern Ireland Executive has formally launched the Programme for Government (PfG) 2024-2027, setting out key priorities for improving health, wellbeing, the environment, and community resilience. A significant milestone for outdoor recreation is the inclusion of the new Outdoor Recreation Indicator in the PfG’s Wellbeing Framework, ensuring greenspace access is now formally recognised as a key measure to ensure ‘we live and work sustainably – protecting, improving and enjoying the environment.’  

Programme for Government 2024-2027 ‘Our Plan: Doing What Matters Most’

Outdoor Recreation’s Role in Delivering PfG Priorities

The inclusion of outdoor recreation in the Wellbeing Framework highlights its cross-cutting benefits and its contribution to key PfG priorities: 

• Health & Wellbeing – Outdoor activity, particularly walking in nature, improves physical and mental health while tackling health inequalities. 

• Sustainable Environment & Green Growth – Encouraging responsible outdoor access helps foster environmental awareness and supports the transition to net-zero. 

• Community & Social Inclusion – Safe, accessible outdoor spaces build resilient communities, enhance connectivity, and enable sustainable travel via off-road walking and cycling networks. 

The Outdoor Recreation Indicator: Measuring Proximity to Greenspace

The Outdoor Recreation Indicator measures the percentage of households with accessible natural space within 400 metres. It covers publicly accessible spaces of at least two hectares, as well as off-road trails across Northern Ireland. These include parks, forests, beaches, and trails where public access is permitted by landowners, spanning both urban and rural settings. 

This important indicator reflects the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) target of achieving an ‘Annual increase in % of households that have publicly accessible quality natural space >2ha within 400m’. The long-term goal is that by 2050, 84% of households will be within 400m. 

The GreenspaceNI Map: Enabling Accurate Measurement

The GreenspaceNI Map—a first-of-its-kind—enables accurate measurement of this milestone indicator. Developed and maintained by Outscape, the map provides a comprehensive picture of publicly accessible green and blue spaces and trails across Northern Ireland. 

The map developed on behalf of the Strategic Outdoor Recreation Group was made possible through grant aid investment from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), and Sport Northern Ireland (SNI). It was created with input from nearly 30 landowners and organisations to ensure high-quality, harmonised data on greenspaces. 

To conduct the proximity analysis, access point data was collected for each greenspace. These points were then used for network analysis, allowing precise calculation of greenspace accessibility. The latest analysis shows that 47.3% of households in Northern Ireland currently meet the 400m proximity target. 

The Challenge Ahead

Outscape Chairperson, Dawson Stelfox has welcomed the indicator but recognises the challenge ahead by commenting “The inclusion of the Outdoor Recreation Indicator is a major step forward in recognising the value of access to natural spaces, but significant work remains to ensure annual progress in greenspace and trail accessibility. As a strategic leader for outdoor recreation in Northern Ireland, Outscape is committed to working with the Northern Ireland Executive, local authorities, and stakeholders to achieve this goal.”