Ipswich outperforms many parts of the country for waterside access

Why it matters: Regular access to water can improve physical and mental health and wellbeing, according to the Canal and Rivers Trust, which called for England's waterways to be better protected.

The details: New data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs shows that out of the 62,784 households in Ipswich, 30% have "substantial" access to blue space – meaning people can walk to a publicly accessible river, sea, lake or canal within 15 minutes.

To qualify for this, the blue space must be at least half a hectare in area or can be walked alongside for a minimum distance of 250 metres.

A separate, less stringent definition shows 62% of households in Ipswich have access to any sort of blue space, outside of these criteria.

Oliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk

The bigger picture: A spokesperson for the Canal and Rivers Trust said: "The UK is in 14th place in the European League table across all three metrics of greatest biodiversity loss, lowest nature connectedness and highest wellbeing inequalities.

"Our canals can help address all these challenges, providing free, open access to nature and waterside locations near the homes of over nine million people across England and Wales."

By the numbers: Across England, these figures were higher for those in urban areas (30%) than in rural ones (21%). However, this trend was reversed when considering the broader definition of blue space, at 94% for rural areas and 85% for urban.

What they're saying: The Rivers Trust called on the Government to provide funding for landowners to provide better access to rivers, to "improve river health and bolster the wellbeing benefits that these spaces can provide recreational users."

A Defra spokesperson said: "Our rivers, lakes and seas across the country are a great source of pride. That's why we are taking urgent action to clean them up for good and will create nine new National River Walks, so more people can experience the benefits of our beautiful waters."

The bottom line: While Ipswich residents enjoy better-than-average access to waterside spaces, the push for cleaner rivers and new walking routes could further boost the health benefits for local communities.