Rotherham in top five places for access to gardens and parks, research finds

The borough came fourth in the research by home improvements firm Eurocell, which looked at factors homebuyers take into account when searching for properties.

These included access to private gardens and proximity to public parks, with Chesterfield coming top of the pile and Rotherham fourth behind Mansfield and Telford.

Ninety-five per cent of homes and flats in Rotherham have private outdoor space, with the average distance to a park or playing field being 320 metres.

And of all the borough’s homes advertised for sale on Rightmove, more than 92 per cent have their own gardens.

RMBC leader Cllr Chris Read said: “Residents tell us again and again that access to green spaces is one of the best things about life in the borough, and we're blessed with the award-winning Clifton Park, Green Flag-awarded sites at Ulley, Greasbrough and Rother Valley, plus scores of other local sites.

“It's great to see this national recognition of these important local assets that make such a difference to the quality of life here but which have often been overlooked.”

Residents in Salford are likely to experience the biggest deficit in green space, and face the greatest challenge when seeking out green space, the research found.

Manchester was just ahead, with the second lowest percentage of homes and flats with outdoor space in the UK at 79 per cent. Homes in Manchester also had some of the smallest sizes of gardens.