The report ‘Is Walking a Miracle Cure?’ launched last week at the group’s National Walking Summit in Manchester.

It calls for an increase in ‘social prescribing’ by General Practitioners, with emphasis on encouraging walking in parks and green spaces. It also urges walking to be promoted for disabled people or those with long term health conditions as part of health checks.

Living Streets chief executive Joe Irvin told the conference: “Walking every day is the most likely way all adults can achieve recommended levels of physical activity.”

The group’s chair Dame Jane Roberts said: “We are facing a physical inactivity crisis with obesity levels at a record high and increasing concerns about mental ill health problems.”

She added that, with the UK facing climate change and air pollution challenges, “walking is the free, easy and accessible solution. Why would we not do more of it?”

The report also calls on the Government to require schools to adopt the Department for Education’s healthy schools rating scheme with a view to increasing active travel among children.

New housing developments should be assessed against a checklist to ensure services, leisure and employment opportunities are within walking distance, the public realm is attractive to pedestrians and there are frequent public transport connections, it adds.

A further recommendation is to amend transport appraisal tools so that all schemes are evaluated against their contribution to wider policy goals including improving health and air quality and reducing emissions.

It also urges the Government to fund more low traffic neighbourhood initiatives, to extend the Healthy Streets approach beyond London and to set stricter air quality targets in line with World Health Organization guidelines.

(Photograph: Alastair Lloyd)