https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/2165401/countryside-be-made-less-white
The article, written by Michael D. Carroll, reports on UK government initiatives led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to increase ethnic diversity in England's countryside and national landscapes (formerly Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, or AONBs). It frames these efforts as an attempt to make rural areas "less white" by addressing barriers that make ethnic minorities, particularly from Pakistani and Bangladeshi Muslim communities, feel unwelcome—such as in traditional pubs.
The push originates from a 2019 review by Julian Glover (commissioned by Defra), which described national landscapes as an "exclusive, mainly white, mainly middle-class club" funded by all taxpayers but inaccessible to diverse groups. The report warns: "Our countryside will end up being irrelevant to the country that actually exists" as society becomes more multicultural, and calls for "new long-term programmes to increase the ethnic diversity of visitors." A 2022 follow-up report (costing £108,000), titled "Improving the ethnic diversity of visitors to England's protected landscapes," found that ethnic minorities perceive the countryside as a "white space" tied to "white English culture," leading to exclusion. Specific issues include:
Summary of "Countryside to be made 'less white' as Muslims feel unwelcome in pubs" (Express.co.uk, February 2, 2026)
The article, written by Michael D. Carroll, reports on UK government initiatives led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to increase ethnic diversity in England's countryside and national landscapes (formerly Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, or AONBs). It frames these efforts as an attempt to make rural areas "less white" by addressing barriers that make ethnic minorities, particularly from Pakistani and Bangladeshi Muslim communities, feel unwelcome—such as in traditional pubs.
The push originates from a 2019 review by Julian Glover (commissioned by Defra), which described national landscapes as an "exclusive, mainly white, mainly middle-class club" funded by all taxpayers but inaccessible to diverse groups. The report warns: "Our countryside will end up being irrelevant to the country that actually exists" as society becomes more multicultural, and calls for "new long-term programmes to increase the ethnic diversity of visitors." A 2022 follow-up report (costing £108,000), titled "Improving the ethnic diversity of visitors to England's protected landscapes," found that ethnic minorities perceive the countryside as a "white space" tied to "white English culture," leading to exclusion. Specific issues include:
- Rural facilities like pubs emphasizing drinking culture and limited food options, making Muslims feel unwelcome.
- First-generation immigrants lacking connections to UK nature due to safety concerns or survival priorities in previous generations.
- Preferences differing by group: White English visitors favor solitude, while ethnic minorities prefer social outings with family or friends.