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Home > Council & Democracy > Councillors and How the Council Works > Meeting documentation

Meeting documents

Cabinet
Wednesday, 7th March, 2007

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Bath & North East Somerset Council

MEETING:

Council Executive

MEETING DATE:

7th March 2007

AGENDA ITEM NUMBER

13

TITLE:

Bath & North East Somerset Green Space Strategy

EXECUTIVE FORWARD PLAN REFERENCE:

E

1581

WARD:

All

AN OPEN PUBLIC ITEM

List of attachments to this report:

Green Space Strategy Executive Summary

Draft Green Space Consultation Responses

Action Plan taken from the Strategy

This very large document will be placed at the Council's Public Inspection Points and can also be seen on the Council's web site: www.bathnes.gov.uk/BathNES/environmentandplanning/parksandopenspaces/consult.htm

1. THE ISSUE

1.1 This report sets out the reasons why the Council needs to adopt the first Green Space Strategy for the District and the benefits of doing so in terms of service delivery and improvements.

2. RECOMMENDATION

The Council Executive resolves that:

2.1 The Green Space Strategy is adopted as a corporate strategy and approves the action plan (attachment)

3.  FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

3.1 Adoption of the strategy will provide a framework to effectively co-ordinate Council resources and funding bids for green spaces. It will also assist other owners of publicly accessible green space to manage their spaces to the full benefit of all users. The Strategy also provides a mechanism for generating financial contributions from developers via planning obligations in relation to the provision of new green spaces and the improvement of existing facilities.

3.2 Failure to adopt the Green Space Strategy will undermine the Council's ability to achieve the above.

3.3 The parts of the Action Plan that are to be led by the Council will be largely delivered via existing revenue budgets. This will be supplemented in places by the utilisation of Section 106 monies (where appropriate) and bids for capital funds or external grants.

4. COMMUNITY STRATEGY OUTCOMES

Promoting a 'sense of place' so people identify with and take pride in our communities - many of the actions set out in the Strategy are based around closer working with local communities and developing neighbourhood identity through improving the quality of green spaces.

Celebrating the contributions people from different backgrounds and with different experiences can make, and promoting equality of opportunity - the strategy sets out the additional work required around developing community involvement and ownership of green spaces, along with proposing minimum standards for the quantity, distribution and quality of green space provision across the district.

Sharing resources, working together, and finding new ways of doing things - in addition to closer working with communities the strategy advocates the possibility of `self management' of facilities, for example allotments.

Building communities where people feel safe and secure - the strategy advocates closer working with other agencies to reduce the perception and effects of crime and anti social behaviour within green spaces.

Taking responsibility for our environment and natural resources now and over the long term - the strategy advocates the assessment of all green spaces to ensure that they contribute as much as possible to local biodiversity and sustainability.

Improving local opportunities for learning and gaining skills - the strategy sets out the need for an interpretation and information framework to enhance the benefit visitors gain from green spaces. The strategy also recommends the investigation of the benefits of making provision for environmental education within green spaces.

Improving our local economy - there is well documented evidence that good quality green space as aspired to in the strategy can improve the performance of the local economy.

Improving our local environment - the strategy includes many measures for improving aspects of the local environment, the most significant being a programme of review of the management of all green spaces.

Improving our local health and social care - most people already understand the link between green space use and health. However, for those that do not, the strategy sets out a need for a marketing framework to help promote the benefits of green spaces.

5. CORPORATE IMPROVEMENT PRIORITIES

Reducing fear of crime - the strategy advocates closer working with other agencies to reduce the perception and effects of crime and anti social behaviour within green spaces.

Promoting independence of older people - the strategy sets out a target to prepare an access policy for green spaces to ensure equality of access for all. This will particularly benefit older people and members of the community with disabilities.

Improving life chances for disadvantaged teenagers - the strategy recognises that there are generally poor levels of provision for young people within green spaces, and sets out minimum standards for the provision of facilities for this age group as well as advocating a review of existing facilities.

Improving the environment for learning - the strategy sets out the need for an interpretation and information framework to enhance the benefit visitors gain from green spaces. The strategy also recommends the investigation of the benefits of making provision for environmental education within green spaces.

Cultural Development - the strategy looks at the relationship between culture and green spaces and many of the actions within it will have a positive impact on culture.

Improving the public realm - green spaces are a significant part of the public realm so the standards set out in the strategy will help to improve the public realm overall.

Improving customer satisfaction - the strategy has been developed based on strong market research and consultation and its implementation will see improved customer satisfaction.

6. CPA KEY LINES OF ENQUIRY

Ambition for the community - i.e. What the council, together with its partners, is trying to achieve - the strategy sets standards for the quantity, distribution and quality of green space giving an overview of where new or improved green spaces and associated facilities are most needed. However, a great deal of flexibility has been built into the standards so that they can be used to deliver what local people want.

Prioritisation of ambitions - the strategy sets out a new way of delivering green spaces with a much greater degree of community involvement. The strategy itself has developed a hierarchy of provision so is a useful tool for determining relative priorities.

Increasing capacity of the council to deliver ambition for the Community to ensure we achieve what we say we will - the strategy advocates a greater emphasis on community engagement in the management of green spaces.

Managing performance of community ambition to ensure we achieve what we say we will - guidance and support will be given to the community to ensure that as ambition develops it is founded on what is achievable.

Creating and developing a better quality of life for the area through

o Sustainable Communities and Transport - the minimum green space standards will be applied to all new development to help ensure that sustainable communities are achieved.

o Safer and Stronger Communities - greater community cohesion will be achieved through closer working with local people and other agencies.

o Healthier Communities - most people already understand the link between green space use and health. However, for those that do not, the strategy sets out a need for a marketing framework to help promote the benefits of green spaces.

Improving engagement with and a range of services for Older People and Children and Young People - good quality green spaces provide a range of services for the target groups and the strategy sets out a mechanism for the review and improvement of them, along with ways of improving engagement and involvement with the groups.

7. THE REPORT

7.1 The Green Space Strategy has been written in response to a number of local and national strategies and policies. The main external pressure has come from:

D8 The Audit Commission Best Value Review Inspection Report on Leisure Time in Bath & North East Somerset

D8 Government guidance contained in Planning Policy Guidance Note 17

7.2 The Strategy reviews:

D8 Local peoples' views on the current provision of green space in the area

D8 The current quantity, distribution and quality of green space provision

D8 Existing local and national policy affecting green spaces

7.3 The Strategy looks at all freely accessible green space, regardless of owner or manager, and divides it into 3 land types. These land types are formal green spaces (parks, gardens, recreation grounds and open spaces), natural green spaces (woodland, natural and semi natural areas) and allotments. A separate strategy is also being developed for built sports facilities.

7.4 The main outcome from the work has been the development of local standards for the quantity, distribution and quality of green space along with a comprehensive action plan to address all of the major issues that arose during the strategy development process.

7.5 The local standards will be used in two main ways in the future. Firstly to determine the levels of green space provision that should be made in all future planning applications. This provision could be on or off site, depending on the needs of the particular area. The Green Space Strategy provides further guidance on the operation of Policies in the Local Plan on the provision of recreational open space. Policy SR.3 in the Local Plan sets a standard for children's play space and for outdoor sports facilities but not for other recreational uses. The Green Space Strategy takes a different approach and sets a combined standard for formal recreational open space provision. It will therefore be a material consideration in relation to the standards for children's play space and for outdoor sports facilities and it provides more specific guidance on the standard of provision of other recreational uses.

7.6 Secondly, the local standards will be used to identify where there is a deficiency in existing quantity, distribution or quality of green space. This will help to determine where new provision is needed and will help support funding bids.

7.7 The final chapter of the Strategy sets out an action plan for the delivery of these new standards and other major issues that arose during the development of the Strategy. The actions come under 5 main headings:

D8 Strategic Management - issues of a strategic nature with implications beyond this Council's own green spaces.

D8 Service Management - issues relating specifically to the management of this Council's own green space network.

D8 Site Management - issues relating to the management of individual sites.

D8 Community Issues - issues with a particular focus on community interest.

D8 Resources and Opportunities - issues around funding and other potential resources.

8. RISK MANAGEMENT

The report author and Lead Executive member have fully reviewed the risk assessment related to the issue and recommendations, in compliance with the Council's decision making risk management guidance.

9. RATIONALE

The Council needs a framework for assessing the adequacy of green space provision, to ensure that equal access exists across the District. In addition, Planning Policy Guidance Note 17 places a requirement on Local Planning Authorities to undertake a robust assessment of green space and to develop local standards of provision, in order to justify requirements placed on developers. Without the strategy and its local standards there would be no framework to ensure equal access to green space and the Council could be challenged by a developer if he felt that any requirements placed on him were unfair.

10. OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED

Given the need to develop the Green Space Strategy as outlined above, no other options were considered appropriate.

During the process of developing the Strategy options have been considered on a wide range of issues e.g. determining land typologies and setting provision standards. These options have derived from guidance, observation and feedback from consultation. In these circumstances all options have been considered before a decision has been made.

11. CONSULTATION

11.1 Public and stakeholder involvement has been crucial in the development of the Green Space Strategy. Groups involved have included: All Bath & North East Somerset Councillors; All Town and Parish Councils; Education Youth Culture and Leisure Overview & Scrutiny Panel; Staff; Other B&NES Services; Service Users; Local Residents; Community Interest Groups; Youth Council; Stakeholders/Partners; Other Public Sector Bodies;

11.2 During the early stages of the strategy development, extensive market research was undertaken to establish views on the adequacy of existing green space provision. The market research took the following forms:

D8 Asking Parish and Town Councils what provision existed in their areas and what their perception was of local views and demand

D8 Holding focus groups in Bath, Keynsham and Norton Radstock to gain an early insight into local people's views and to help shape the questions to be asked during later on-street surveys

D8 Undertaking detailed on-street surveys across the District

D8 Using a simplified version of the on-street survey to send to various groups in the district in order to give broad representation of a range of equalities groups

11.3 Feedback received during this early market research was used to develop the emerging strategy and directly impacted on the way that the land types were developed and the final local standards.

11.4 Once the strategy development was completed there was a public consultation on the proposed Green Space Strategy which took place over four weeks commencing on Monday 24th November 2006 with responses required by 4.30 pm on Friday 22nd December.

11.5 During this time the consultation documents and details on how to make a response were available at Council Offices in Bath (Trimbridge House), Keynsham (Riverside) and Midsomer Norton (The Hollies). They were also available at Bath Central, Saltford and Radstock libraries and on the Bath & North East Somerset web site. The start of the consultation was highlighted by a press release and featured on the web site homepage and in the Council's electronic newsletter `Inform'.

11.6 To capture as wide as possible a range of views about the proposed Strategy, all Elected Members and Town and Parish Councils were advised on the consultation, along with over 200 organisations or `stakeholders'. In addition, all of the equalities groups that had been involved in the earlier market research were also advised of the consultation.

11.7 In addition to public and stakeholder consultation, many Officers within the Council were made aware of the draft strategy and asked to distribute the web site link to other Officers within their respective service areas that may have an interest in it.

11.8 Feedback received during this period of consultation did not have a significant impact on the final strategy document but was used to refine some points in the action plan and in particular will influence some of the work involved in delivering the action plan.

12. ISSUES TO CONSIDER IN REACHING THE DECISION

12.1 Social Inclusion; Customer Focus; Sustainability; Human Resources; Property; Young People; Equality (age, race, disability, religion/belief, gender, sexual orientation)

13. ADVICE SOUGHT

13.1 The Council's Monitoring Officer (Council Solicitor) and Section 151 Officer (Strategic Director - Support Services) have had the opportunity to input to this report and have cleared it for publication.

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Contact person

Matthew Smith - Assistant Director Environmental Services

Sponsoring Executive Member

Cllr Paul Crossley

Background papers

None

Please contact the report author if you need to access this report in an alternative format

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