Maidstone Borough Council June 2016 Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy www.maidstone.gov.uk Table of Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 3 1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 8 What is green and blue infrastructure? ............................................................................... 8 Why does Maidstone Borough need a green and blue infrastructure strategy? .. 8 What is the purpose of the green and blue infrastructure strategy? ....................... 9 How was the Strategy produced? .......................................................................................... 9 2. Policy context ........................................................................................................................ 10 European context ....................................................................................................................... 10 National context .......................................................................................................................... 11 How can Planning support the green and blue infrastructure strategy? .............. 14 How can green and blue infrastructure support local strategies? ........................... 15 Supporting adjoining green and blue infrastructure strategies ............................... 19 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 20 3. Vision and objectives .......................................................................................................... 21 4. Understanding Maidstone Borough’s existing green and blue infrastructure resources ........................................................................................................................................... 23 Existing green and blue infrastructure resources .......................................................... 23 Overview ........................................................................................................................................ 23 Landscape character ................................................................................................................. 23 Habitats .......................................................................................................................................... 28 Heritage Assets ........................................................................................................................... 35 Publicly accessible green space ............................................................................................ 38 Amenity green space ................................................................................................................ 41 Provision for children and young people ........................................................................... 44 Natural and semi-natural green space .............................................................................. 46 Allotments and community gardens ................................................................................... 49 Outdoor sports facilities ........................................................................................................... 51 Green and blue corridors ......................................................................................................... 53 Private green spaces ................................................................................................................. 53 Open Spaces Quality Audit ..................................................................................................... 53 Assessment of current deficiencies in accessible open space provision ............... 54 Blue infrastructure: rivers and waterbodies .................................................................... 61 Sustainable movement links .................................................................................................. 66 Community involvement and education ............................................................................ 68 Key issues ..................................................................................................................................... 69 The impact of climate change ............................................................................................... 69 Gaps in the connectivity of green and blue infrastructure resources and inequalities in accessibility to public open space ........................................................... 72 Landscape and townscape quality ....................................................................................... 75 Water and air quality ................................................................................................................ 77 Health inequalities ..................................................................................................................... 78 The need to accommodate development to meet the projected needs of the community .................................................................................................................................... 79 5. Key Principles and Opportunities ................................................................................... 81 Mitigating and adapting to climate change ...................................................................... 81 Integrating sustainable movement and access for all ................................................. 85 Promoting a distinctive townscape and landscape ........................................................ 88 Maintaining and enhancing biodiversity, water and air quality ................................ 92 Providing opportunities for sport, recreation, quiet enjoyment and health ........ 97 Providing community involvement and opportunities for education .................... 100 Retaining and enhancing a quality environment for investment and through development............................................................................................................................... 103 Integrating Proposals for Maidstone Borough’s green and blue infrastructure 105 6. Delivering the strategy .................................................................................................... 106 Delivery Framework ................................................................................................................ 106 Proposed delivery structure ................................................................................................. 108 Neighbouring authorities ....................................................................................................... 108 Review .......................................................................................................................................... 108 Appendix 1: Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy Delivery Framework ...... 109 Appendix 2: Strategies which help support green and blue infrastructure ....... 116 Appendix 3: List of legislation, strategies, documents, projects and organisations referenced in the strategy ........................................................................ 123 2 Executive Summary 1. Introduction • Outlines what green and blue infrastructure is. • Why Maidstone Borough needs a green and blue infrastructure strategy. • The purpose of the green and blue infrastructure strategy. • How the Strategy was produced. 2. Policy Context The legislative frameworks for elements of green and blue infrastructure are reviewed: • European Context: EU green infrastructure strategy 2013, European Landscape Convention, Habitats Directive and Water Framework Directive. • National Context: Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Countryside and Rights of way Act (2000), Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (2006), Flood and Water Act (2010), National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2012, Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) (2016 update) and Sport England’s planning objectives. The contribution that green spaces and the water environment can make to other strategies is also examined including how Planning can support the green and blue infrastructure strategy. An important role is identified for the Local Plan (2016) to secure new green and blue infrastructure to serve new development. It sets out how planning policy and decisions should ensure that development is well located and designed to protect and enhance the natural features of a site and the local landscape character. The strategy aims to be closely integrated with the following local strategies: Visions for Kent 2012-22, Growing the Garden of England: A strategy for environment and economy in Kent 2011, Kent Nature and Biodiversity Partnerships including the Maidstone Biodiversity Strategy, the Countryside and Coastal Access Improvement Plan 2013-2017, Maidstone Integrated Transport Strategy 2016 and the Sustainable Community Strategy for Maidstone. It points out that the borough’s landscape, habitats and public rights of way do not stop at the administrative boundary and it is vital that this strategy responds to and influence the approach to the green and blue infrastructure in the surrounding area. 3 3. Vision and Objectives The Strategy sets out a vision for the borough’s green and blue infrastructure for