Towards a Green Infrastructure Strategy for

Wycombe Local Committee 19 July 2007 contact officer: Philip Bowsher Telephone: 01296 382389

1 Purpose of report

a To inform Local Committee members of the County Council’s work in preparing a green infrastructure strategy for Buckinghamshire.

b To give Local Committee members the opportunity to comment on this work and obtain more information on what is meant by green infrastructure and the reasons for preparing a strategy.

c To invite Local Committee members to complete a brief feedback questionnaire on local green infrastructure interests so that these comments can be fed into and inform the strategy.

2 Proposed action

d Local Committee members are invited to:

i. NOTE the work in progress by the County Council to prepare a Green Infrastructure Strategy for Buckinghamshire ii. COMMENT on green infrastructure interests and related issues within the Local Committee’s area iii. COMPLETE and return a brief Green Infrastructure Feedback Questionnaire Form

e The comments and feedback provided will inform the development of the Green Infrastructure Strategy, which we hope to complete during the course of this Financial Year.

3 Supporting information

What is Green Infrastructure?

f For members who are not familiar with the term, ‘Green Infrastructure’ refers to the network of ‘greenspaces’ and links that help to sustain our environment and add to our quality of life. It is a broad term encompassing ‘managed greenspaces’ (such as urban parks, country parks and designed historic parklands), ‘natural greenspaces’ (areas colonised by plants and animals and dominated by natural processes, nature reserves, etc) and ‘green corridors and links’ (footpaths,

cycleways and waterways, canals, etc). It also includes areas such as restored gravel pits, reservoirs, commons and so on. In its broadest sense it also includes the countryside around towns, especially where this is accessible via footpaths and other routes. g Overall, the network of green infrastructure provides a wide range of benefits serve many functions. As well as contributing to the quality of the environment and character of place, green infrastructure provides opportunities for outdoor exercise (both formal sports and informal recreation) and the enjoyment of nature and heritage. It provides buffers between and around developments, serves functions such as land drainage, and routes such as green cycleways encourage sustainable transport. Green infrastructure also provides habitat for wildlife and often the network includes heritage sites such as old parklands, commons or archaeological features.

Why prepare a Green Infrastructure Strategy? h The concept of green infrastructure has been developed in recognition that this network of sites and links described above is essential to our quality of life and that a coordinated, planned approach is necessary to protect, maintain and where possible enhance it. Green infrastructure has to be planned and provided just as other forms of infrastructure (roads, hospitals, power, education and other community facilities) are. i The major catalyst behind the County Council’s decision to develop a green infrastructure strategy is its response to the Regional and Sub- regional planning agenda. The concept of green infrastructure was used initially to respond to the draft Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy (which includes District), with the result that the value and importance of green infrastructure has been recognised in the final Sub-Regional Strategy. Although the major catalyst to this is the growth agenda in Aylesbury Vale, the approach of green infrastructure planning is appropriate to apply across the whole County. j In October 2006, the County Council’s Cabinet decided to consolidate a number areas of related work and develop a green infrastructure strategy for Buckinghamshire. This was to ensure that “green infrastructure is given proper parity of importance within the spectrum of infrastructure requirements” for the County. A phase of technical work and consultation with agencies with a role in green infrastructure provision and management followed. This initial work enabled a structured response on green infrastructure to be made by the County Council to the Examination in Public on the Draft South East Plan in January 2007.

The role of the Local Area Committee

k We are now looking to move forward our work on developing the strategy by seeking the input of key local partners and stakeholders. The Local Area Committees have a vital role in this process to provide information and guidance on local green infrastructure interests and issues that our initial county-level technical and consultative work has not picked up.

The role of other partners and stakeholders

l We are also consulting in other ways. There are links between the development of the County Green Infrastructure Strategy and ’s Local Development Framework and the District Council’s strategy for its Open Spaces, and further contact with District Council officers is proposed to develop these links.

The possible format of the Green Infrastructure Strategy

m The completed strategy will provide a summary of the County’s green infrastructure resource, the issues and opportunities affecting it and broad framework and policy guidance on what is necessary to protect and maintain it. The strategy will also include a series of recommendations and proposals, which is likely to include the proposal to develop more detailed local area action plans, and also specific projects for delivery where these are highlighted as priority.

The Local Committee’s opportunity to comment

n Appendix A to this report gives a brief overview of the results of our work to date for Wycombe District and some suggestions on what may be included in the Green Infrastructure Strategy. These suggestions are provided for comment. Our technical work has resulted in a large amount of data, which it is not possible to include in full here although more information can be provided if requested. However, there is undoubtedly a lot of information we do not yet have and we hope further consultation will help address this.

o We would like Local Committee Members to provide comment and guidance on green infrastructure interests within the Wycombe local area to help inform and shape the County strategy. Some supplementary information will be circulated at the meeting. A brief Feedback Form will also be provided for Members to take away, complete and return.

Appendix A

Summary of Green Infrastructure in Wycombe District a Our technical work to date reveals that green infrastructure assets in Wycombe District can be summarised as follows:

i. Wycombe District is a primarily rural district with a large centre of population in High Wycombe and a number of smaller settlements including Princes Risborough, Stokenchurch, Marlow and Bourne End. A large part of the District is protected as Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or Metropolitan Green Belt.

ii. The District is rich in natural green infrastructure assets. Much of the District’s landscape is characteristic of the nationally recognised Chilterns, with a mosaic of habitats of wildlife value, including chalk downland, ancient woodland and chalk streams. The District is also rich in historic environment features, including ancient field and settlement patterns within the landscape, numerous historic parklands and ancient archaeological sites.

iii. The District has many accessible greenspaces over 2 hectares (4.8 acres) in size (sites managed for public access and enjoyment) and much of the District meets nationally recognised ‘Access to Natural Greenspace’ Standards. Relevant sites include the numerous sites managed by the District Council such as Brush Hill, Kingswood and the Warren Nature reserve, National Trust properties such as Hughenden and West Wycombe and sites like Whiteleaf Hill (Bucks County Council). There is also an extensive network of Rights of Way, which gives access into the rural areas. This includes a number of promoted routes such as the Ridgeway National Trail and numerous local routes.

Issues and opportunities b Issues relevant to green infrastructure in the area include:

i. The District displays a relatively rich network of green infrastructure, due to its natural landscape character, which includes the nationally protected Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Many sites are designated for their wildlife or historic value and contain special features that require positive management if they are to be sustained.

ii. The District’s residents have a relatively good provision of local accessible greenspaces compared to residents in other parts of Buckinghamshire, with these sites managed by a number of public and charitable organisations.

iii. The Chilterns AONB and numerous important sites of conservation value are close to the urban area of High Wycombe. This is beneficial

for residents of the town to have access to high quality countryside and greenspace close at hand, whilst also requiring a managed approach to avoid encroachment or pressure on these attractive and important areas.

iv. There are some areas, such as the areas of gravel workings near Marlow that provide opportunities for enhancement as green infrastructure.

What a strategy for green infrastructure in Wycombe District might include c The results from our work so far recommend a Green Infrastructure Strategy in Wycombe District include:

i. The partnership for the Chilterns AONB, led by the Chilterns Conservation Board, provides an existing and effective mechanism to promote the conservation of much of the District’s green infrastructure. The Green Infrastructure Strategy should link to the Chilterns AONB Management Plan, which is the lead document for the protected area.

ii. The strategy should promote understanding of the high quality local environment and green infrastructure resource across the District, promoting use of information held on wildlife, landscape and archaeology and linking to existing mechanisms such as the Biodiversity Action Plan, which has highlighted large parts of the district as Areas of Opportunity for Biodiversity (nature conservation).

iii. The strategy should seek to improve the condition, quality and access routes for residents to existing areas of greenspace in locations where there is greatest demand and need. It should seek to support and add value to the work of existing bodies and organisations managing these areas, encouraging cooperation and joint working.

iv. The strategy should link with the District’s Council’s Open Spaces Strategy.

v. The key access sites across the district should be promoted and where necessary developed as gateways into the wider area, providing routes and information to encourage use and enjoyment of the network of green infrastructure, rather than collecting around key sites that may act as ‘honey pots’, becoming overused.

vi. The strategy should promote the development of areas such as the Marlow Gravel Pits as green infrastructure.