SUMMARY JANUARY 2021 NORTH SOMERSET COUNCIL Green Infrastructure Strategy Parks Beaches Green spaces Countryside Waterways Wildlife 2 Our parks, beaches, green spaces, wildlife, countryside, public rights of way and waterways are precious, and we have prepared this new strategy to help to protect and enhance them. 3 Green Infrastructure Strategy Contents What is Green Infrastructure? 5 Why do we need a strategy? 6 Aims, vision and objectives 8 Our green infrastructure 10 Green infrastructure opportunities 15 Action Plan 27 The information in this summary document has been drawn from a much wider piece of work that includes the data which underpins the maps shown in this summary; a more detailed analysis of North Somerset’s GI; and wide ranging information about GI in general. It is the detailed report that will underpin the way the Council manages GI across North Somerset. View document > Summary January 2021 4 What is Green Infrastructure? Green infrastructure is a technical term that we use as shorthand to describe how we will look after these spaces. We have adopted this definition below to help explain in more detail what we mean. Green infrastructure is a strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural areas with other environmental features designed and managed to deliver a wide range of benefits (typically called ecosystem services) such as water purification, air quality, biodiversity, space for recreation and climate This network of green (land) and blue (water) spaces can improve mitigation and adaptation. environmental conditions and therefore citizens’ health and quality of life. It also supports a green economy, creates job opportunities and enhances biodiversity. 5 Green Infrastructure Strategy Why do we need a Green Infrastructure Strategy? North Somerset Council has recognised how important the natural environment is for local residents, visitors and businesses through its vision of an open, fairer, greener North Somerset; and in actions such as the climate and nature emergency policies and the introduction of rewilding. COVID has also demonstrated how important our communities value open space. More widely a West of England Joint Green Infrastructure Strategy has been published and the government’s Environment Bill is currently going through Parliament. The purpose of the Strategy is therefore to These ecosystem services include pollination help ensure that the agenda around green and food production, timber production, climate infrastructure is delivered effectively in North regulation, air and water quality regulation, Somerset. The strategy will help to protect high flood protection, maintenance of biodiversity quality and replace poorly performing GI, and space for recreation (to name a few). whilst enhancing other areas where possible Ecosystem services are essential to the survival within North Somerset, in order to maximise the of humanity, and in tackling priorities such multiple benefits (ecosystem services) that the as the health and wellbeing of individuals natural environment provides. and communities, and the nature and climate emergency. Summary January 2021 6 GI provides the way to secure and maximise By protecting, reconnecting and enhancing Simply put, the protection, multiple benefits (ecosystem services) through green infrastructure, we can help ensure that enhancement and provision a multi- functional, connected network of green a network of healthy ecosystems and semi- space and features. The protection, provision natural areas are able to flourish. It will also of GI should ensure that green and enhancement of GI is essential in meeting help ensure that ecosystems keep providing spaces are bigger, better and multiple national and local priorities and policy and supporting biodiversity and deliver their more joined up which will help areas, including tackling the nature and climate many vital services such as clean air and water, emergency and health and wellbeing. flood prevention, crop pollination, carbon us all address the Climate and storage, and improved health and well-being. Nature emergency in North Agricultural management, climate change, This requires careful planning and coordinated Somerset. hydrological change, urbanisation, pollution, action to achieve a balanced system of woodland management and invasive non- protection, sustainable use and management native species are among the most significant of at local, regional, national and international pressures acting upon land-based and freshwater levels. wildlife. These pressures continue to cause the loss of biodiversity and degradation of ecosystems. 7 Green Infrastructure Strategy Aim, Vision and Objectives The overall aim of the Strategy is to protect We have summarised our plans into this vision: We have adopted the same eight objectives and enhance the GI network within North as the West of England in its joint GI strategy, Somerset, in order to maximise the multiple By 2030 our green to ensure an integrated approach across the benefits (ecosystem services) that the natural region, which will help create better GI environment delivers, which are essential to infrastructure will be: the survival and wellbeing of humanity, and contributing to a carbon neutral also in helping to tackle the nature and climate community; biodiversity will emergency. It aims to raise awareness of the have measurably increased; importance and multiple benefits of GI and sets out actions (within an Action Plan) that can be and health and wellbeing will undertaken by the Council and partners to both be improved. protect and enhance GI. Summary January 2021 8 In recognition of the wider benefits of an extended green infrastructure network these have been adopted as objectives for this strategy, and are as follows: 1. Improved and better-connected improving connectivity to reduce the loss 7. Support sustainable and local food ecological networks: protect, enhance and quality of aquatic habitats and wildlife. production: Increase opportunities for and expand coherent, thriving and resilient local food production in urban and rural ecological networks that deliver net gains 4. Health and wellbeing for all: Improve areas and increase food sovereignty by, in biodiversity and ecosystem services, the network of active travel routes and for example, protecting the best and most including the creation of bigger, better, accessibility to green spaces to support versatile agricultural land and enhancing more and joined-up woodland, grassland healthy lifestyles and mental wellbeing, and our pollinator network. and wetland habitats to achieve the provide more opportunities for people to ambitions of the West of England Nature connect with landscape and nature, and 8. Build a resilient economy: Create Recovery Network. addressing inequalities in provision. attractive areas for investment and job creation and support the environmental 2. Greater resilience to climate 5. Create and maintain sustainable resilience of economic sites by enhancing change: Provide natural solutions to build places: New development which Green Infrastructure relating to housing, resilience against the impacts of climate maximises the multiple benefits of Green businesses and other associated change including use of well-designed Infrastructure in delivering resilient, healthy infrastructure. Green Infrastructure to stabilise slopes and and environmentally friendly places and a attenuate flood water, absorb carbon, and net gain in natural capital by investing in increased use of trees to reduce urban Green Infrastructure for the long term. heating. 6. Create and maintain valued healthy 3. Sustainable water management: landscape: Design and deliver high Optimise and improve the use of Green quality Green Infrastructure that improves Infrastructure to deliver an improved water local sense of place and protects and environment by working with natural enhances landscape character and the processes to help reduce flood risk, manage natural, cultural and heritage services that drought, improve water quality and they provide. 9 Green Infrastructure Strategy Our green infrastructure Our Strategy identifies and maps the key This strategy will not be finalised until after strategic features and corridors within North an 8 week consultation period has enabled a Somerset and identifies opportunities for range of views to be heard and considered and improving their connectivity and quality/ additional factual information provided. functionality, for both people and wildlife. It provides a joined-up approach with the other We have used this mapping to identify West of England local authorities (Bristol City, opportunities for improvement especially Bath and North East Somerset and South around the following: Gloucestershire) recognising that GI networks, ● Connectivity – opportunities for including habitats and species, strategic access addressing gaps in the network for both routes, and watercourses operate across habitats for biodiversity/wildlife and access boundaries, and at multiple scales. for people We have identified and assessed GI using ● Quality – opportunities for quality existing maps of local green infrastructure from improvements to enhance the GI network a range of sources (e.g. the West of England Nature Partnership, Environment Agency, ● Access – an assessment of access to Natural England, Avon Wildlife Trust). The publicly accessible open space. mapping has focused on areas of high quality (e.g. statutory and non-statutory designated Figure 1 below provides an overview