Greenspace Establishment on Brownfield Land
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Greenspace Establishment 231 Corstorphine Road on Brownfield Land: Edinburgh EH12 7AT the Site Selection and www.forestry.gov.uk Investigation Process INFORMATIONNOTE BYKIERONDOICKANDTONYHUTCHINGSOFFORESTRESEARCH DECEMBER 2007 Forestry Commission SUMMARY ARCHIVE This Information Note describes investigation of brownfield land for potential redevelopment into greenspace. Written for site owners, foresters, planners, managers and consultants, it gives step-by-step guidance on site selection and evaluation. Brownfield sites are exemplified by site variability, soil infertility and hazards. An important objective of site evaluation is to identify and quantify potential risks and liabilities, such as contamination, that may be present on site. The presence of a significant pollutant linkage categorises a site as contaminated. The process of identifying and managing pollutant linkages is described. Importantly, the categorisation of contaminated land will not apply to all sites considered for greenspace establishment; examples of the opportunities to progress efficiently through site evaluation to greenspace establishment are given. It is important that key decisions are correct, accountable and substantiated. Attention should be given to the overall sustainability of the site including inclusive accessible use, sustainable establishment of vegetation, environmental protection and enhancement. The foundations of a quality greenspace establishment project are effective site selection and preparation; success will be manifested through site sustainability and local community involvement. INTRODUCTION urban, economic and social regeneration through greenspace establishment, for example through the Background Community Forest Partnership. A ‘soft’ end-use, greenspace can require less stringent remediation This Information Note describes a method for the selection objectives than the building of residential properties and investigation of brownfield sites for re-development (stringency increases in the order: industrial < open space into community greenspace. The term ‘brownfield’ describes < domestic). Furthermore, trees and plants have been ‘previously developed land’, which is defined as land which shown to demonstrate huge potential in the reclamation is or was occupied by a permanent structure (excluding and remediation of brownfield land (Hutchings, 2002). agricultural or forestry buildings) and associated fixed surface infrastructure (Department for Communities and Legislation Local Government, 2006). The establishment of greenspace on brownfield land can provide many social and Like other industrialised countries, the UK has a legacy of environmental benefits, such as opportunities to walk and urban and peri-urban brownfield sites, many of which are cycle, increased wildlife and flora, and reduction in noise potentially contaminated (Environment Agency, 2004) and air pollution. It can also contribute to the economic (see Defining Contaminated Land on page 4). Current regeneration of an area. Greenspace establishment embodies planning guidelines specify that the redevelopment of land the government’s drive towards sustainable development in England, Scotland and Wales must ensure ‘suitability (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2003; 2004). for use’. In other words, all risks at a site must be assessed and evaluated according to the intended use of the land. The national forest strategies for Scotland, England and Concurrently, Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Wales (Forestry Commission Scotland, 2006; Department Act 1990 (Department for Environment, Food and Rural for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 2007; Forestry Affairs, 2006) (subsequently referred to herein as Part IIA) Commission Wales, 2001) contain commitments to the requires all local authorities to inspect their area for regeneration of brownfield land into community contaminated land and to secure its remediation to a woodland and greenspace. Consequently, the Forestry condition that is suitable for current types of use based Commission is committed to the establishment of new upon ‘fitness for purpose’ principles. Part IIA was woodland and to delivering a comprehensive package of implemented in April 2000 in England, July 2000 in 1 FCIN091 Scotland and July 2001 in Wales. Importantly, not all sites concerned with the actions undertaken in Step 1 - site considered for re-development as greenspace will be identification and reclamation. Actions undertaken in defined as contaminated land. However, under current Steps 2–4 are discussed in brief to highlight that success at legislation an assessment is required to identify all of the each step is highly dependent upon the effectiveness of risks present at a site and those that may arise following preceding steps. An overview of each step is given below modification, alteration or management, for example as to outline the greenspace development process and to set community greenspace. the scene for this Information Note. Other legislation that should also be considered in re- Step 1 can be divided into: site identification and development of brownfield land includes statutory shortlisting according to local availability, project goals nuisance, food safety, health and safety, waste and landfill and regional priorities; evaluation of shortlisted sites legislation; and planning and development control (via the according to soil conditions, likely impacts of vegetation Department for Communities and Local Government). establishment, liabilities and risks, and remediation of Water legislation (including the Water Resources Act unacceptable risks. Alternatively, the site may be dropped 1991 and the Groundwater Regulations 1998) and the from the shortlist. Step 2 can be divided into consultation Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999 should also be of statutory and non-statutory stakeholders and design of considered in consultation with the Environment Agency the master plan for implementation. Step 3 is the (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, implementation step where the reclaimed site is 2006). regenerated into a greenspace. Delivery comprises civil engineering of infrastructure (and possibly buildings), Objectives of this Information Note provision of facilities and services (e.g. lighting), ground preparation, planting and fencing. Step 4 comprises The objectives of this Information Note are to highlight to management, monitoring and maintenance and the on- site owners, foresters, planners, managers and consultants: going processes of health and safety assessments, habitat care, community liaison and pest control. • the processes of site selection and investigation; • the importance of the site selection process, site SITEIDENTIFICATIONAND assessment, site evaluation and stakeholder involvement to successful greenspace establishment; SHORTLISTING There are many potentially suitable sites in the UK for re- • statutory obligations concerning protection of the development as greenspace and it is recommended that a environment, human health, property, water courses shortlist is made of the sites with the highest potential to and cultural and natural heritage; provide an optimal range of social, environmental and economic benefits. The Newlands Initiative • site properties and characteristics conducive to the (www.forestry.gov.uk/newlands), a joint North West sustainable establishment of vegetation and Development Agency and Forestry Commission project, greenspace habitats (including soil, water and hazard has developed procedures for identifying and shortlisting assessments); sites which have become a model to use for other sites. The procedures are: preliminary site identification; site • what to expect and what to do next, step-by-step. scoring and ranking according to their advantages and constraints. The scoring uses the ‘Public Benefit Recording System’ (PBRS) (Public Benefit Recording System, 2006), OVERVIEWOFGREENSPACE which considers four topic areas – social, economic, DEVELOPMENT environment and access (Figure 1). A variety of indicators are assessed for each topic, points assigned and the four A greenspace development project can be considered as a totals, whilst retaining equal weighting, are used to four-step process (Figure 1): Step 1: Identification and compare and rank sites based on the benefits that the site reclamation, Step 2: Consultation and design, Step 3: would provide, and from that, a shortlist of the most Implementation and delivery, Step 4: Management and suitable sites can be drawn up. maintenance. This Information Note is principally 2 Figure 1 Overview of the four steps in the greenspace development process. Step 1 is given in detail to reveal the process of site selection and ranking. Steps 1.11–1.14 are presented in detail in Figure 2. 1 Identification and 23Consultation Implementation 4Management & reclamation & design & delivery maintenance 1.1 Find local partners and funding 1.6 BENEFIT ASSESSMENT CRITERIA bodies SOCIAL ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENTAL ACCESS Within health or Proximity to Proximity to Proximity to Rights education action businesses, transport, of way, open spaces zones retail centres, air quality or 1.2 Identify Accessibility by road, brownfield industry ecological Population train, cycle and bus sites through and transport management area corridors. local Index of multiple Site size records and deprivation House prices knowledge, and aerial photographs 1.3 The Draft List 1.7 Attributes recorded and mapped Social Economic Environmental Access