9 Enfield’s green and blue spaces 9.1 Introduction 161 9.2 Protecting and enhancing local open space 161 9.3 Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land 165 9.4 Greening the borough 168 9.5 Biodiversity and Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation 169 9.6 Blue Ribbon Network 171 9.7 Burial space and crematoriums 173 Proposals for sustainable growth should take full account of Green Belt the Lee Valley Regional and open spaces Park and the benefits it Any loss of sports should be protected in brings to the borough provision should be the first instance justified and considered through the plan making process The Opportunities to opportunity to soften and naturalise What respondents said about rationalise employment river banks and improve Enfield’s green and blue spaces land along the Lee Valley flood defences should as part of the 2015 Consultation corridor is supported, be explored and is a and Enfield Conversation provided that areas of open requirement/consideration space are protected and of any riverside improved development Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) should be promoted in line with London Plan The opportunity A strategic to review Green approach is needed Belt boundaries and for the protection Metropolitan Open Land and enhancement of is supported in principle, Enfield’s green and blue but requires justification infrastructure through the Local Plan Planning process policies and site allocations must be informed by an up-to-date borough-wide Surface Water Management Plan and Strategic Flood Risk Assessment 160 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 9 Enfield’s green and blue spaces 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Protecting and enhancing local open space 9.1.1 Enfield has a wealth of green and open spaces, 9.2.1 The Council will protect open space to ensure providing recreational opportunities and habitat that provision meets the needs of existing and for local wildlife, making the borough one of future residents. While the Council recognises London’s greenest places to live and one of that overall the level of open space quality and the reasons why so many residents enjoy living quantity is high in the borough, there are areas here. About a third of Enfield is Green Belt, where this is not the case. but there is an abundance of other types of green infrastructure too, including public parks, 9.2.2 Areas of significant housing and population playing pitches and natural and semi-natural growth in Enfield increases the importance of green spaces. The offer of green infrastructure protecting all existing open spaces within the ranges in size from small open spaces within green infrastructure network, and this is especially housing estates to large areas of parks and important in areas of identified deficiency. In these woodland. Enfield is further enhanced by the areas, the Council will seek new development benefits provided by the Lee Valley Regional Park and other projects to help to tackle this issue (LVRP) which runs along the eastern edge of the by seeking on-site open space provision or borough, providing a ‘green wedge’ separating contributions towards improvements. While more urban areas. the context of these areas will mean that it is unlikely to be able to provide extensive areas of 9.1.2 Green Infrastructure (GI) is a term which refers to new open space, the Council will seek to create the network of green and blue spaces throughout urban spaces to provide amenity and enjoyment the borough and includes features such as street to existing and new residents in these areas. In trees, woodland and green roofs. These features this respect, there is scope to apply Community provide many benefits, by; promoting healthier Infrastructure Levy (CIL) or S106 receipts from living, reducing the impacts of climate change, development, to improve local parks and open improving air and water quality, the storage spaces within the catchment of the development. of carbon and the encouragement of walking In order to inform the new Local Plan, the Council and cycling. These spaces not only provide the will update its Open Space Study accordingly, necessary habitats that improve biodiversity which will be used to determine where such and ecological resilience but also provide space investments should be made that could help them which naturally improves air quality and reduces adapt to likely increased use from population the risk of flooding to people and property while growth, whilst identifying accessibility standards enhancing the character of local areas and can for different types of open spaces according to positively effect increase in land value. their role and function. 9.1.3 Green infrastructure must be planned and 9.2.3 There is also the scope for the Council to managed at both local and regional levels, and undertake a more thorough Natural Capital our approach is largely governed at a strategic Account of the borough to understand how the level by the GLA. The ‘All London Green Grid’, benefits of green infrastructure are distributed ‘London Environment Strategy’ and ‘London across a broader range of green infrastructure Plan’ provide the basis from which the Council types and areas in Enfield. Natural Capital can set out how to plan and manage its green Accounting can also play a role in assessing infrastructure at the local level whilst integrating planning proposals and the Council is at an early with the far wider network of the Capital’s green stage of exploring these opportunities. and blue spaces. Enfield’s draft New Local Plan 2036 161 Consultation Draft (Regulation 18) December 2018 9.2.4 Sport and recreation uses are an integral part 9.2.6 The Council will review its Open Space Study of the borough’s infrastructure and contribute to provide an up-to-date position of areas of to the health and wellbeing of residents. The deficiency both in terms of levels of provision multifunctional use of open spaces for play, and access to open space and identify sites sport and recreation for example, is important with scope for enhanced play provision. This will and the Council support proposals that optimise therefore be used to inform any future updates to such spaces for these uses. Schools and other this policy. institutions frequently host significant areas of open space, playing fields and sporting facilities. 9.2.7 Enfield adopted its Playing Pitch Strategy for the The Council recognise that there are opportunities period between 2018-2033. The Strategy sets to make better use of such facilities by allowing out an action plan for the short-term future of local residents and sports clubs joint use of such the borough’s sports pitches and concludes that facilities. The Council will seek to engage with Enfield’s current plans can meet future demand such organisations to enter into community use up to 2023. Additionally, it sets out a programme agreements to make available such facilities for improvements of the borough’s existing whilst also ensuring appropriate management pitches to bring them up to recommended arrangements. Where new facilities are proposed standards. Subsequently and as part of the the Council will require such agreements are put new Local Plan, the Council will update its Open in place. Space Study to ensure there is sufficient open space provision to meet its identified growth and 9.2.5 The Council will seek to ensure that there is demand up to 2036. This will enable the Council sufficient provision for children’s play in the to plan for future provision in line with the growth borough. Such spaces are particularly important anticipated. in areas where families do not have access to large areas of private outdoor space, such as gardens. The Council will therefore seek for such developments to make provision for children’s Figure 9.1: The lake play space to tackle existing deficiencies, either at Myddleton House through on-site provision, or investment in open Gardens spaces to enhance their access and functionality. 162 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Draft policy approach: GI1 Green and blue spaces The Council will protect, enhance the quality and improve access to open space. e) Supporting improvements, enhancements and We will achieve this by: management that improve both quality and access to existing open spaces; a) Reviewing our open spaces and periodically update our Open Space Assessment to reflect f) Supporting new high quality outdoor leisure quality, quantity and accessibility; facilities to promote sports and active recreation across the borough; b) Revising our Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) to provide an up-to-date assessment of the g) Promoting the multifunctional and shared use need for all types of community infrastructure. of existing open space for play and sports including schools and private sports facilities c) Protecting all Open Space and Play Space in and playing pitches, subject to satisfactory the borough as identified on the Policies Map. management arrangements being put in place; Any development proposals on such space and should: h) Supporting proposals for new children’s play • Be supportive of and ancillary to the purpose space in line with the relevant policies in the of that open space; and London and Mayoral guidance. • Enhance the quality or accessibility of the open space. d) Enhancing the supply of open space to meet the identified needs of the borough’s growing population, by seeking on-site provision of publicly accessible open space, particularly in major new developments in areas of deficiency, as identified in the Council’s most up-to-date open space assessment, and in