Open Space, Sport and Outdoor Recreation
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POP016 Belfast LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2020-2035 Open Space, Sport and Outdoor Recreation Topic Paper December 2016 Executive Summary Context Good quality open space makes our city an attractive and healthier place to live. Planning Policy 8 ‘Open Space, Sport and Recreation (PPS 8) defines open space as “all open space of public value, including not just land, but also inland bodies of water such as rivers, canals, lakes and reservoirs which offer important opportunities for sport and outdoor recreation and can also act as a visual amenity.” The typology of open space of public value ranges from parks and gardens to outdoor sports facilities, play parks, greenways, urban green spaces, community gardens and cemeteries. Open space can perform a multitude of functions, for example well-appointed open spaces can attract investment in cities which have balanced urban development with green infrastructure. The variety in the urban scene can have positive impacts on the landscape as well as providing good places to work, live and visit. These high urban quality spaces can support regeneration, improve quality of life for communities as well as promote health and wellbeing. Open space has a strategic function by helping to define an area, create a sense of place as well as create linkages between Cities and its rural hinterlands. Sensible, strategic land use planning can balance both the environmental function of open space to encourage biodiversity and the maintenance of ecosystems but can also deliver outdoor recreational needs of communities’ thus increasing quality of life through encouraging health and wellbeing. Open space is not only used for exercise and relaxation purposes but can also enhance the character of an area and improve the quality of urban life by providing important green lung, health benefits, visual breaks from development, reducing flood risk and protecting wildlife habitats in built up areas POP016 Evidence Base Social, Economic & Environmental Factors The typology of open space ranges from parks Protect, enhance and make open space and gardens to outdoor sports facilities, play accessible for enjoyment of the natural, parks, greenways, urban green spaces, cultural and industrial environment. community gardens and cemeteries. The value An assessment of open space will be and function of open space is essential for a conducted to enable the development of viable, healthy, greener and liveable city. policy in the LDP How can open space provided as part of Whilst this evidence is applicable throughout residential development be better managed the plan area and is not an exhaustive list, the and used? key areas are: Greater linkages between open space and Sport & Recreation – there are 216 grass our built environment is required pitches and 51 artificial pitches in Belfast. The Explore options for more effective use and BCC Pitches Strategy provides framework for management of public open spaces informed planning decisions & measuring Examine the spatial distribution of open impact. space, sport and recreation and assess its accessibility by local catchment population There are 15 Leisure Centres in Belfast. Consider the potential to support biodiversity Council has committed to an ambitious £105m by linking existing ecological areas and investment in the upgrade of leisure provision explore the potential to create a network of across key sites in the city. linked greenways throughout the Belfast area Children’s Play Space Provision- Council Explore open space provision within the City manage 105 playgrounds across the city. Centre and identify potential hard and soft areas of open space. Belfast has 42 Parks of which 15 Green flags. How can we ensure open spaces contribute Orienteering is available at all Council parks to health and wellbeing of all? and Eco trails and outdoor gyms can be found are various sites. How can we best use our hard and soft open spaces? Belfast has 11 designated greenways and linkages to a further 6. There are around 20 formal community gardens in Belfast and 12 allotment locations. Opportunities for Growth The Belfast Hills provides an array of outdoor recreational facilities alongside Colin Glen Forest Park and Cavehill Country Park. Other Develop a city wide open space strategy to types of countryside recreation include Belvoir take account of all types of open space, Forest Park, Community Woodlands at including an audit of open spaces, Knockmount Gardens, Ligoniel Wood, Old accessibility assessment and play/space Throne Wood and Mill Dam Wood. assessment. Potential to create an open space hierarchy Lagan Valley Regional Park covers 2116ha and which will ensure a consistent approach for stretches along the Lagan from Belfast to understanding need and identifying broad Lisburn. As an AONB, it characteristic feature areas of deficiency in provision. include riverbank scenery, meadows and Joining up existing greenway networks and woodland and is also rich in biodiversity. identifying additional routes Potential scope to make better use of existing or possibly create new areas of open space Contents 1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 Purpose of this document ............................................................................................. 1 Member Workshops ..................................................................................................... 1 Open Space ................................................................................................................. 1 2.0 Policy Context .................................................................................................... 3 Regional Policy ............................................................................................................ 3 Local Policy Context ..................................................................................................... 9 Strategies ................................................................................................................... 10 3.0 Open Space, Sports and Outdoor Recreation Profile .................................... 16 4.0 Issues and Approaches ................................................................................... 27 Table of Figures ........................................................................................................... 43 APPENDIX 1: TYPOLOGY OF OPEN SPACE .............................................................. 44 APPENDIX 2: ACTUAL AND POTENTIAL OPEN SPACE IN BELFAST. .................... 45 APPENDIX 3: LIST OF OPEN SPACE IN BELFAST (ABOVE ONE HECTARE) ......... 46 APPENDIX 4: MAP 1 OPEN SPACE, SPORT AND RECREATION IN BELFAST ........ 51 APPENDIX 5: PITCHES IN BELFAST (AND MUGA).................................................... 52 APPENDIX 6: MAP 2 PLAYGROUNDS AND PARKS IN BELFAST ............................ 57 APPENDIX 7: BELFAST CITY COUNCIL PLAYGROUND PROVISION CATEGORISED PER DEA AND ELECTORAL WARD ............................................................................ 58 APPENDIX 8: PARKS IN BELFAST ............................................................................. 62 APPENDIX 9: MAIN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES IN BELFAST ..................................... 64 APPENDIX 10: LAGAN CANAL TRUST ....................................................................... 66 APPENDIX 11: BELFAST HILLS ACTIVITIES ............................................................. 67 APPENDIX 12: COMMUNITY GARDENS IN BELFAST ............................................... 68 POP016 1.0 Introduction Purpose of this document 1.1. This is one of a series of 17 topic papers which have been put together to inform the Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report for the Belfast Local Development Plan (LDP). 1.2. Each topic paper provides a summary of the evidence base required for the Sustainability Appraisal, Preferred Options Paper and Local Development Plan. They establish a baseline position and identify the key issues that need to be addressed. 1.3. By combining the evidence gathering stages for both the Sustainability Appraisal and Local Development Plan, we aim to streamline the documentation produced and avoid duplication. It will also help to ensure that sustainable development is embedded in the planning process and that sustainability appraisal is one of the main drivers informing the preparation of the Local Development Plan. 1.4. Each topic paper can be read separately but, inevitably, there are important related matters in other topic papers and background evidence. 1.5. The purpose of the planning system is to secure the orderly and consistent development of land to facilitate sustainable patterns of growth and development whilst protecting and, where appropriate enhancing the natural and man-made environment. To achieve this aim it is essential that the development needs of society are properly identified. Member Workshops 1.6. A series of 17 Topic Papers were drafted in the early part of 2016 to provide elected members with baseline information to inform the preparation of the Local Development Plan. As such the information presented within this topic paper is intended to: . Build the capacity of the members to make informed planning decisions, particularly within the plan making context; . Provide baseline information which will inform Development Plan Policy making at a local level; . To link with important ongoing work in relation to the development of a Community