Aspley Guise Parish Council

Aspley Guise

Green Infrastructure Plan

2020

Consultation Version

Produced by The Greensand Trust

on behalf of the Aspley Guise Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group

and Aspley Guise Parish Council

Contents

Sec. Section Title Page Acknowledgements 3 1 Introduction 3 1.1 The Parish of Aspley Guise 3 2 Green Infrastructure 5 2.1 Definition of Green Infrastructure 5 2.2 Green Infrastructure Planning 5 2.3 What is a Parish Green Infrastructure Plan? 6 2.4 How does it achieve this? 6 2.5 How the Parish GI Plan fits with the Neighbourhood Plan 6 2.6 How the Parish GI Plan fits with the Strategic and District GI Plans 7 2.7 How the Parish GI Plan fits with other Parish GI Plans 7 2.8 How the Parish GI Plan can be used 8 3 Methodology 9 4 Community Consultation 10 5 Thematic Information 11 5.1 Landscape 11 5.1.1 Landscape Policy Recommendations 15 5.2 Biodiversity 16 5.2.1 Biodiversity Policy Recommendations 18 5.3 Historic Environment 19 5.3.1 Historic Environment Policy Recommendations 22 5.4 Open Space, Access and Recreation 23 5.4.1 Quantity of Greenspace 24 5.4.2 Assessing Accessibility 25 5.4.3 Quality Assessment 27 5.4.4 Local Green Space Assessment 27 5.4.5 Linear Access 30 5.4.6 Open Space, Access and Recreation Policy Recommendations 30 6 Policies Summary 31 7 Project Prioritisation, Action Plan and the Aspley Guise GI Network 33 Action Plan Table 35

Appendices

1 Consultation Summary 2 Local Green Space Assessment Report

Acknowledgements:

The Greensand Trust would like to thank the following for their assistance in producing this plan:

 Aspley Guise Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group  Aspley Guise Parish Council  The Bedfordshire Biodiversity Recording and Monitoring Centre  The residents of Aspley Guise  Central Bedfordshire Council (Planning)  Local landowners

Cover Photograph: Stewart Bailey

All other photographs: The Greensand Trust unless otherwise stated.

1. Introduction:

The Aspley Guise Green Infrastructure (GI) Plan has been produced as part of the development of a Neighbourhood Plan for the parish. It has been produced by the Greensand Trust, a local environmental charity that works with local communities and landowners to conserve and enhance the landscape, wildlife and history of the area. At the heart of the Greensand Trust’s work is the belief that the best results are achieved by empowering local communities, giving them a say in issues that affect them. The Trust has significant experience in facilitating community consultation, Neighbourhood Planning and considerable knowledge of the local area.

1.1 The Parish of Aspley Guise

The village of Aspley Guise was first mentioned in an Anglo Saxon Charter in AD 969, but it is known that some sort of settlement existed long before that. It is located on the western edge of Central Bedfordshire, within the Aspley and Woburn Ward alongside the adjacent Aspley Heath parish. Its western boundary is also the boundary with the Milton Keynes Council boundary, and it is within a mile of the edge of the built up area of Milton Keynes. It is immediately adjacent to the village of Woburn Sands, while the M1 motorway forms the northern boundary of the parish. The parish is bisected by the Marston Vale Line, which runs between Bedford and Bletchley, and has its own station. The population is 2,200 (2011 Census).

The parish is illustrated in Map 1 below.

Map 1 – Aspley Guise Parish

2. Green Infrastructure

2.1 Definition of Green Infrastructure

The Bedfordshire Local Nature Partnership (formerly the Bedfordshire and Luton Green Infrastructure Consortium) has defined Green Infrastructure as “the network of green spaces, access routes, wildlife habitats, landscapes and historic features which provide:  a healthy and diverse environment  attractive places to live and visit  a good quality of life  a sustainable future”

Green infrastructure assets include:

 Accessible Greenspace  Country Parks  Green corridors  Urban parks and gardens  Habitats for wildlife including nature reserves, Sites of Special Scientific Interest and County Wildlife Sites  Historic parks and gardens and historic landscapes  Scheduled Monuments  Waterways and water bodies, including flooded quarries  Public rights of way and cycleways  Allotments  Children’s play spaces  Formal sports facilities  Cemeteries

2.2 Green Infrastructure Planning It is important to plan the green infrastructure network in the same way that we plan other networks and facilities, so that we can safeguard and enhance the environment and meet the needs of a wide range of people, both now and in the future. Green infrastructure also provides social and economic benefits, including:  Places that can be used as a focus for community activities and events  Opportunities to keep fit and healthy  Support to the local economy, including village shops, pubs and B&Bs  Links between town and country helping people in rural areas access facilities  Support to reduce the use of cars

In Bedfordshire, Green Infrastructure planning has taken place at three different levels within an established hierarchy:

 The ‘Strategic’: The Bedfordshire and Luton Strategic GI Plan (2007);  The ‘District’: e.g. The Mid Bedfordshire GI Plan (2008); and  The ‘Local’ – Parish GI Plans

2.3 What is a Parish GI Plan?

Aim of this Plan:

To identify the key existing natural, historic, cultural and landscape assets, accessible greenspace and rights of way and to plan new features that will provide a connected network of green infrastructure for the benefit of present and future generations.

Objectives To create a comprehensive document that will assist the local community to:  Protect and where possible enhance the landscape, biodiversity and historic environment  Improve access and links for people and wildlife  Provide a multi-functional green infrastructure network  Provide a source of information and guidance for planners, landowners and developers in formulating land use plans, including policy recommendations and spatial information to inform the Neighbourhood Plan  Identify potential sites to be considered for designation as Local Green Spaces (LGS)  Promote community involvement  Identify projects and produce an action plan to implement projects.

2.4 How does it achieve this?

The Parish Green Infrastructure Plan provides a baseline of existing information under four themes:

 Landscape  Biodiversity  Historic Environment  Access and Open Space

It goes on to capture aspirations and proposals to enhance the local green infrastructure ‘network’, communicated by members of the local community via a range of consultation activities and events. These aspirations and proposals include priorities to maintain, enhance or restore existing assets and create new green infrastructure to improve the green infrastructure network.

The plan as a whole is based on a robust approach to making and implementing a high quality green infrastructure network for the existing and future residents of Aspley Guise. It should be acknowledged that not all of the aspirations identified will be delivered, because there are many other influencing factors, such as the views of landowners, existing planning permissions and allocations, potential future land use allocations and the costs of enhancements. The value of the plan lies in the fact that it has been produced by working with local residents for their own community.

2.5 How the Parish GI Plan fits with the Neighbourhood Plan

The Localism Act (2011) introduced new rights and powers to allow local communities to shape new development by coming together to prepare Neighbourhood Plans. Neighbourhood planning provides a powerful set of tools for local people to ensure they

6 get the right types of development for their community. Using these new tools, communities are able to:

 choose where they want new homes, shops and offices to be built  have their say on what those new buildings should look like

The Neighbourhood Plan will need to demonstrate that it is in conformity with the plans set out by the Local Planning Authority and the National Planning Policy Framework (updated 2018). While Central Bedfordshire Council’s Local Plan has not yet been adopted a Submission Draft exists and this provides an indication of likely policy and spatial allocations.

This Green Infrastructure Plan will act as a ‘stand-alone’ document, but will also inform the Aspley Guise Neighbourhood Plan through policy recommendations, Local Green Space designation recommendations, identifying projects and providing spatial information. Neighbourhood Plans can identify the type and location of development the parish would consider acceptable. The Neighbourhood Plan has to be independently assessed for conformity by an examiner, and then go through a public referendum – if it passes both it can be adopted through a Neighbourhood Development Order that gives it statutory basis within the local development plan documents.

2.6 How the Parish Green Infrastructure plan fits with Strategic and District GI Plans

The Parish GI Plan complements, but does not necessarily completely reflect, the Strategic and District GI Plans. All GI planning is derived from the same GIS-based background information, albeit at different scales. The important difference is that district and strategic GI plan aspirations are drawn from a process of integrating multiple aspirations from different professional stakeholders, while Parish GI plans reflect the aspirations of the local community. Much of the time the local aspirations fit within the broader, more strategic aspirations of other GI plans, but occasionally they will not - often because the local community are not aware of the broader strategic aspirations. This is neither a problem nor a flaw, but does point to the importance of dialogue between the strategic and local levels.

2.7 How the Parish GI Plan fits with other Parish GI Plans

The spatial scope of the Aspley Guise Green Infrastructure Plan covers the administrative area of Aspley Guise Parish (see Map 1 above). However, the way in which the local environment is used is not bounded by administrative delineations, and in some cases, important aspirations and assets will be identified by communities outside their own administrative boundary. These aspirations may or may not be shared by communities from the adjacent town or parish. In parishes without a Parish GI Plan or Neighbourhood Plan, assets may have been identified by an adjacent parish. These cannot be considered comprehensive, and have not necessarily been endorsed or agreed. Neither can a lack of assets or aspirations identified through an adjoining plan be implied to suggest that there are no important assets or aspirations to improve the local area.

One adjacent parish has embarked on the production of a GI Plan as part of a Neighbourhood Plan, with the Hulcote and Salford GI Plan being produced by the Forest of Marston Vale Trust. Information has been shared between the two organisations to enhance both GI Plans and ensure consistency. 7

Therefore there is an excellent opportunity to identify potential linkages, shared objectives and projects, whilst maintaining a very local, parish focus. Such projects include the Bedford-Milton Keynes Watereway Park, a strategic scale GI initiative.

2.8 How the Parish GI Plan can be used....

…..by the community The GI Plan is not a tool to prevent development, but to better inform decision making and help secure resources. It identifies what is important to the community, and what they would like to see improved to enhance the green infrastructure network. The plan can be used to support funding bids to help communities make improvements to their local environment. It also provides a snapshot of the local environment at the time of producing the plan.

Projects identified within the Neighbourhood and Parish GI Plans will also be well-placed to receive funding via Section 106 agreements (relating to development).

….by the Local Planning Authority The GI Plan can be used to inform planning decisions, as a standalone plan and also via the Neighbourhood Plan. The information can be used in pre-application discussions with developers, and to help evaluate submitted planning applications. The plan can also identify where financial benefits from development could be directed.

The GI Plan can also provide information to inform the Local Planning process. Central Bedfordshire Council is currently developing its Local Plan for the period to 2035. The Council is supportive of designating Local Green Spaces through Neighbourhood Plans.

….by developers Developers can use the information contained within the GI Plan to identify important assets and aspirations for improvement, and consider how these could be integrated with, and delivered through, development proposals.

3. Methodology

A methodology for the production of Parish Green Infrastructure Plans was developed in 2007 and 2008 by the Parish Green Infrastructure Plan Working Group (Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity, The Greensand Trust and the former Mid- and South- Bedfordshire District Councils) and endorsed by the Bedfordshire & Luton Green Infrastructure Consortium (now the Bedfordshire Local Nature Partnership).

This standard methodology was adopted by Central Bedfordshire Council to produce 20 commissioned GI Plans in 2010. Work on an Aspley Guise GI Plan had already started by this time, but the 2010 GI Plan was produced to the same methodology.

Since then this methodology has been amended to fit with the Neighbourhood Planning processes, but the essential principles remain the same:

 Analysis of baseline information (maps and associated information)  Two rounds of public consultation (minimum)  Production of a draft GI Plan including analysis of baseline information, draft policies, the first stage of a Local Green Space (LGS) assessment and an initial projects list informed by consultation.  The second round of consultation provides an opportunity to comment on the work done to date – this can include draft GI policies, further input into project identification and the LGS process.  One of the rounds of consultation should provide the opportunity for the entire community to be involved (minimum)  Once the above is completed a final version of the GI Plan is produced and endorsed by the relevant parish council (and Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group if appropriate) and then becomes subject to the wider programme of consultation as part of the Neighbourhood Plan process.

4. Community Consultation

Specific engagement and consultation on the production of this GI Plan was started in May 2018, but it also incorporates information and findings from Neighbourhood Plan survey (2017). A summary of the community involvement activity is shown in Table 1. This is in addition to Neighbourhood Plan surveys, and meetings of the Steering Group or its sub- groups. Appendix 1 provides a complete summary of the consultation activity specifically associated with the GI Plan and further detail around the methodology.

Table 1. Community Involvement

Method of community Date Details Attendance/ involvement response Update at Annual 24th May  Presentation to meeting 50+ Parish Meeting 2018 GI Workshop activity at 15th April  Series of map-based engagement activities Overall event Annual Parish Meeting 2019 involving identification of ‘Favourite’ views, attended by walks, green spaces 40+, with a  Identification of issues and problems affecting minimum of the environment of Aspley Guise parish. 25 attendees  Identification of potential solutions and taking part in projects. the GI exercises. Allotments/GI Planning 14th March  Focus on allotment provision 20 event 2020  Further ‘Favourites’ research participants  Identification of ‘Local Green Spaces’

5. Thematic Information:

For the purpose of community-level GI planning, Green Infrastructure has been divided into four themes as noted above:

 Landscape  Biodiversity  Historic Environment  Access, open space and recreation.

This approach allows the different elements of green infrastructure to be considered individually in detail as well as part of the integrated GI ‘network’. Each element is described individually below:

5.1 Landscape:

The parish is largely rural in character but is also one of contrasting landscapes, as highlighted in the Central Bedfordshire Landscape Character Assessment (Land Use Consultants, 2015). Map 2a highlights this distinction, with the south of the parish strongly influenced by the elevated and wooded Greensand Ridge, and being part of the Woburn Greensand Ridge Character Area (6A), while the flatter and more open northern part is within the Salford Aspley Clay Vale Character Area (5C). The M1 motorway forms the northern boundary (with the A421) and is a significant detraction within the landscape.

The Greensand Ridge is a narrow yet distinctive and prominent ridge which rises relatively steeply from the clay vale, forming a strong, wooded horizon. In addition to significant areas of woodland it includes a mix of farmland (arable and pasture) and areas of historic parkland at Aspley House and Crawley House bring an element of the designed landscape. The woodland brings a strong sense of enclosure and, where views occur, this are expansive and panoramic, providing a significant contrast. There are also several quiet, hedgerow lined lanes adding to the character of the area.

The Greensand Ridge itself is sensitive to any development, but so too are views of it from the surrounding clay vale (including those outside the parish). These views are highly valued (see Key Views below) and highlight the value of the ridge as a backdrop to the vale (and the reciprocal views). It is critical that this wooded backdrop is protected and strengthened, and no development should be allowed to detract from this. It is also extremely important that the areas of parkland continued to be protected, with further enhancement/restoration carried out where possible to strengthen this character.

The clay vale is approximately demarcated along its southern edge by the railway line and is relatively flat, low-lying and mostly arable. It forms a dramatic contrast to the Ridge, emphasising the steep and wooded slopes. It contains the heavily modified (straightened) Broughton Brook, a tributary of the River Ouzel. Many of the hedgerows in the vale are still intact, and there are some important remnant ridge and furrow grasslands. Although not an unusual landscape character type, the clay vale is extremely important here, providing views of and context to the wooded ridge and the setting of the village. The Central Bedfordshire LCA recommends that the subtle tributary valley is conserved, and the hedgerow network is protected and enhanced. It also recommends woodland creation is carried out along the transport corridors, to reduce their impact and link in with woodland creation within the Forest of Marston Vale, but it will also be important to respect and 11 maintain the open character. Any development in this area should create an appropriate interface between the settlement edge and wider rural area.

Map 2a – Landscape Character

The particular sensitivity of the vale to development, and in particular a core area known as the ‘Aspley Triangle’, was recognised by the then Mid Bedfordshire District Council, who commissioned Land Use Consultants to produce the “Aspley Triangle Sensitivity Study” (2007). This report provides more detailed information and specific guidance on any development in area, and remains highly relevant.

The buildings in the village are red brick and ironstone, with clay tiles. The Central Bedfordshire LCA describes it as a “small-scale village with a distinctive and unified architectural style associated with the Woburn Estate landscape” and bringing a “strong sense of place”. Landmark churches also play an important role in the landscape, with St Botolph’s within the parish but also Husbourne Crawley Church being prominent landscape features visible within and from outside the parish.

Noting the potential for the village to merge with an expanding Milton Keynes in particular, Central Bedfordshire Council have identified an area within the parish as an ‘Important Countryside Gap’ (see Map 2b), with the intention of protecting it from development and maintaining a rural buffer.

Map 2b – Important Countryside Gap

All of the parish is within the Greensand Country Landscape Partnership area, a 4-year project designed to protect and enhance the Greensand Ridge landscape and engage local communities with it. The project has been funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund because of the importance of the local landscape, its fragility and the opportunities for protecting and enhancing it.

The proposed ‘Bedford - Milton Keynes Waterway Park’, a major green infrastructure initiative focused on the development of a waterway link between the Grand Union Canal and River Great Ouse but also seeking to create a ‘linear park’ or green corridor feature alongside it, will potentially deliver green infrastructure in the north of the parish. This has the potential to enhance the area adjacent to the A421/M1 and reduce the audible and visual impacts of these major roads. The route alignment of the proposed Waterway is illustrated in Map 5a, with the proposed Waterway Park involving the creation of greenspaces within a wider corridor.

As noted above, key views are essential when considering the landscape of the area, and people’s relationship with it. As part of the community consultation activities, local people

13 were asked about their ‘Favourite Views’ and what made them special. The most important of these have been identified as ‘Key Views’ in Map 2c and Table 2 below.

Map 2c – Key Views

Table 2: Key Views View Description Core components i From “The Clump” looking  Panoramic views with rolling countryside in foreground south towards Woburn  Backdrop of wooded Estate with red brick wall. Estate  Trees and woodlands prominent in the landscape. ii Views of “The Clump” from  Iconic clump of pine trees on hill in middle of field. adjacent lane and footpath.  Open character of surrounding field. iii. View from end of San  Crawley Park parkland, including trees and hedges Remo looking east/south  Wooded backdrop  Husbourne Crawley church spire

There are extensive views to the ridge from outside the parish, across a wide area of the vale. Of note are the views from the A421, Brogorough and the Cranfield plateau. Any development within the Aspley Guise triangle would be prominent in all of these views.

These views also strongly correlate with favourite places and walks identified through the consultation exercises (see Appendix 1: Consultation Summary for further detail).

5.1.1: Landscape Policy Recommendations: The feedback from community consultation has been combined with the above information to develop the following policy recommendations for the Neighbourhood Plan related to LANDSCAPE:

 Protect sensitive landscape areas and preserve important views to preserve and enhance the character of the area and the setting and foreground of the Greensand Ridge in particular;  Protect and enhance the wooded backdrop of the Greensand Ridge, ensuring development does not impact upon the context of the ridge, the village or its character.  Avoid mass tree screening that could further reduce and blur the distinction between the open vale and wooded Greensand slopes  Ensure that any new development creates an appropriate interface between the settlement edge and the wider countryside, with small-scale planting as part of landscaping considerations.  To protect the tranquillity and rural nature of the parish, and reduce the impact of transport corridors through carefully targeted woodland planting, connecting up existing areas of woodland but respecting the open nature of the vale.  Supporting the creation of the Bedford-Milton Keynes Waterway Park  Protect and enhance historic parklands, encouraging the restoration of key features within the landscape.  To recognise, protect and enhance the special landscape value, distinctiveness and identity of the village and its context  To ensure the hedgerow network is protected and enhanced.  Enhance the setting of minor watercourses that cross the vale by creating a pasture buffer area and riparian tree planting;  Ensure that the effects of any lighting schemes associated with any new development on the setting of the ridge are considered – the aim should be to retain a ‘dark’ rural backdrop. 15

5.2 Biodiversity

Map 3 below shows the location of designated sites, important habitats and opportunities to enhance wildlife in the parish. (Map 5, later in this document, identifies the sites by name). Map 3 – Biodiversity

The southern part of the parish is dominated by Aspley Wood, part of the much larger Wavendon Heaths and Aspley Woods County Wildlife Site (CWS) that contains ancient woodland heath and acid grassland. Areas of semi improved permanent grasslands are mapped because permanent grasslands provide a continuity of land cover and have not been ploughed. Two of these areas have been identified as CWS and another recognised as an important example of a lowland hay meadow. This is particularly significant because lowland meadows are a national priority habitat and one of the rarest grassland types in Eastern England. There are only three meadows in Bedfordshire known to be of a similar type and quality and all these are recognised as nationally important and are designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

In the clay vale other features of wildlife interest include seasonally and permanently wet water courses, hedgerows, ponds and field margins. Species of importance include badger, hibernating brown long-eared bats, brown hares and great crested newt with great burnet and sneezewort in the lowland hay meadow.

It should be noted that farmers and landowners play an important role in providing wider ecological networks between these ‘hotspots’. However, such areas are considered vulnerable because without support from agri-environment schemes and/or the goodwill of the landowner they might not exist, and should future schemes not be suitable or attractive enough, there is the potential for these features and areas to be lost to more intensive production and years of positive stewardship to be undone. It is important that this contribution is recognized and that farmers and landowners are supported wherever possible in maintaining these areas.

Map 3 also illustrates the Biodiversity Opportunity Network which has been identified to suggest areas where biodiversity enhancements would be most beneficial (Rebuilding Bedfordshire’s Biodiversity, 2007). The aim is to buffer and link existing wildlife rich areas, creating a landscape through which species can move. This will make populations more sustainable and help them to respond to climate change. Within the network there is a range of options which would benefit biodiversity. In Aspley Guise the key opportunities are through the clay vale, connecting and extending areas of grassland, and along the Greensand Ridge, buffering and connecting areas of woodland and parkland.

The parish is within the Greensand Ridge Nature Improvement Area, recognised by Government through Local Nature Partnerships in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Buckinghamshire and by Central Bedfordshire Council as being a landscape of high ecological value, with the potential for creating new networks and corridors of habitats at a variety of scales, from local to landscape-scale (supported by Central Bedfordshire Submitted Local Plan Policy EE8), using the Biodiversity Opportunity Network as the basis for this.

The proposed Bedford-Milton Keynes Waterway Park will also create the potential for new habitats, including wetland habitats.

5.2.1: Biodiversity Policy Recommendations:

The feedback from community consultation has been combined with the above information to develop the following policy recommendations for the Neighbourhood Plan related to BIODIVERSITY (WILDLIFE & HABITATS):

 To take account of existing and potential biodiversity value, seek to protect, buffer and enhance existing biodiversity assets (sites) and networks  To link areas of biodiversity value to create more robust networks (including along the Mill Way corridor).  Conserve and enhance remnant areas of meadow and wet pasture and consider opportunities to extend these areas;  Improve the character, setting and resilience of watercourses in the vale through tree planting and habitat buffering.  To ensure the hedgerow network is protected and enhanced.  Identify opportunities for well-targeted tree planting to provide ecological and landscape connectivity and to increase carbon sequestration.

5.3 The Historic Environment

Map 4 illustrates the features of historic interest in the parish. The name Aspley Guise is derived from Aspelia De Guise, with ‘Aspelia’ meaning ‘glade or clearing in the aspen wood’, and ‘De Guise’ coming from the de Gyse family who acquired the Manor of Aspley in 1276. A settlement was first formally recorded in an Anglo-Saxon charter in AD969 but the village existed long before that in some form, as evidenced by Roman pottery found when digging the foundations of a house on Aspley Hill in 1958. It is listed in the Domesday Book (1086) with 25 families. The next 700 years saw little growth - just 82 families living here by 1782, but by 1901 there were over 1600 residents.

It has three historic houses of note – Aspley House, Guise House and the Old House. The former was built in 1695 in the style of Christopher Wren and altered circa 1750 and again later. In the eighteenth century Guise House and its grounds were home to Aspley Classical Academy, a school said to rival Eton and Harrow. The Old House is timbered and dates from 1575 with some Georgian alterations.

The village has many other fine examples of early Georgian architecture. The Parish Church is dedicated to St Botolph, and the site has been home to a church in some form for over 800 years. A watermill was recorded in the parish in 1066, and despite the small watercourse there were three watermills in 1684. Although the last mention of a miller here (Mill Lane) was in 1834, dams were still visible as recently as 1979.

As noted above in the Landscape chapter, the vernacular is red brick with clay tiles, with ironstone (sandstone). The ironstone is particularly distinctive, and reflects the underlying geology of the Greensand Ridge. However, it is not evident across the wider area, and Aspley Guise is within one of three main groupings associated with areas where it was extracted. It therefore makes an important contribution to sense of place and local distinctiveness.

Aspley Wood is also mentioned in the Domesday Wood, and would have been an important source of timber for building and fuel, with conifers being planted in the ancient wood more recently.

The Bedford-Bletchley Railway Line was opened in 1846, but Aspley Guise station was not built until 1905. With these links to Bletchley, Aspley Guise was home to several 'Top Secret' facilities during the Second World War, notably The Rookery, a secluded Victorian mansion, connected with the code-breaking operations at Bletchley Park and 'black- propaganda' broadcasting to occupied Europe from Woburn Abbey.

The wide variety of other historic sites and features across the parish, as illustrated on Map 4 and listed in Table 3 below it. The numbers on Map 4 and in Table 3 represent locations in the Central Bedfordshire Historic Environment Record (HER). The table below gives a brief summary of each numbered site, more details are available from the HER, along with historic maps of the parish ([email protected] or use the online Heritage Gateway http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk).

The excellent “Enjoy and Explore Aspley Guise” leaflet contains further historical details as well as information on geology and wildlife, along with a map illustrating key features and rights of way.

Map 4 – Historic Environment

Table 3 – Key to Historic Environment Map

Number Feature Description 2487 SITE OF WINDMILL Recorded as late as 1901 2488 RADWELL PIT Sand Pit – shown on enclosure map of 1761 2489 BRICK FIELD & KILN Braystone Probably operating 1877-1906 2490 SAND PIT Late 19th Century 2491 SAND PIT Mentioned in enclosure award 1761 as an ancient right of sand digging of the rector and parishioners. 2492 CLAY PIT Shown on 1st OS Map (1883) 2493 SAND PIT Late 19th Century 2494 SAND PIT Late 19th Century 2495 SAND PIT Late 19th Century 2496 RAILWAY SIDING EMBANKMENT Earthwork of remaining embankment, must have once carried the track way for a siding from the main line into a pit. 4421 LINEAR EARTHWORK Probable old stream course 5121 RIDGE AND FURROW Example of medieval field pattern related to open field system of agriculture. 7015 ASPLEY HOUSE GROUNDS Historic Parkland 8697 SITE OF WINDMILL, Wednesdon Hill Dismantled by 1761, site obliterated by sand pit. 8851 ST BOTOLPH'S PARISH CHURCHYARD 9700 LANDSCAPED GROUNDS, Henry VII Lodge Parkland improved by Humphrey Repton 10109 BRAITON BRIDGE Recorded from court rolls in 1592. 10110 THE MOUNT, possible windmill site Now covered by housing, estate map of c1745 shows a field called “Old Windmill Furlong”. 10111 RABBIT WARREN A small hummock with a patch of woodland, likely remains of a warren mentioned in documents. 10112 MANOR SITE & MOAT Old manor house site occupied by buildings and gardens, including standing manor house. 10113 GRAVEL PIT May have been working when the siding was in use. 10114 ASPLEY MILLS (Watermill) Probable site of Domesday mill, with associated watercourses. The dam is still in existence below the estate road. 10119 ASPLEY WOOD, ancient woodland A number of wood boundary ditches exist around the ancient woodland. 10452 HOLLOW WAY, east of Mount Pleasant Ancient pathway. 11594 BEDFORD-BLETCHLEY RAILWAY 15365 FISHPONDS, north east of Aspley Guise village A series of ponds widened from an existing watercourse. Origin uncertain, possibly associated with post-medieval landscaping. 16891 ASPLEY GUISE MEDIEVAL VILLAGE Medieval core of village. 16892 HISTORIC SETTLEMENT CORE, Mount Pleasant Possible medieval settlement. Integrating these sites and features into green infrastructure plans can help to preserve this history and highlight local distinctiveness. Given that so much of this history is not clearly and immediately visible, it is important to raise awareness of the historic value of the parish and its history.

5.3.1: Historic Environment Policy Recommendations:

The feedback from community consultation has been combined with the above information to develop the following policy recommendations for the Neighbourhood Plan for HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT:

 When development is considered, take account of assets of historic environment value, and seek to protect them and their context, enhancing them wherever possible.  To protect and enhance features of historic interest that contribute to the historic fabric and distinctiveness of the parish, especially early enclosure boundaries and other features where they make a contribution to the green infrastructure network or wider historic landscape.  Retain any historic boundaries in any masterplan for new development, helping create a distinctive identity for new development, and raise awareness through information and interpretation.  Consider opportunities for any new residential development to reflect the settlement vernacular of the Greensand Ridge (ironstone and red brick);  To protect, maintain and encourage the restoration of sandstone walls and other structures. 5.4 Open Space, Access and Recreation

Map 5a shows the positions of all open spaces and recreation sites within the parish. Not all of them are freely accessible to the public but they all contribute to the wider recreational opportunities and green infrastructure in general. Table 4 lists the sites and describes their status in terms of accessibility to the general public. To be considered publicly accessible, people must have access across the whole (or majority) of a site (and not be restricted to footpaths) and entry to the site must be free (although car parking can be charged for). Map 5 – Open Space, Access & Recreation

Table 4 – Open Spaces and Recreation Sites

Number Name Publicly Size accessible? 1 Braystone County Wildlife Site No 1.65ha 2 Aspley Guise Meadows County Wildlife No 1.73ha Site 3 Swallowfield Lower School, playing field No 0.7ha 4 Aspley Guise and Woburn Sands Golf No 39.98ha Club 5 Aspley Guise Recreation Ground and Yes 3.87ha Cricket Club 6 Townlands Recreation Ground (inc play Yes 1.95ha area and informal open space) 7 Browns Way amenity space Yes 0.84ha 8 St Botolphs Church Cemetery Yes 0.75ha 9 Aspley Guise Lower School, playing field No 0.54ha 10 Gypsy Lane Allotments No 0.87ha 11 Aspley Guise Cemetery Yes 0.28ha 12 Aspley Wood (accessible area) Yes 45.46ha 13 Wavendon Heaths and Aspley Wood No 77.84ha of 329ha overall site in parish. 14 Hula Field No 3.85ha 15 Orchard No 0.15ha 16 Orchard No 0.13ha 17 The Mount Amenity Space Yes 0.05ha 18 Parkland/pasture opposite Aspley Park No 5.11ha 19 Pasture to north of Berry Lane No. 1.26ha Footpath through it. 20 Pasture to south of Berry Lane No 4.29ha 21 Field behind St Botolph’s Cemetary No. 2.2.ha Footpaths through it. 22 The Clump Field No. 13.41ha Footpath along edge. 23 Fulbrook Middle School Playing Field No 2.56ha

The parish has a reasonable number of green spaces, although their distribution favours the south and west. There are two very large green spaces, Aspley Guise Golf Course and Aspley Woods, the latter containing a significant area of publicly accessible greenspace.

Through the community consultation the Clump Field was identified as the ‘favourite space’ (despite it not being an accessible greenspace), closely followed by Aspley Woods.

5.4.1 Quantity of Greenspace:

The Central Bedfordshire Leisure Strategy (2017) notes that while the parish is well provided for in terms of Countryside Recreation Sites (Aspley Woods) and Large Formal Recreation Areas, there is a lack of urban parks and informal recreation spaces. Although adequate allotment provision existed at the time of the Leisure Strategy assessment, this is no longer the case, and there are no longer any allotment sites within the parish. Allotments not only help people provide locally grown fruit and vegetables, they also provide a valuable recreational resource for people of all ages. A 2019 survey identified significant demand for allotments, and potential sites have been identified, with 24 landowners being approached. A number of interested parishioners have come together, with Parish Council support, to form an Allotment Association to help strengthen the case and co-ordinate involvement.

The Leisure Strategy also gives area targets for the provision of different types of open spaces and uses quality and accessibility to assess the current adequacy of provision. The surpluses and deficits identified in current provision in Aspley Guise Parish include:

 Large Informal Recreation areas – 5.72ha deficit

The Leisure Strategy recommends new provision to meet these existing deficits.

As noted above, the situation with allotments has now changed. The Leisure Strategy noted this and suggested replacement of existing facilities (0.83ha) as a minimum.

5.4.2 Assessing accessibility: Looking at provision in terms of areas of green space only tells part of the story. It is also important to look at other factors, including distribution and accessibility of green spaces – whether they are easy to get to and use.

This exercise is a snapshot of physical access across the parish to identify those areas where there are gaps in basic provision. Map 5b below takes the site considered ‘accessible’ above and draws a 300m radius around it (300m has been selected as it is indicative of basic provision – it equates approximately to a five minute walk). All accessible sites had a catchment mapped unless they were under 0.2ha (and considered to be too small to be an effective greenspace), or exist for a specific use and are not suited to general informal recreation, for example the churchyard. It should be noted that this exercise is relatively simplistic, and does not take into account specific routes on the ground by which people access these sites. Neither does it provide an assessment of the accessibility of the site itself once it has been reached. However, it provides a useful view of the general distribution of accessible green spaces in the parish in relation to where people live.

As noted above, much of the green space provision is in the south and west of the parish and the village. Some of this is not accessible to the wider public (golf course) and as Map 5b illustrates, there are some significant gaps in provision for residents:

i. Western corner of the village adjacent to the railway line and Woburn Sands, extending to the south-east ii. Eastern side of the village around the historic core iii. Area further to the east, including Mount Pleasant and San Remo Road

It is noted that the Woburn Sands Recreation Ground is located adjacent to the western part of the parish boundary, and therefore the first of these gaps in provision is not considered to exist in reality. However, the gaps to the east are significant and a substantial part of the village is outside of the acceptable distance of an accessible greenspace. This not only means that there is a lack of accessible greenspace for a significant proportion of the parish’s population, it also creates recreational pressure on the existing accessible spaces. Additionally, it is likely that this lack of accessible greenspace forces people to either walk longer distances or drive to another space further afield, if they are able to do so.

Map 5b – Access to Greenspace

5.4.3 Quality Assessment Quantity, distribution and accessibility are important elements of any assessment of green spaces, the other key component is quality. Issues in a lack of greenspaces can, to an extent, be offset by improving the quality and functionality of existing greenspaces (e.g. providing access for all paths, trails, play equipment, public art, interpretation, seating etc). This can be particularly important in terms of improving access for the less able, parents/carers with pushchairs and others with specific needs, and is also part of the ‘toolkit’ within settlements where the opportunities to create new green spaces may be limited by the availability and cost of land.

This GI Plan does not include a specific quality assessment, but it does draw on the Central Bedfordshire Leisure Strategy, Neighbourhood Plan Survey findings, as well as incorporating any recommendations resulting from the fieldwork carried out to support the Local Green Space processes.

The Central Bedfordshire Council Leisure Strategy recommends that recreational infrastructure is enhanced within Aspley Woods. It is noted that at the time of writing this report a planning application has been submitted to develop visitor/recreational facilities here.

No other quality improvements were identified in the Leisure Strategy, but fieldwork did suggest that some quality enhancements could be made at the Browns Way Amenity Space to improve ‘naturalness’ as this site is predominantly sterile mown grass.

Taking all of the above into account, it is recommended that:  any future greenspace provision is located and designed to maximise accessibility for people of all ages and abilities, and helps address existing deficits to the east of the village as well as any future deficits.  Any future development incorporates high quality greenspace provision, particularly where such development is in the form of a distinct ‘settlement’, reducing the need for people to travel.

5.4.4 Local Green Space assessment

An assessment of all the green spaces identified within the parish was carried out as part of the GI Plan. In Central Bedfordshire, Neighbourhood Plans are the key mechanism for designating sites as Local Green Space, a designation introduced through the National Planning Policy Framework (revised 2018) as “a way to provide special protection against development for green areas of particular importance to local communities”. It is important to note that the Local Green Space designation will not be appropriate for most green areas or open space. The designation should only be used:

 Where the green space is in reasonably close proximity to the community it serves  Where the green area is demonstrably special to a local community and holds a  particular local significance, for example because of its beauty, historic significance, recreational value (including as a playing field), tranquillity or richness of its wildlife  Where the green area concerned is local in character and is not an extensive tract of land.

Therefore the GI Plan recommends sites for this designation following this assessment process, which follows a methodology developed by local organisations with Central Bedfordshire Council, and is based on the Government criteria. It provides the Neighbourhood Plan with full details and justification for these recommendations. This is contained in Appendix 2. It should be noted that landowners have not been consulted at this stage, but it is recommended that they are engaged before the candidate sites are taken forward within the Neighbourhood Plan.

The sites recommended as potential candidates for the Local Green Space designation through the Neighbourhood Plan are illustrated in Map 5c and listed in Table 4 below:

Table 4: Candidate Local Green Spaces Number Name 1 Braystone CWS 2 Aspley Guise Meadows CWS 5 Aspley Guise Recreation Ground 6 Townlands Recreation Ground (inc play area and informal open space) 7 Browns Way Amenity Space 9 Aspley Guise Lower School playing field 10 Gypsy Lane Allotments 14 Hula Field 17 The Mount Amenity Space 18 Parkland/Pasture 19 Field NW of Berry Lane 20 Field SE of Berry Lane 21 Field behind St Botolph’s Cemetary

It is recommended that there is early dialogue with the owners of proposed Local Green Spaces to help them understand the process and any implications of designation, and to allow them to highlight any concerns or objections they might have.

Map 5c – Candidate Local Green Spaces 5.4.5 Linear Access: Footpaths, bridleways etc

There is a moderate network of public footpaths within the parish, with the village relatively well connected to the wider countryside, although the railway line in particular is a significant barrier. There are few footpaths in the northern (clay vale) part of the parish. For cyclists and horse riders options are more limited. There are two public bridleways, one on the northern edge of the parish, which crosses the M1, plus one to the south in Aspley Wood, connecting up with other routes (and mountain biking facilities) within this site. Mill Way is a ‘Byway Open to All Traffic’ providing an east-west ‘off-road’ route across the village and into Woburn Sands. However, these three routes are disparate and do not form a cohesive network.

The ‘7 Parishes Millennium Circular Walk’ route passes through the parish, and a ‘Historic Parkland Trail’ is planned for the area through the Greensand Country Landscape Partnership, taking in parkland at Aspley House and Crawley House.

Given the lack of routes per se in the north of the parish, combined with poor connectivity of routes for cyclists and horse riders, the development of a ‘Waterway Park’ alongside the proposed Bedford-Milton Keynes Waterway Park would provide a significant improvement in opportunity and connectivity.

5.4.6: Access, Open Space and Recreation Policy Recommendations: The feedback from community consultation has been combined with the above information to develop the following policy recommendations to the Neighbourhood Plan for Access, Open Space and Recreation:

 Protect the existing access networks for all users  Create better connected networks of bridleways and cycle paths within the parish and to other places, and linking with public transport/routes to service centres.  Support the development of multi-user routes within the Bedford-Milton Keynes Waterway Park  Encourage the use of access routes for both recreation and utility (work, school, shopping) and for accessing public transport, including rail.  Ensure that any new development enhances access route connectivity and makes provision for linking to existing networks.  Identify opportunities for delivering new high quality accessible greenspaces to address existing deficits, with appropriate long-term management in place.  Ensure any new development creates appropriate accessible green space, reducing the need for people to travel.

6. Policies Summary

The policies recommended in the above sections are repeated below. In addition, broader, general environmental policies were developed and proposed, and consulted on through community engagement. These are also included below:

Landscape:

Biodiversity:

Historic Environment:

Access, Recreation and Open Space:

General Environmental Policies  To support the development of the Green Infrastructure Network for Aspley Guise and ensure it is not compromised by built development  Any development that is permitted in the parish should result in a ‘net environmental gain’ i.e. any habitats lost should be replaced with a larger amount, any connections between habitats severed should result in more and better connections nearby, any accessible greenspaces lost or damaged should be replaced by something bigger and better (e.g. more functionality).

7. Project Prioritisation, Action Plan and the GI Network:

The GI Network and Projects Map (Map 6) has been developed by identifying the existing GI ‘assets’ (green spaces, wildlife sites, access routes, key views, areas of landscape sensitivity and historic sites) and overlaying these with the areas of opportunity for new GI (biodiversity opportunity areas, areas of greenspace deficit and linear access opportunities, landscape enhancement opportunities) to create a green infrastructure ‘network’, illustrating where new GI would be most beneficial in terms of complementing existing GI, creating multi-functional networks and providing opportunities for people and wildlife within the parish. The core areas within the network were identified where three or more opportunities overlapped, highlighting potential multi-functionality, with corridors between them being areas where at least two layers of opportunity overlapped.

The GI projects are also illustrated on the GI Network Map (except those that do not have a specific geographic location). The Action Plan has been collated from a range of sources, including the previous GI Plan, community and partner consultation.

The Action Plan also includes details of potential project delivery partners and next steps, to provide a useful tool for the parish. It is recommended that the Action Plan is reviewed and updated on an annual basis. Completed projects will need to be removed, and new projects can be added where it is demonstrable that the local community are supportive of them.

Map 6: GI Network Map

Table 4: The Aspley Guise GI Action Plan

No. Project Potential Potential Timescale Suggested Next Steps Project Lead Project S/M/L-Term Partners 1 Create a new allotment Allotments AGPC S-T  Formalise Allotment Association site Association  Re-contact owners of potential sites (being formed)  Continue to investigate options at Gypsy Lane 2 Browns Way Amenity AGPC Local residents S-T  Secure funding through GCLP Space enhancements GST 3 Improve recreational Bedford Estate GST S/M-T  Secure Planning Permission facilities at Steetley’s site CBC (Aspley Woods) MK Council 4 Create a Parkland Trail GST Parkland S-T  Create and implement signage Owners P3 Group 5 Bedford-MK Waterway B-MK Waterway CBC L-T  Secure resources required (including through Park Trust Developers development proposals) 6 Long-Term Management Landowner AGPC L-T  Develop a planting strategy to ensure of ‘The Clump’ continuity of landscape feature in long-term. 7 Habitat Enhancements at AGGC Ecological S/M-T  Secure funding through GCLP to identify and Golf Club specialist then implement improvements 8 Access route AGPC CBC Highways M/L-T  Identify potential options through audit. enhancements – N/S GST connectivity for cyclists P3 and horse riders BHS Sustrans