Waltham Forest Council Waltham Forest Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy Final report Prepared by LUC November 2020 Waltham Forest Council Waltham Forest Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy Project Number 10678 Version Status Prepared Checked Approved Date 1. First draft HL/ RH/ GW/ MP GW MP 07.02.2020 2. Final draft - revised HL/ RH/ VR MP MP 12.05.2020 3. Final draft - revised HL MP MP 12.10.2020 4. Final report HL MP MP 10.11.2020 Bristol Land Use Consultants Ltd Landscape Design Edinburgh Registered in England Strategic Planning & Assessment Glasgow Registered number 2549296 Development Planning London Registered office: Urban Design & Masterplanning Manchester 250 Waterloo Road Environmental Impact Assessment London SE1 8RD Landscape Planning & Assessment landuse.co.uk Landscape Management 100% recycled paper Ecology Historic Environment GIS & Visualisation Contents Waltham Forest Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy November 2020 Contents Considerations 51 Chapter 1 Principles: Biodiversity and conservation 52 Introduction 2 What is Green and Blue Infrastructure 2 Chapter 7 The need for a Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy 3 Blue Infrastructure 58 Structure of the report 4 Approach to the strategy 4 Key assets 58 Consultation findings 59 Considerations 59 Chapter 2 Opportunities 60 Policy context 8 Principles: Blue infrastructure 60 National Policy 8 Regional Policy 9 Chapter 8 Sub-Regional Policy 13 Open Space 64 Local Policy 15 Key assets 65 Consultation findings 66 Chapter 3 Drivers for Green Infrastructure and Considerations 66 Blue Infrastructure in Waltham Forest 21 Principles: Open space 67 Population and housing growth 21 Chapter 9 Socio-economic context 26 Urban Greening 73 Environmental and climate change context 32 Key assets 73 Consultation findings 74 Chapter 4 A Vision for Green and Blue Considerations 74 Infrastructure in Waltham Forest 40 Principles: Urban greening 75 Vision 40 Chapter 10 Cultural Heritage 80 Chapter 5 Access and Connectivity 45 Key assets 80 Consultation findings 81 Key assets 45 Considerations 81 Consultation findings 46 Principles: Cultural heritage 81 Considerations 46 Principles: Access and connectivity 47 Chapter 11 Green and Blue Infrastructure Actions Chapter 6 and Projects 85 Biodiversity and Conservation 50 Key assets 50 Consultation findings 51 LUC I i Contents Waltham Forest Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy November 2020 Contents Table 13.1: Example opportunities for partnership Chapter 12 working 110 Embedding Green and Blue Infrastructure within Waltham Forest's Local Plan 101 Table of Figures Green and Blue Infrastructure Policy in Waltham Forest's Figure 3.1: Neighbourhood areas 24 Local Plan 101 Figure 3.2: Planned growth 25 Measurable Standards 103 Figure 3.3: Population density 28 Figure 3.4: Index of Multiple Deprivation 29 Chapter 13 Figure 3.5: Health deprivation 30 Funding and Governance 107 Figure 3.6: Air quality 36 Figure 3.7: Fluvial flood risk 37 Securing funding through development 107 Figure 3.8: Surface water flood risk 38 Other funding streams 109 Figure 4.1: Key considerations 42 Governance 109 Figure 4.2: Key opportunities 43 Partnership working 109 Figure 5.1: Access and connectivity 48 Figure 6.1: National and international ecological designations 54 Chapter 14 Monitoring and Review 113 Figure 6.2: Regional and local ecological designations 55 Figure 6.3: Ancient woodland and local ecological designations 56 Appendix A Figure 7.1: Blue infrastructure assets 62 Datasets Reviewed A-1 Figure 8.1: Summary of open space provision 69 Figure 8.2: Quality and accessibility of open space 70 Figure 8.3: Value and accessibility of open space 71 Appendix B Figure 9.1: Street tree density 76 Biodiversity Action Plan B-1 Figure 9.2: Private gardens 77 Figure 9.3: Surface water in relation to development locations 78 Table of Tables Figure 10.1: Cultural heritage designations 83 Table 1.1: Summary of consultation activities 5 Figure 11.1: Priority Project Locations 99 Table 3.1: Housing targets per neighbourhood area 22 Table 6.1: SINCs within Waltham Forest 50 Table 8.1: Typologies and number of open spaces identified in Waltham Forest 65 Table 8.2: Area of publicly accessible open space by typology 65 Table 8.3: Performance of open spaces against the quality and value standards 67 Table 8.4: Key issues identified in draft 2018 PPS 67 Table 11.1: Waltham Forest Green and Blue Infrastructure borough-wide actions 86 Table 11.2: Waltham Forest strategic projects 91 Table 12.1: Examples of measurable standards relating to green and blue infrastructure 104 LUC I ii Chapter 1 Introduction Waltham Forest Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy ChapterNovember 2020 1 Introduction LUC I iii Chapter- 1 Introduction Waltham Forest Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy November 2020 Chapter 1 Introduction What is Green and Blue Infrastructure 1.1 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2019 provides the following definitions of Green Infrastructure: 'A network of multi-functional green space, urban and rural, which is capable of delivering a wide range of environmental and quality of life benefits for local communities.' 1 1.2 The definition within the London Environment Strategy reflects this definition, providing additional detail on the benefits: 'London's green infrastructure is the network of parks, green spaces, gardens, woodlands, rivers and wetlands (as well as features such as street trees and green roofs) that is planned, designed and managed to: ◼ Promote healthier living ◼ Lessen the impacts of climate change ◼ Improve air quality and water quality ◼ Encourage walking and cycling ◼ Store carbon ◼ Improve biodiversity and ecological resilience2 1.3 Waltham Forest’s Draft Local Plan3 embeds the importance of existing and new Green and Blue Infrastructure within both the Five Golden Threads of the Vision ‘Ensuring growth is sustainable and supported by infrastructure’ and sets the following Strategic Objective: ’11. Enhance the Borough’s natural environment and develop a multifunctional network of green and blue infrastructure to deliver benefits for all, including increased public access.’4 1.4 The Draft Local Plan sets out that: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1 Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (2019) National 3 Shaping the Borough - Waltham Forest Draft Local Plan (July 2019) Waltham Planning Policy Framework Forest Council 2 Mayor of London (2018) London Environment Strategy 4 Shaping the Borough - Waltham Forest Draft Local Plan (July 2019) Waltham Forest Council LUC I 2 Chapter 1 Introduction Waltham Forest Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy November 2020 1.8 Of particular importance to developing a strategy for green ‘Green Infrastructure is a strategically planned and and blue infrastructure is assessing the connectivity and the delivered network of high quality green spaces and other 'integrity' of the existing network, and where there are gaps 5 environmental features.’ and opportunities to strengthen the network. How well connected and permeable the network is can have a major 1.5 Recognition of the multi-functional nature of green and effect on the benefits provided to wildlife and people. blue infrastructure is of particular importance. When 1.9 By identifying the key assets within the borough, this considering any green or blue infrastructure asset, it is likely strategy will help to ensure future development is considerate that several functions will be identified, and several benefits of what makes green and blue infrastructure within Waltham derived. A high quality and value urban park will, for instance, Forest distinctive. The borough’s location, sandwiched likely provide areas for informal and organised recreation, between two regional parks of significant ecological contribute to the active travel network, provide opportunities importance, Epping Forest and Lee Valley, is a distinguished for education, space for wildlife, reduce surface water runoff characteristic of the borough. Furthermore, its cultural legacy and mitigate against air pollution. following the 2012 Olympics and the 2019 London Borough of 1.6 It is also important to note that green and blue Culture has played a fundamental role in the improvement of infrastructure can be in public or private ownership and be in its open spaces. any condition. Green and blue infrastructure is essential for 1.10 The borough has previously benefitted from funding from maintaining a good quality of life and healthy living the London Mayor’s Mini-Holland cycling scheme, which has environment. It is therefore increasingly understood that green significantly increased opportunities for cycling. The council and blue infrastructure must be considered and planned for has built on this success through ‘Enjoy Waltham Forest’ alongside other forms of infrastructure, such as 'grey' which aims to make the borough more enjoyable for infrastructure. It is also now widely recognised that investment everybody through several measures including urban greening in nature-based solutions for issues that may need to be and the creation of new outdoor space. Both schemes are addressed during growth and development is a viable and examples of the potential for good quality green infrastructure beneficial alternative to highly engineered or 'hard' solutions in Waltham Forest and should be expanded on in future that may have additional costs and not provide multiple projects. benefits. 1.7 In summary this