Green Space Strategy 2011 - 2016
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Green Space Strategy 2011 - 2016 January 2011 Green Space Strategy 2011 - 2016 2 Improving quality - Providing Facilities - Exploring the Countryside - Conserving Nature GreenGreen Space Space Strategy Strategy 2011 2011 - 2016 - 2016 Our Vision In Dacorum, we aspire to protect and enhance our natural environment, heritage and habitats. With the involvement of the community, we will create attractive, sustainable, accessible and well-managed green spaces. Foreword Dacorum benefits from a tremendous resource of high quality parks and recreation areas, set within some of the most remarkable landscapes in the country. Our fantastic green spaces are one of the main reasons people choose to live, work, and visit here. This strategy sets out our commitment to manage and protect this legacy, to ensure it remains intact for current and future generations. The quality of some of Dacorum’s green spaces has deteriorated over time through the ageing of facilities and infrastructure, and new investment is required. This strategy gives us the impetus and tools to improve their quality and to help deliver what local communities want from their neighbourhoods. We will improve facilities, and encourage residents to become more involved in managing their local green spaces. We aim to balance the needs of the community with the demands on our service, working wherever possible to combat climate change and alleviate the pressures of the modern age. We have a number of challenges to face in the future, not least in providing enough homes for the community. This strategy provides a strong framework to help manage, refresh, and create new green spaces. Councillor Stephen Holmes Portfolio Holder for Planning and Regeneration Improving quality - Providing Facilities - Exploring the Countryside - Conserving Nature 3 Green Space Strategy 2011 - 2016 Contents Executive Summary 9 Section One: Policies and Objectives 11 1 Introduction 12 1.1 What is a Green Space Strategy 12 1.2 Scope of the strategy 13 1.3 Links to other documents and strategies 14 1.4 The benefits of green space to Dacorum 16 1.5 The Borough context 17 1.5.1 Borough Character 17 1.5.2 Open Space Provision 18 1.5.3 Green Infrastructure 19 2 Community Priorities 19 3 Priorities for Play 20 3.1 Dacorum Play Strategy 21 3.2 Quality Audits 22 3.3 Play Priorities 22 4 Policies – Putting the Vision into Action 22 Policy 1 – To protect green space from development 23 Policy 2 – To protect and enhance our natural environment, heritage and habitats 24 Policy 3 – To create attractive, sustainable, accessible and well managed green spaces 25 Policy 4 – To manage our green spaces with community involvement to ensure they are fit for purpose 27 Policy 5 – To make people feel safe 28 Policy 6 – To use development opportunities to improve the quality and provision of open space 29 Section Two: Area Studies 31 1 Introduction – Structure and methodology 32 2 Green Space Area Study – Tring 33 2.1 Context 33 2.1.1 Social Character 34 2.1.2 Designations and strategic development issues 35 2.1.3 Open Space Provision 35 2.2 Priority: Improve Quality 38 2.3 Priority: Increase Facilities 44 4 Improving quality - Providing Facilities - Exploring the Countryside - Conserving Nature Green Space Strategy 2011 - 2016 2.3.1 Provision for Children & Young People 44 2.3.2 Outdoor Sports 46 2.3.3 Cycling 47 2.3.4 Allotments 48 2.4 Priority: Nature Conservation 48 2.5 Priority: Easy Access to the Countryside 49 2.5.1 Accessible Natural Green Space 49 2.5.2 Landscape Quality and Recreation 51 2.5.3 Links to the Countryside 53 2.6 Consultation Summary 53 3 Green Space Area Study – Berkhamsted & Northchurch 54 3.1 Context 54 3.1.1 Social Character 54 3.1.2 Designations and strategic development issues 56 3.1.3 Open Space Provision 56 3.2 Priority: Improve Quality 59 3.3 Priority: Increase Facilities 64 3.3.1 Provision for Children & Young People 64 3.3.2 Outdoor Sports 66 3.3.3 Cycling 67 3.3.4 Allotments 67 3.4 Priority: Nature Conservation 67 3.5 Priority: Easy Access to the Countryside 69 3.5.1 Accessible Natural Green Space 69 3.5.2 Landscape Quality and Recreation 71 3.5.3 Links to the Countryside 71 3.6 Consultation Summary 73 4 Green Space Area Study - Hemel Hempstead General 74 4.1 Context 74 4.1.1 Designations and strategic development issues 74 4.1.2 Open Space Provision 75 4.2 Priority: Increase Facilities 77 4.2.1 Outdoor Sports 77 4.2.2 Cycling 78 4.2.3 Allotments 78 4.3 Priority: Nature Conservation 79 4.4 Priority: Easy Access to the Countryside 80 4.4.1 Accessible Natural Green Space 80 4.4.2 Landscape Quality and Recreation 82 4.5 Consultation Summary 83 5 Green Space Area Study - Hemel Hempstead North East 84 5.1 Context 84 5.1.1 Social Character 84 5.1.2 Open Space Provision 85 Improving quality - Providing Facilities - Exploring the Countryside - Conserving Nature 5 Green Space Strategy 2011 - 2016 5.2 Priority: Improve Quality 86 5.3 Priority: Increase Facilities 92 5.3.1 Provision for Children & Young People 92 5.3.2 Outdoor Sports 94 5.3.3 Cycling 94 5.4 Priority: Nature Conservation 95 5.5 Priority: Easy Access to the Countryside 96 5.5.1 Accessible Natural Green Space 96 5.5.2 Links to the Countryside 97 6 Green Space Area Study – Hemel Hempstead North West 99 6.1 Context 99 6.1.1 Social Character 100 6.1.2 Open Space Provision 100 6.2 Priority: Improve Quality 101 6.3 Priority: Increase Facilities - Provision for Children & Young People 106 6.3.1 Provision for Children & Young People 106 6.3.2 Outdoor Sports 108 6.3.3 Cycling 109 6.4 Priority: Nature Conservation 109 6.5 Priority: Easy Access to the Countryside 110 6.5.1 Accessible Natural Green Space 110 6.5.2 Links to the Countryside 111 7 Green Space Area Study – Hemel Hempstead South 113 7.1 Context 113 7.1.1 Social Character 113 7.1.2 Open Space Provision 114 7.2 Priority: Improve Quality 115 7.3 Priority: Increase Facilities 121 7.3.1 Provision for Children & Young People 121 7.3.2 Outdoor Sports 122 7.3.3 Cycling 122 7.4 Priority: Nature Conservation 123 7.5 Priority: Easy Access to the Countryside 124 7.5.1 Accessible Natural Green Space 124 7.5.2 Landscape Quality and Recreation 125 7.5.3 Links to the Countryside 125 8 Green Space Area Study – Bovingdon, Chipperfield and Kings Langley 127 8.1 Context 127 8.1.1 Social Character 128 8.1.2 Designations and strategic development issues 128 8.1.3 Open Space Provision 129 8.2 Priority: Improve Quality 131 8.3 Priority: Increase Facilities 134 8.3.1 Provision for Children & Young People 134 6 Improving quality - Providing Facilities - Exploring the Countryside - Conserving Nature Green Space Strategy 2011 - 2016 8.3.2 Outdoor Sports 136 8.3.3 Allotments 136 8.4 Priority: Nature Conservation 137 8.5 Priority: Easy Access to the Countryside 137 8.5.1 Accessible Natural Green Space 138 8.5.2 Landscape Quality and Recreation 139 8.5.3 Links to the Countryside 139 8.6 Consultation Summary 140 9 Green Space Area Study – Ashridge and Watling 141 9.1 Context 141 9.1.1 Social Character 142 9.1.2 Designations and strategic development issues 142 9.1.3 Open Space Provision 142 9.2 Priority: Improve Quality 143 9.3 Priority: Increase Facilities 146 9.3.1 Provision for Children & Young People 146 9.3.2 Outdoor Sports 147 9.3.3 Allotments 148 9.4 Priority: Nature Conservation 149 9.5 Priority: Easy Access to the Countryside 149 9.5.1 Accessible Natural Green Space 149 9.5.2 Landscape Quality and Recreation 149 9.5.3 Links to the Countryside 150 9.6 Consultation Summary 150 Section Three: Action Plan 151 1 Introduction 152 2 Actions from Policies and Objectives 152 Policy 1 – To protect green space from development 152 Policy 2 – To protect and enhance our natural environment, heritage and habitats 153 Policy 3 – To create attractive, sustainable, accessible and well managed green spaces 154 Policy 4 – To manage our green spaces with community involvement to ensure they are fit for purpose 156 Policy 5 – To make people feel safe 157 Policy 6 – To use development opportunities to improve the quality and provision of open space 158 3 Actions for Tring 158 4 Actions for Berkhamsted and Northchurch 161 5 Actions for Hemel Hempstead – General 166 Improving quality - Providing Facilities - Exploring the Countryside - Conserving Nature 7 Green Space Strategy 2011 - 2016 6 Actions for Hemel Hempstead – North East 168 7 Actions for Hemel Hempstead – North West 173 8 Actions for Hemel Hempstead – South 177 9 Actions for Bovingdon, Chipperfield and Kings Langley 181 10 Actions for Ashridge and Watling 185 Section Four: Consultation and Appendices 189 1 Introduction - Structure and Methodology 190 2 Stakeholder workshops 191 2.1 September 2006 191 2.2 February 2008 198 3 General Consultation Results 208 3.1 Citizens Panel April 2007 (427 responses) 208 3.2 Self completion survey (184 responses) 212 3.3 Web survey (142 responses) 224 4 Town and Parish Council Consultation June 2007 229 5 Consultation Comments on Tring 231 6 Consultation Comments on Berkhamsted 233 7 Consultation Comments on Hemel Hempstead 235 8 Consultation Comments on Bovingdon 238 9 Consultation Comments on Kings Langley 240 10 Consultation Comments on Markyate 241 11 Responses to Green Space Strategy Consultation Draft March 2010 242 Appendix 1: Design Principles 256 Appendix 2: Designations and Cultural Heritage 258 Appendix 3: Evaluation and Methodology 259 Appendix 4: Field Assessment Form 261 Appendix 5: Citizens Panel Questionnaire 263 Bibliography 271 8 Improving quality - Providing Facilities - Exploring the Countryside - Conserving Nature Green Space Strategy 2011 - 2016 Executive Summary Green spaces are integral to Dacorum, and important components of people’s health and well being, the Borough’s economic prosperity, the biodiversity of the environment and our contribution to sustainability.