EB1504 Park Development Framework Area Proposals for Lee Valley Regional Park EB1504 Foreword Lee Valley Regional Park is known and recognised as one of the nation’s great parks; a place that offers a unique combination of activities, sights and experiences. For over 40 years the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority has been working alongside many partner organisations to transform the Lee Valley into a place for leisure, recreation, sport and nature. Our new vision is to create a world class visitor destination in the Lee Valley bringing together a variety of landowners and partners. The Park is a mosaic of award-winning open spaces, heritage sites, country parks, farms, golf courses, lakes and riverside trails, campsites, marinas, angling and boating locations. All of these attract more than 4.5 million visitors a year. The Valley is being transformed by the London 2012 Games and Paralympic Games and the Authority will run four world class venues in legacy. These are Lee Valley White Water Centre near Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire – the only brand new London 2012 venue to open ahead of the Games and on Olympic Park in Stratford Lee Valley VeloPark, Lee Valley Hockey Centre and Lee Valley Tennis Centre. The Lee Valley Regional Park Act 1966, which established the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, placed a duty on the Authority to develop, improve, preserve and manage the Park, either directly or through others. Our Park Development Framework is a suite of documents that will collectively provide the blueprint for our future efforts: setting out proposals for what we want to achieve, how we plan to balance competing demands, and how we intend to make best use of the limited resources available. Once complete it will satisfy our duty to produce a plan of proposals as required under Section 14 of the Park Act. We hope it will provide inspiration and focus for the future collective efforts of landowners within the Park, our partners, stakeholders and everyone with an interest in the Lee Valley and Lee Valley Regional Park. Derrick Ashley Shaun Dawson Chairman Chief Executive October 2011 EB1504 The Park The Lee Valley Regional Park was Much has been achieved since the created on the 1st January 1967, Park was created. The Park now through an Act of Parliament: the Lee includes 10,000 acres (over 4,000ha) Valley Regional Park Act 1966. and winds its way 26 miles: along the banks of the River Lee from Ware in The creators of the Regional Park Hertfordshire, down through Essex, wanted to provide a destination for North London, and through parts of the growing populations of London, the Olympic Park to East India Dock Essex and Hertfordshire to enjoy Basin on the River Thames. recreation and leisure activities unavailable elsewhere. The corridor The Park is a fantastic mix of world alongside the River Lee was at that class sport and leisure venues, time a mix of derelict and operational heritage sites, gardens, nature industrial land, undeveloped reserves and riverside trails; offering marshlands, water supply reservoirs, an endless range of things to do. It farmland, glasshouses and municipal is easy to reach by bike, car, train, parks. The new Regional Park was or on foot, and visitors can spend designed to transform these areas anything from a few hours to a few to create a continuous corridor of days enjoying and exploring. open space and built leisure and sports facilities that would provide a The Park includes several of the wide range of recreation and leisure exciting venues which contributed opportunities. to the success of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The purpose of the Park is clearly These include legacy venues at the defined in the Park Act, as: Velopark including the Velodrome and BMX course and tennis and “[…] a place for the occupation of hockey at Eton Manor. leisure, recreation, sport, games or amusements or any similar activity, for the provision of nature reserves and for the provision and enjoyment of entertainments of any kind.” Section 12(1) Lee Valley Regional Park Act 1966 Park Development Framework | Area Proposals 3 EB1504 The Park Authority The Park Act, which established the facilities, attractions and activities, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, and to assist each other where placed a duty on the Authority to appropriate with shared resources, develop, improve, preserve and advice and expertise. manage the Park, either directly or through others. 3. As a statutory planning consultee We are working towards delivering The Act confers on the Authority this duty in three key ways: the role of a statutory planning consultee. This means that we 1. As owner and manager of land must be consulted on any planning and facilities within the Park applications within, or which impacts on, the Park. We will use We own and manage this role to continue to champion approximately 3,800 acres the Park and to do everything we (1,500ha) of the total Park area. can to ensure that local planning It is our duty to use our available authorities give appropriate regard resources to develop and manage to our aims and purposes. that estate. We know we will need to work closely with a range We will: of partners, and seek additional resources and expertise, in order • Oppose in principle any to deliver the features, facilities planning applications relating and activities that contribute to our to land within the Park that vision and aims for the Park. include land uses which are not compliant with the purpose 2. As a champion, leader, facilitator of the Park (as set out in and coordinator of other landowners Section 12 of the Park Act) within the Park • Seek to ensure that all The remaining 6,200 acres planning approvals relating to (2,500ha) of the Park is owned land within the Park will lead and managed by others. The to a positive contribution to our success of our Park vision is vision, aims and objectives hugely dependant on other landowners and managers • Seek to ensure that all working together towards a shared planning approvals relating to aspiration. A vital part of our land outside the Park future work is working alongside boundaries will have no other land owners to achieve negative impact on the Park, our vision for the Park; to work and where possible lead to a collectively towards Park-wide positive contribution to our coordinated and complementary vision, aims and objectives. Park Development Framework | Area Proposals 4 EB1504 The Park Development Framework The Park Development Framework This includes the Part Two Area Our current plan of proposals is Park Development sets out the Park Authority’s Proposals included in the adopted the Lee Valley Regional Park Plan Framework aspirations for future development Park Plan 2000 and the Part One adopted in 2000 (Parts One and A suite of documents that collectively describe the Park Authority’s aspirations for the future and management of the Park. Strategic Policy Framework. For Two). The Park Development development and management of the Park. more information please refer to the Framework will in time include There are a number of core Park Development Scheme proposals for all land within the documents that make up the Park Park, and will fully satisfy our duty Development Framework: www.leevalleypark.org.uk/ to produce a plan of proposals as parkframework/home/ required under Section 14 of the Vision, Aims and Principles Park Act. Once complete it will Park (adopted July 2010) The Park Development Framework replace the Park Plan 2000 Part Development Framework reflects our aspirations for the whole Two. However the preparation and and Park, and includes large areas of adoption of proposals will take time, land over which we have no direct so a phased replacement of the Objectives and proposals control. The framework documents Park Plan 2000 proposals is being Core Documents which will be produced in two therefore provide two functions: the implemented. Where proposals from complementary documents. strategic framework for our ongoing the Park Plan 2000 remain relevant, These focus on: activities and guidance for others these will be incorporated into the Vision, Aims and Principles Objectives and Proposals involved in the development and Park Development Framework. • Thematic Proposals, (adopted management of land within the Park. January 2011) setting out Accordingly both the Park Plan our proposals throughout The Authority is not a planning 2000 and the Park Development the Park for each of our six authority but it has a range of powers Framework are relevant in terms aims - Visitors, Sport and and duties in relation to the statutory of Section 14 (2) of the Park Act Park Development Framework Recreation, Biodiversity, planning process. Section 14(1) of and are formal statements of the Park Park Development Development Area Proposals for Framework Framework Lee Valley Regional Park Community, Landscape and the Park Act requires the Authority to Authority’s position in respect of Vision, Aims Thematic and Principles Proposals Heritage, Environment prepare a plan setting out proposals development within the Regional July 2010 January 2011 October 2011 for the future management and Park. Once completed, the Park Thematic Proposals Area Proposals • Area Proposals (this development of the Regional Park. Development Framework will meet January 2011 2011 onwards document), setting out our Riparian planning authorities are the requirements of Section 14 of This document proposals for the Park on a under a mandatory obligation to the Park Act. Supporting Documents more detailed location basis. include those parts of the plan affecting their areas within their There is also a range of other own relevant planning strategies documents that provide additional and policies (Section 14(2) of the information to support the core Park Act) although inclusion does documents identified above.