Green Infrastructure, Biodiversity and Ecological Networks Background Paper
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Local Plan Part 2: Land and Planning Policies Green Infrastructure, Biodiversity and Ecological Networks Background Paper May 2018 Contents Chapter Title Page 1 Introduction 1 2 Definitions 1 3 Benefits of Green Infrastructure 3 4 Policy Background 4 5 Evidence Base 6 6 Local Corridors 116 7 Green Infrastructure Policies 26 8 Biodiversity and Geodiversity Policies 28 Appendix A Green Infrastructure Corridor Maps 31 Appendix B Biodiversity Opportunity Areas Maps (Ecological 33 Networks) Appendix C Bibliography 38 1. Introduction 1.1 This background paper informs Green Infrastructure and Biodiversity policies within Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Draft Local Plan Part 2: Land and Planning Policies. Critically it identifies local green corridors and ecological networks within the Borough. It also justifies draft policies which seek to create, protect and enhance them. 1.2 This paper focuses on existing and potential corridors as a whole and the functions they perform. It does not replace the need to environmentally assess individual wildlife sites or review the quality and quantity of recreational open spaces within these corridors/networks. 1.3 It will achieve this by: Defining Green Infrastructure and Ecological Networks; Identifying the relevant policies and legislation to provide the policy framework in the Local Plan; Mapping of existing Green Infrastructure assets within Rushcliffe to inform policies and proposals in the Local Plan; and Identifying and analysing the needs, opportunities and key locations for new, additional and enhanced Green Infrastructure assets to inform policies; and proposals in the Local Plan. 2. Definitions 2.1 Green Infrastructure covers a wide variety of open spaces, including water and wetland environments (often termed blue infrastructure). There is a clear overlap with ecological networks which seek to prevent the ecological isolation of sites through the creation of wildlife corridors that enable species migration. 2.2 The Environment White Paper (2010) (The Natural choice: securing the value of nature) identifies Green Infrastructure as: “A term used to refer to the living network of green spaces, water and other environmental features in both urban and rural areas. It is often used in an urban context to cover benefits provided by trees, parks, gardens, road verges, allotments, cemeteries, woodlands, rivers and wetlands. Green infrastructure is also relevant in a rural context, where it might refer to the use of farmland, woodland, wetlands or other natural features to provide 1 services such as flood protection, carbon storage or water purification. Green infrastructure maintains critical ecological links between town and country.”1 2.3 Green Infrastructure isn’t restricted by local authority boundaries, and goes beyond the site specific to a more strategic sub-regional scale and beyond. It considers both private and public land and provides a multi-functional connected ecological network. 2.4 The Lawton Review Making Space for Nature identifies an ecological network as: “a suite of high quality sites which collectively contain the diversity and area of habitat that are needed to support species and which have ecological connections between them…” 2.5 Green Infrastructure assets are wide ranging and vary in scale. They can range from small green spaces, domestic gardens and street tree avenues, to river corridors, cycle routes and local nature reserves. Rushcliffe already has a wealth of Green Infrastructure assets, notably the River Trent corridor, Rushcliffe Country Park and numerous formal and informal open spaces. They provide social, economic and environmental benefits and can be broken down into the following examples: Parks, Sports - Urban parks, country and regional parks, playing Pitches and fields, sports pitches and formal gardens gardens Amenity - Informal recreation spaces, housing green greenspace spaces, domestic gardens, village greens, urban commons, other incidental space, green roofs Natural and semi - Woodland and scrub, grassland, heath and natural moor, wetlands, open and running water, greenspaces wastelands and disturbed ground, bare rock habitat (cliffs and quarries) Green corridors - Rivers and canals including their banks, road and rail corridors, cycling routes, pedestrian paths and rights of way Other - Allotments, community gardens, city farms, cemeteries and churchyards Multi-functional Infrastructure 2.6 These Green Infrastructure assets fulfil multiple functions that benefit both people and wildlife. Multi-functionality is a key element of Green Infrastructure. These functions are also termed ecosystem services. For example in 1 Forest Research (2010) Benefits of Green Infrastructure. Report to Defra and the Department for Communities and Local Government. 2 Rushcliffe, the Grantham Canal provides cultural heritage, climate regulation (reducing local temperatures), space for sports and recreation, aesthetic value, wildlife and car-free transportation (along the canal path). 2.7 Multi-functionality (or ecosystem services) can be considered at a wider landscape scale, where an area, for example the Trent Valley, provides fresh water, habitats for wildlife, land for food production, flood water storage, sports facilities and recreational and commuter routes. The consideration of corridors at a landscape scale enables the identification of important linkages between individual infrastructure assets, improvements to their connectivity and function and the enhancement of the corridor as a whole. 3. Benefits of Green Infrastructure 3.1 In addition to the clear benefits for wildlife, flood risk reduction, non-motorised sustainable transport, and formal and informal recreation, the Environment White Paper 2011 (The Natural Choice: securing the value of nature) highlights the economic and social benefits of Green Infrastructure. It states that: “Economic growth and the natural environment are mutually compatible. Sustainable economic growth relies on services provided by the natural environment, often referred to as ‘ecosystem services’. Some of these are provided directly, such as food, timber and energy. Others are indirect, such as climate regulation, water purification and the productivity of soil.”2 3.2 Green Infrastructure assets therefore provide cost savings as they reduce the need for more expensive ‘hard’ engineering solutions (e.g. flood defences). Furthermore, if well designed, maintained and managed they are more likely to attract people who will live, work and spend money in the local area. 3.3 Regarding social benefits the White Paper identifies the positive impact that nature has on mental and physical health. Stating that: “High-quality natural environments foster healthy neighbourhoods; green spaces encourage social activity and reduce crime.”3 3.4 Green Infrastructure provides opportunities for exercise and physical activity either for pleasure or as a non-motorised transport option. They provide a sense of place, offer spaces for social interaction, an education resource and locally grown food (in allotments, gardens and orchards). 2 The Environment White Paper 2011 para. 8 3 The Environment White Paper 2011 para. 13 3 4. Policy Background 4.1 National policy identifies the value of Green Infrastructure as a concept. It promotes the idea of Green Infrastructure and identifies the value and benefits that are associated with it. It is established as a planning tool and a policy framework, and is essential in delivering sustainable development. National policy identifies that Green Infrastructure is key in providing sustainable communities and healthy towns and rural areas. National Planning Policy Framework 4.2 The NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) favours sustainable development, identifying it as the golden thread which runs through the planning system. 4.3 Section 11 of the NPPF is the policy specific to the natural environment and it outlines that “the planning system should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment by…: Recognising the wider benefits of ecosystem services; Minimising the impacts on biodiversity and providing net gains in biodiversity where possible, contributing to the Government’s commitment to halt the overall decline in biodiversity, including by establishing coherent ecological networks that are more resilient to current and future pressures...” 4.4 It also states that local planning authorities should: “set out a strategic approach in their Local Plans, planning positively for the creation, protection, enhancement and management of networks of biodiversity and Green Infrastructure” (paragraph 114). It makes reference to the need to plan for biodiversity at a landscape wide scale, to identify important wildlife corridors, stepping stones and ecological networks, and the importance of planning to how these are linked and interconnect. Local Plan Part 1: Core Strategy 4.5 The adopted Core Strategy contains clear policy requirements for the Local Plan: Part 2 to identify, protect and enhance Green Infrastructure at a local level and important ecological networks across the Borough. These should complement the primary strategic corridors and prioritise the locations for major residential development, river corridors and the urban fringe. Policy 16: Green Infrastructure. Landscape, Parks and Open Space 4 4.6 Part 1 requires a strategic approach to the delivery, protection and enhancement of Green Infrastructure “through the establishment of a network of primary Green Infrastructure corridors