Pendle Green Infrastructure Strategy Prepared by LUC July 2019 Project Title: Pendle Green Infrastructure Strategy Client: Pendle Borough Council Version Date Version Details Prepared by Checked by Approved by 1 24/09/2018 Draft Pendle Green Katie Norris Diana Manson Sarah Young Infrastructure Strategy Natalie Collins Kate Nicholls Diana Manson 2 31/01/2019 Final Pendle Green Katie Norris Diana Manson Sarah Young Infrastructure Strategy for Diana Manson comment 3 15/07/2019 Updated Final Strategy Katie Norris Diana Manson Sarah Young Cover Image: Witching Hill © Andy Rothwell (cc-by-nd/2.0) [cropped] Pendle Green Infrastructure Strategy Prepared by LUC July 2019 Planning & EIA LUC BRISTOL Offices also in: Land Use Consultants Ltd th Registered in England Design 12 Floor Colston Tower Edinburgh Registered number: 2549296 Landscape Planning Colston Street Bristol Glasgow Registered Office: Landscape Management BS1 4XE Lancaster 43 Chalton Street Ecology T +44 (0)117 929 1997 London London NW1 1JD FS 566056 EMS 566057 LUC uses 100% recycled paper GIS & Visualisation [email protected] Manchester Contents Part 1: Introduction and Context 1 1 Introduction 2 Guide to this Strategy 2 Pendle’s Vision for Green Infrastructure 2 Aims and objectives for this strategy 3 What is green infrastructure? 4 Types of GI in Pendle 5 Why is Green Infrastructure important for Pendle? 5 How was the strategy prepared? 6 2 Context 9 Introduction 9 The Pendle Context 9 National, Regional and Local Policy Context 15 Part 2: Green Infrastructure Themes 20 Part 2: Green Infrastructure Themes 21 3 Landscape and sense of place 22 Pendle’s landscapes 22 Climate Change 24 Existing Initiatives 27 What are the key issues, priorities and opportunities? 27 4 Cultural heritage 35 Pendle’s cultural heritage 35 Climate Change 37 Existing initiatives 39 What are the key issues, priorities and opportunities? 40 5 Active travel, access and recreation 47 Active travel, access and recreation in Pendle 47 Climate Change 49 Existing initiatives 51 What are the key issues, priorities and opportunities? 51 6 Biodiversity and ecological networks 60 Pendle’s biodiversity and ecological networks 60 Climate Change 63 Existing initiatives 67 What are the key issues, priorities and opportunities? 68 7 Water resources 77 Pendle’s water resources 77 Existing initiatives 82 What are the key issues, priorities and opportunities? 82 8 Health and well-being 87 Health and well-being in Pendle 87 Existing initiatives 93 What are the key issues, priorities and opportunities? 93 Part 3: Key Opportunities and Policy Recommendations 99 9 Summary of key opportunities and policy recommendations 100 Summary of key opportunities 101 Embedding green infrastructure delivery into Local Plan Part 2 and other strategies 118 Appendices 121 Appendix 1 122 National, Regional and Local Policy Context 122 Appendix 2 133 Consultation Responses 133 Stakeholder Workshop 134 Email Consultation 139 Tables Table 2.1 Green Infrastructure typologies found in Pendle 12 Table 8.1: The four key open space typologies and the wards which are a priority for increased provision 88 Table 9.1: Multifunctional benefits of each opportunity identified. 107 Figures Figure 1.1: Multifunctional benefits of Green Infrastructure 6 Figure 1.2: Study Approach 7 Figure 2.1: Green Infrastructure typology assessment 14 Figure 3.1: Landscape context 26 Figure 3.2: Identifying spatial opportunities to enhance landscape and sense of place 33 Figure 4.1: Cultural heritage context 38 Figure 4.2: Identifying spatial opportunities to enhance cultural heritage assets 45 Figure 4.3: Spatial priorities for enhancement of cultural heritage assets 46 Figure 5.1: Active travel, access and recreation 50 Figure 5.2: Identifying spatial opportunities for active travel, access and recreation 57 Figure 5.3: Priority opportunities for active travel 58 Figure 5.4: Priority opportunities for recreation and access to the countryside 59 Figure 6.1: Biodiversity context 64 Figure 6.2: Ecological networks – grassland 65 Figure 6.3: Ecological networks – woodland 66 Figure 6.4: Identifying spatial opportunities for biodiversity enhancements 75 Figure 6.5: Spatial priorities for biodiversity enhancements to strengthen the GI network 76 Figure 7.1: Water resources 81 Figure 7.2: Strategic priorities for using Green Infrastructure to better manage water resources 86 Figure 8.1: Health and well-being 90 Figure 8.2: Environmental quality 91 Figure 8.3: Open space deficiencies 92 Figure 8.4: Spatial priorities for using Green Infrastructure to improve health and well-being 98 Figure 9.1: Multi-functionality of Pendle’s Green Infrastructure network. 100 Figure 9.2: Pendle Green Infrastructure Opportunities 102 Figure 9.3: Barnoldswick Green Infrastructure Opportunities 103 Figure 9.4 : Earby Green Infrastructure Opportunities 104 Figure 9.5 : M65 Corridor GreenInfrastructure Opportunities 105 Figure 9.6: Rural Pendle Green Infrastructure opportunities 106 Image: Pendle Hill © Tim Green (cc by/2.0) [cropped] Part 1: Introduction and Context Pendle Green Infrastructure Strategy 1 July 2019 Part 1: Introduction & Context Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Introduction 1.1 Green infrastructure (GI) is increasingly recognised as a cornerstone of sustainable development and communities. It is a ‘must have’, due to the many economic, social and environmental benefits it offers. It is essential to the quality of life of residents and business, contributing towards creating places where people want to live and work. Working on behalf of Pendle Borough Council and in consultation with key stakeholders, LUC was commissioned to prepare a GI strategy. This strategy complements the Open Space Audit Review prepared by Pendle Council in 2018. 1.2 The strategy identifies opportunities across the Borough to protect and enhance GI, helping guide the investment and delivery of GI and its associated benefits. This strategy also supports and informs the Local Plan Part 2, which will allocate sites for housing and employment uses, designate sites for environmental protection and contain policies to guide and manage development up to 2030. Guide to this Strategy 1.3 This strategy is structured as follows: • Part 1 includes the aims and objectives of the study, the Pendle Borough context and relevant planning policy. Fully integrating the strategy into the wider policy context is crucial if GI investment is to be successfully secured from public funds and leveraged in from the private sector. • Part 2 presents the existing resource; existing initiatives; and key issues, priorities and opportunities for each of the following themes relating to GI in Pendle Borough: - Landscape and sense of place. - Cultural heritage. - Biodiversity and ecological networks. - Active travel, access and recreation. - Water resources. - Health and well-being. • Part 3 summarises the key opportunities identified by the strategy and provides recommendations of how GI should be embedded within the Local Plan Part 2 and other strategies. Pendle’s Vision for Green Infrastructure 1.4 GI can mean many things to many people and there are various definitions and approaches to GI that have been adopted throughout the country. To understand the nature and scope of GI in Pendle, an important first stage in the project was to clarify the role of GI and establish a vision of what it will deliver in the future. The following Vision for GI was developed by the GI Stakeholder Group1. 1 The Stakeholder Group was made up of representatives from a range of organisations including the Council, neighbouring authorities, statutory consultees, national and local interest groups and utility companies etc. Pendle Green Infrastructure Strategy 2 July 2019 Part 1: Introduction & Context Chapter 1: Introduction Pendle’s Vision for Green Infrastructure Green Infrastructure in Pendle will: “Be a network of multi-functional green spaces, watercourses and connections across the Borough. These spaces will be protected and enhanced for the benefit of the community and natural environment. Provision of green infrastructure will help to deliver a broad range of ecosystem services, help to adapt to climate change and ensure that new development is sustainable.”2 1.5 This vision is supported by the aims and objectives of this strategy. Aims and objectives for this strategy 1.6 The main aim of the strategy is to: Support the protection, enhancement and provision of blue and green infrastructure in Pendle by highlighting locations which are most in need of investment, and to justify the need for investment. 2 Pendle Green Infrastructure Scoping Report (2017). Pendle Green Infrastructure Strategy 3 July 2019 Part 1: Introduction & Context Chapter 1: Introduction 1.7 Leading on from this, the wider objectives of the strategy include: • Creating attractive environments for people to live and work. • Creating, maintaining and improving wildlife habitats and giving people access to nature. • Promoting more active lifestyles thereby improving people’s health and well-being. • Providing a network of multi-functional spaces which allow for the movement of people and wildlife, including the establishment of an ecological network. • Preserving landscape character. • Providing places for outdoor recreation and play. • Helping to mitigate the effects of climate change, making the area more resilient. 1.8 The Strategy seeks to achieve these aims and objectives by: • Facilitating a co-ordinated and consistent approach to GI within the Borough. • Supporting the Council