October 2009 NUNEATON AND BEDWORTH GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN Final Report Prepared for Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council by Land Use Consultants NUNEATON AND BEDWORTH GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN - FINAL REPORT Prepared for Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council by Land Use Consultants October 2009 43 Chalton Street London NW1 1JD Tel: 020 7383 5784 Fax: 020 7383 4798 [email protected] CONTENTS 1. Introduction ......................................................................................... 1 Green infrastructure – a definition......................................................................................................... 1 National and regional context ................................................................................................................. 2 Approach ...................................................................................................................................................... 5 2. Strategic context................................................................................. 3 Other green infrastructure studies......................................................................................................... 3 Legislative, planning and policy context for green infrastructure .................................................... 9 Application of national green infrastructure standards to Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough 9 Future green infrastructure accessibility needs .................................................................................15 3. Key issues for the Green Infrastructure Plan................................. 17 Biodiversity.................................................................................................................................................17 Water resources and flood risk............................................................................................................27 Climate change..........................................................................................................................................31 Food production.......................................................................................................................................32 Fuel production.........................................................................................................................................33 Place, character and cultural heritage ..................................................................................................34 Quality of life .............................................................................................................................................43 Sustainable transport routes..................................................................................................................49 Accessible greenspace .............................................................................................................................50 Health..........................................................................................................................................................59 Green infrastructure opportunity assessment by function and locality .......................................59 Habitat provision and access to nature ...............................................................................................65 Sustainable resource management and climate change adaptation ...............................................68 Productive landscapes..............................................................................................................................70 Landscape setting and context...............................................................................................................72 Access, recreation and movement .......................................................................................................75 4. Proposed green infrastructure network......................................... 79 Developing the network .........................................................................................................................79 Green infrastructure zones and project proposals...........................................................................82 5. Delivery and monitoring recommendations................................ 115 Practical delivery, priorities and monitoring.....................................................................................115 Embedding the green infrastructure proposals in spatial planning ..............................................139 Embedding green infrastructure in the development management process.............................147 Next steps................................................................................................................................................151 i APPENDICES Appendix 1: Approach Appendix 2: Legislative and planning policy context Appendix 3: Biodiversity Appendix 4: Nuneaton and Bedworth draft open space hierarchy and criteria Appendix 5: Stakeholder consultation Appendix 6: Glossary of terms FIGURES Figure 1.1 Locality areas Figure 1.2: Linking green infrastructure and open space planning Figure 1.3: Green infrastructure typology Figure 2.1 Green infrastructure context Figure 2.2 ANGSt deficiency – Neighbourhood Figure 2.3 ANGSt deficiency – District Figure 2.4 ANGSt deficiency – County Figure 2.5 ANGSt deficiency – Sub regional Figure 3.1 Biodiversity Figure 3.2 Warwickshire Local Biodiversity Action Plan Key Habitats Figure 3.3 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment Figure 3.4 Place and character Figure 3.5 Cultural heritage Figure 3.6 Indices of multiple deprivation Figure 3.7 Open space access and links Figure 3.8: Green infrastructure functions Figure 4.1 Proposed green infrastructure network Figure 5.1 Embedding green infrastructure in the development management process ii Acknowledgements The Nuneaton and Bedworth Green Infrastructure Plan was prepared on behalf of Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council by Land Use Consultants (LUC). The project was steered by a project group of officers from Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council – Kelly Ford, Stephanie Chettle, Darren Henry, Paul Daly and Matt Crossley. LUC’s team consisted of Philip Smith, Andrew Tempany, Louise Tricklebank, Alex Massey, Richard Gowing, Graham Savage and John Jeffcock. Consultation was undertaken with a range of stakeholders, whose contribution is gratefully acknowledged. However, the views in this report are those of Land Use Consultants. iii 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Land Use Consultants was appointed by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council in April 2009 to prepare a Green Infrastructure Plan for the Borough. Covering around 79.3 km2, the Borough is predominantly urban, with the two market towns of Nuneaton and Bedworth making up the majority of the area. The large village of Bulkington is situated in the Green Belt to the east of Bedworth. The Green Infrastructure Plan seeks to enhance existing green infrastructure and connections and provide a holistic consideration of green infrastructure deficiency. It will set out a number of projects for new green infrastructure alongside the housing and economic development proposed in the Local Development Framework Core Strategy. It sets out a ‘greenprint’ for new and enhanced existing green infrastructure (protection and enhancement of existing green infrastructure and the provision of new Green Infrastructure in advance of, and alongside, future development). 1.2. The functional opportunity analysis in relation to green infrastructure has been undertaken with reference to the seven ‘Locality Areas’ defined by the Borough Council as part of the wider approach to spatial planning within the Local Development Framework. These locality areas are shown on Figure 1.1. 1.3. This report establishes the policy context for green infrastructure and the baseline in terms of environmental and socio economic character. It also provides a GI deficiency analysis and strategic recommendations for the outline GI network, in addition to a framework for delivery and monitoring. 1.4. The Green Infrastructure Plan is set out as follows: Strategic context; Interpretation of green infrastructure standards; Key issues for the Green Infrastructure Plan; Proposed green infrastructure network; Delivery and monitoring recommendations. GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE – A DEFINITION 1.5. Planning Policy Statement 12 (PPS12): Local Spatial Planning defines green infrastructure as follows: ‘Green Infrastructure is a network of multi functional greenspace, both new and existing, both rural and urban, which supports the natural and ecological processes and is integral to the health and quality of life of sustainable communities’1. 1.6. It is important to note that green infrastructure considers both public and private assets. Green infrastructure can be considered in a spatial dimension, in the context of links/corridors at a conceptual/thematic level e.g. sustainable living, as individual 1 http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/pps12lsp Nuneaton and Bedworth 1 October 2009 Green Infrastructure Plan elements within sites such as trees and their contribution to shading and cooling, and as part of wildlife corridors. The multi functional character of Green Infrastructure (GI) means that it also considers cultural as well as landscape and ecological assets/habitats, along with concepts such as sustainable water and resource management and use of river corridors and floodplains