2026 Local Development Framework October 2010 Background Paper 3: Open Space 1 2 Contents Introduction to the background paper 4 The Need to prepare a Green/Open Space Strategy 4 Progresstodate 5 Nextsteps 7 Appendix 1 – Site Audit Schedules 8 Table 1 – Green Belt & Metropolitan Open Land 9 Table 2– Public Open Space 12 Table 3– Community Open Space (Allotments) 21 Table 4 – Community Open Space (Sports Grounds/Golf Courses) 28 Table 5– Community Open Space (Cemeteries) 31 Table 6– Community Open Space (Other) 32 Table 7 – Public & Community Open Space totals by Ward 33 Table 8- Green Corridors 34 Appendix 2 – Site audit mapping changes 37 Appendix 3 – Audit of selected sites 152 Appendix 4 – Sites of Importancefor Nature Conservation in Ealing 189 3 Introduction This background paper provides an overview/progress report on various streams of work currently underway in the Council on open space matters which inform the emerging Local Development Framework (LDF). The need to prepare a Green/Open Space Strategy Planning Policy Guidance 17: ‘Planning for open space, sport and recreation’ (2002)1 establishes the requirement for local authorities to undertake robust assessments of the existing and future needs of their communities for open space, sports and recreational facilities. These assessments and audits will allow the authority to identify specific needs and quantitative or qualitative deficits or surpluses of open space, sports and recreational facilities in their areas. They form the starting point for establishing an effective strategy for open space, sport and recreation at the local level and for effective planning through the development of appropriate policies in plans. This work feeds directly into the development of our Local Development Framework, and the Green Space Strategy therefore forms a vital part of the evidence base for this process. A key element of this strategy will be to analyse deficiency in respect of all typologies of open space, and to subsequently develop a strategy/action plan for addressing this deficiency. The LDF will perform a key role in delivering on these actions, and in this regard appropriate policies/proposals will need to be incorporated in the DPD documents. Various options will be explored, including: in a limited number of cases, the identification of new public open space; in appropriate circumstances, the reclassification of Community Open Space as Public Open Space; physical works to improve access to existing spaces; and enhancement of existing space (such improvements may allow for the re-categorisation of existing open space in respect of where they fit in the hierarchy (and if appropriate in terms of size and deficiency). Good quality assessments and audits, leading to a clear strategy, supported by effective planning policies, will also provide a vital tool for resolving the potential conflicts that arise between different uses and users of open space, sports and recreational facilities. A green/open space strategy prepared under the requirements of PPG 17 covers the full typology of open space – both public and private. This includes parks, woodlands, farmland (Green Belt/MOL etc), wasteland, green corridors, waterways, allotments, cemeteries, civic spaces and so on. It does not however cover private residential gardens or incidental areas, such as road verges (unless these form part of a link in the open space network – i.e. such as a Green Corridor). 1 PPG 17 http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planningsystem/planningpolicy/planningpolicystatements/ppg17/ 4 Progress to date In 2002 the Council published a ‘Parks & Open Space Strategy’ for the borough. Whilst this strategy provides important background material for the planning of open space in the borough, its coverage is limited to dealing with publicly accessible open space only. Moreover, the life of the strategy covering a 5 year period from 2003-2008, means that the strategy is now in need of review or replacement. The Council has therefore commenced work on the preparation of a new open space strategy, whose life will be aligned with that of the LDF and whose content will be PPG 17 compliant in respect of covering the full range of open space types. An initial task in the preparation of this new strategy has been to undertake an audit of all open spaces in the borough. Consultants (Land Management) were commissioned earlier this year to complete this audit work. This audit work covered the full typology of green space in the borough including public parks, allotments, cemeteries, private sports grounds and green corridors. This audit was necessary to capture and understand exactly what exists in the borough in terms of its network of green space. As part of this audit work, open space has been categorised by function and size, according to classification types defined in PPG 17, and the London Plan in respect of the hierarchy of Public Open Space. For a number of the open space typology groups audited, consideration has also been given to identifying where there may be scope to enhance this space. The full schedules of sites and audit findings/datasets are detailed in appendix 1. Having audited all green space sites in the borough, a definitive map of the network was produced. The schedules and maps appended to this report highlight those changes which have arisen since the sites were last mapped as part of the adopted 2004 UDP. The majority of these changes comprise fairly minor boundary adjustments, reflecting current management arrangements particularly in terms of Public Open Space and allotments. Other changes have arisen following the reclassification of sites. For example a number of public open space sites have been reclassified as community open space and vice versa. As a rule of thumb it was decided that all cemeteries, allotments, sports grounds (both private and public) and golf courses should be designated as Community Open Space, regardless of whether they are managed by the Council or not. Whilst it is accepted that a number of these sites may be publicly accessible, at times access will in some way be restricted to defined users only based on the primary function of these sites, as distinct from Public Parks which should be accessible to all. Accordingly, it was decided that such sites are better classified as Community Open Space. Adopting this convention was also considered important in relation to public open space deficiency mapping. To define sites as Public Open Space, when the primary activity will constrain their use and its users, may in fact skew the real picture in terms of the network of accessible space in the borough. Again for this reason it was decided that such sites are more appropriately classified as community open space. The desktop audit of all public and non-public open space sites in the borough set out in appendix 1, identified the need to undertake a more detailed review of a select number of sites, particularly for those whose planning status was questionable, or had previously been 5 subject to challenge. Of the sites identified, a number for example had been subject to representations at earlier rounds of the LDF consultation challenging their planning status. For others their status has been questioned in relation to recent appeal decisions. Accordingly it was agreed that the planning status of these sites should be subject to review. This more detailed audit set out in appendix 2 therefore set out to establish whether the existing open space designation(s) of these sites still remains relevant, and if not what appropriate designation should be afforded to these sites. Each site has been reviewed against the appropriate criteria for inclusion as set out in the relevant national, regional or local policy guidance. The key findings and proposed recommendations are set out in the tables below. With regards to the use of open space for active recreation, the Council commissioned a Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sports Strategy in 2007. This strategy was prepared in accordance with the principles and methodology outlined in Sport England’s ‘Towards a level Playing Field: A guide to the production of playing pitch strategies’. Since early 2008 Ealing have been engaged with Sport England in its Facilities Improvement Service programme which seeks to support local authorities in their strategic planning for sports and recreation. As part of this programme of support consultants appointed by Sport England have assisted the Council in reviewing its strategy for sports including updating the 2007 Playing Pitch Study. This update was published in February 2009. A key area of focus in undertaking this update has been to model/project demand over the life of the plan. The previous 2007 strategy only covered the period up to 2013. This update now analyses need up to 2021. It was not possible to extend this update to cover the full plan period up to 2026 because of limitations with the modelling software. In addition to reviewing the position with regard to outdoor facilities, this support package has also allowed the Council to strengthen its evidence with regard to indoor facilities, including in particular swimming pools and indoor sports halls. In this regard further modelling work has been undertaken to understand future needs over the life of the LDF in respect of indoor facilities. The findings of the FIS work to date are now being carried forward into a Sports Facilities Strategy for Ealing, covering all facilities both indoor and outdoor, and whether publicly or privately managed. In 2005 the GLA jointly with the Council commissioned a review of sites of importance for nature conservation in Ealing. This review proposed a number of changes to the network of sites in the borough as defined in the 2004 adopted UDP, including the identification of 22 sites, boundary adjustments (including extensions) to 47 sites and the deletion of one site.