Luton and southern Bedfordshire Green Infrastructure Plan 2009 Produced by the Greensand Trust on behalf of Luton and southern Bedfordshire Joint Technical Unit Luton and South Bedfordshire Green Infrastructure plan 2009 2 Contents Foreword ......................................................................................................................................... 6 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... 7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................. 8 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 12 1.1 Need for this Plan ......................................................................................................... 12 1.2 Policy Background ........................................................................................................ 14 1.3 What is Green Infrastructure? ...................................................................................... 15 1.4 Aim & Objectives ..................................................................................................... 16 2. Context .................................................................................................................................. 17 2.1 Environmental Context ................................................................................................. 17 2.2 Growth Context ............................................................................................................ 19 2.2.1 Population .............................................................................................................. 20 2.2.2 Transport ............................................................................................................... 23 3. The Plan Preparation process ............................................................................................. 24 3.1 Baseline Review ........................................................................................................... 24 3.2 Stakeholder and Community Consultation ................................................................... 25 3.3 Integration Process and Identification of Green Infrastructure Network ....................... 26 3.4 The Luton & southern Bedfordshire Green Infrastructure Network .............................. 27 3.4.1 Sustainable Transport ............................................................................................ 27 3.5 Examples of potential projects ..................................................................................... 29 3.5.1 Climate Change: .................................................................................................... 29 4. Network Area Descriptions and Project lists ........................................................................ 30 4.1 Network Area 1 – The Ouzel Valley ............................................................................. 31 4.2 Network Area 2 – The Chalk Arc .................................................................................. 33 4.3 Network Area 3 – Leighton-Linslade to Dunstable ....................................................... 35 4.4 Network Area 4 – The Upper Lea Valley ...................................................................... 37 5. Implementation ........................................................................................................................ 39 5.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 39 5.2 Delivering through the Planning system ....................................................................... 39 5.3 Grant Funding and other External Funding Sources .................................................... 39 5.4 Agriculture and Forestry ............................................................................................... 41 5.5 Local Communities ....................................................................................................... 42 Luton and South Bedfordshire Green Infrastructure plan 2009 3 5.6 Partner Organisations .................................................................................................. 42 5.7 Monitoring and Review ................................................................................................. 42 6. Landscape ................................................................................................................................ 44 6.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 45 6.2 Landscape Character ................................................................................................... 45 6.3 Landscape Opportunities Methodology ........................................................................ 48 6.4 Landscape Opportunity by Landscape Character Area ............................................... 51 6.4.1 Leighton Buzzard Urban Fringe ............................................................................. 51 6.4.2 Rural–Urban fringe to the north of Luton, Dunstable and Houghton Regis ........... 53 6.4.3 North Luton Chiltern Landscape ............................................................................ 55 6.4.4 South Luton and Dunstable Chiltern Valley Landscape ........................................ 56 6.4.5 West Dunstable Chilterns ...................................................................................... 59 6.5 Themed Enhancement Projects ................................................................................... 61 6.5.1 Enhancement of the Rural – Urban Fringe ............................................................ 61 7. Historic Environment ............................................................................................................... 63 7.1 Existing Historic Environment resource ........................................................................ 63 7.2 Historic Environment Opportunities .............................................................................. 66 8. Rebuilding Biodiversity ........................................................................................................... 70 8.1 Policy Context .............................................................................................................. 70 8.2 Existing resource .......................................................................................................... 71 8.3 Characterisation and opportunity mapping ................................................................... 77 9.0 Accessible Green space ........................................................................................................ 87 9.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 87 9.2 Typology ....................................................................................................................... 88 9.3 Hierarchy ...................................................................................................................... 90 9.4 Ecological Sensitivity .................................................................................................... 95 9.5 Recreation constraints .................................................................................................. 95 9.6 Management Issues ..................................................................................................... 96 9.7 Application of Accessible Standards for Informal Recreation ....................................... 96 9.7.1 Sub-regional Sites, – 500ha. 10km catchment ...................................................... 96 9.7.2 Strategic / District Sites, - 60ha. 3.2km catchment ........................................... 96 9.7.3 Middle Level Sites, - 20ha. 1.2km catchment ................................................... 97 9.7.4 Neighbourhood Level Sites, - 2ha. 300m catchment ....................................... 97 9.8 Opportunities ............................................................................................................................ 98 9.8.1 Methodology ........................................................................................................ 98 9.8.2 Other Studies in progress: ................................................................................. 101 Luton and South Bedfordshire Green Infrastructure plan 2009 4 10.0 Access Routes ................................................................................................................... 104 10.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 104 10.2 Policy Context .......................................................................................................... 104 10.3 Walking Routes ........................................................................................................ 107 10.4 Horse Riding Routes ................................................................................................ 108 10.5 Cycling Routes ......................................................................................................... 110 10.6