Watford Open Space Study 2010. 1.0. Introduction 1.1. Watford is an urban borough in South-West Hertfordshire – on the edge of the East of England region and 16 miles northwest from central London. At just over 8 sq. miles in area (2,142 hectares), with a population of 82,500 (ONS 2008 mid-year population estimate, issued May 2010), Watford is a small borough with a big role within the region. The town sits at the intersection of the M1, A41 and M25 providing enhanced road access to the major airports of Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton. Watford is served by mainline rail services to London Euston, the Midlands, the North West and Glasgow as well as the Metropolitan underground line to Baker Street and the City. There is also an extensive network of local bus routes linking Watford to other nearby towns such as St. Albans, Rickmansworth, Hemel Hempstead, Harlow and Hatfield. 1.2. Socio-economic and demographic data for Watford has been drawn from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) web site which provides information at Super Output Area (SOA) level. This is a new level of analysis introduced to enable comparison to be made over time and is for smaller areas instead of looking at ward or borough data. There are 53 SOAs in Watford, 31 of which have more than 20% of households with no car and 7 of which have more than 30% of households with no car. The SOAs nearest to the town centre are the most densely populated and have the highest percentage of households with no vehicles. This means that accessing parks and open spaces by car is not an option for a significant percentage of the population. 1.3. Watford is a key regional centre, identified in the East of England Plan (May, 2009) as a Key Centre for Development and Change (KCDC). This designation extends beyond the borough boundaries into the neighbouring districts of Three Rivers, Hertsmere and Dacorum. The borough is relatively prosperous and has a low level of unemployment (2.5 percent of the working age population compared to the national average of 3.4 percent) although there are some pockets of deprivation that have in the past attracted European Development Funds. 1.4. Watford ranks 223 out of 354 districts on the indices of deprivation, where position one is the most deprived area in the country and number 354 the least deprived (Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2004). It is therefore a relatively affluent area, 18 of the 53 Super Output Areas are within the top 25% of the least deprived in the country. 1.5. Watford has a diverse community with 14% of the population classifying themselves as being of ethnic origin. This compares with a national average of 9.1% and a Hertfordshire average of 6.3% ethnic population (2001 census). There are significant (8.2%) Asian communities. 1.6. This report is part of the evidence base for the Local Development Framework (LDF). Its key aims are to: • Support policies for the protection of existing open spaces and provision for new open spaces, sports and recreational facilities in accordance with the Site Allocations Supplementary Planning Document; • Support funding applications for the improvement of key sites within the Council’s Green Space Strategy and accompanying Action Plan (2007); and Watford Open Space Study 2010. • Identify priorities that will become part of the Green Infrastructure Delivery Plan. Section 2: National and Local Context for Protecting Open Spaces National 2.1. Over the last few years the Government has expressed concern about the loss of open space, sport and recreation facilities and has introduced policies and national guidance to address this. The importance of green space has been highlighted as a critical element in creating sustainable communities by the Urban Green Spaces Task Force (UGSTF) Report (2002) which emphasised the need to judge the effectiveness of open spaces in terms of accessibility, quality and quantity. 2.2. Other polices and strategies relating to open spaces have also been developed by various government departments and external agencies, demonstrating the breadth of the issues covered by the topic and how different aspects of the environment are interrelated. For example in the report “Green Spaces, Better Places” (2001) the Government made 52 recommendations. Three key priorities were identified: Local authorities should carry out assessments of need and an audit of provision. An urban space typology was defined to enable comparison across local authorities; Local authorities should develop a strategy for green space provision including locally determined provision standards; A national agency should be established to co-ordinate strategies and champion the cause. 2.3. The Urban Parks Forum published its report “Living Spaces, Cleaner, Safer, Greener ” in response to the Task Force recommendations, challenging those bodies responsible for open space to: Adopt a holistic approach and see the public realm as a network of open spaces; End creeping deterioration through incremental decisions and/or lack of action; Recognise the importance of high quality open spaces for disadvantaged neighbourhoods and Respond to changing patterns of demography and development 2.4. The report led to the establishment of CABE Space as the national champion for the development of open spaces and a review of existing national guidance. 2.5. Planning Policy Guidance Note 2002 (PPG17) “Open Spaces, Sports and Recreation” broadened the scope of the guidance to include recreation and leisure Watford Open Space Study 2010. provision in recognition of the wider role of open spaces. PPG17 highlights the benefits of open spaces as: Supporting an urban renaissance Promoting social inclusion Improving health and well-being Supporting sustainable development 2.6. The long term outcomes of PPG17 are to deliver: Networks of accessible, high quality open spaces and sport and recreation facilities, in both urban and rural areas, which meet the needs of residents and visitors, are fit for purpose and economically and environmentally sustainable; Ensure an appropriate balance between new provision and the enhancement of existing provision; and Provide clarity and reasonable certainty for developers and land owners in respect of open spaces and sport and recreation provision. 2.7. PPG17 states that local authorities should undertake robust assessments of the existing and future needs of their communities for open space, sports and recreational facilities (paragraph 1) and formulate effective planning policies to protect open spaces and ensure adequate provision of high quality open spaces. Opportunities should be sought to remedy deficiencies in provision in terms of quantity, quality and accessibility through development plans. Local Context 2.10. Green spaces already play an important role in Watford. There are more than 30 wildlife sites in Watford including Cassiobury Park, Harebreaks Wood, The Lairage Land, Alban Wood, Garston Park and Whippendell Woods; these are all protected and managed, either wholly or in part for their biodiversity and are existing Local Nature Reserves (LNR). Other significant open spaces are the Grand Union Canal, the River Gade and the gardens of Cheslyn House in Nascot Wood Road. In addition, almost 20% of the borough is surrounded by metropolitan green belt. 2.11. The Watford District Plan, 2000 is the statutory development plan document for Watford Borough, this together with the Hertfordshire Structure Plan and the Hertfordshire Waste and Minerals Plan form the Development Plan for Watford. Saved local plan policies from the Watford District Plan L4, L5, L6, L8, L9, L11 and L12 relate specifically to the provision and protection of open spaces in areas of deficiency and in all new development schemes with policies SE12 and SE18 providing guidance on the appropriate use and visual impact of key open spaces such as the Colne Valley Linear Park and the Grand Union Canal Corridor. Watford Open Space Study 2010. Watford Sustainable Community Strategy Watford’s Sustainable Community Strategy 2026 builds on the vision and commitment One Watford set out in the borough’s second Community Plan 2006- 2026. The vision remains the same, for Watford to be “a town to be proud of, where people will always choose to live, work and visit”. The key objectives are to make Watford: A well-planned town with homes to suit all needs. A well-informed community where everyone can contribute. A healthy town. A prosperous and educated town. A town that protects its environment and heritage. A safer town. 2.13. Hertfordshire Forward, the strategic partnership for Hertfordshire, has negotiated a Local Area Agreement (LAA) with partners, including One Watford and central government. This agreement allows areas to focus on a core set of outcomes and use funding streams to spend money on local priorities. The four priority areas are: Healthier communities and older people Safer and stronger communities Economic development and enterprise Children and young people The safer and stronger communities block of funding contains targets for the improvement of Green Spaces across Hertfordshire which is measured by the achievement of the Green Flag award. Watford has achieved 3 Green Flag awards for Cassiobury Park, Woodside Playing Field and Cheslyn Gardens. Green flag sites must re-apply annually, a park or green space must maintain and improve on previous standards to be guaranteed a subsequent award. Watford Green Spaces Strategy 2.14. The aim of the Council’s Green Spaces Strategy (2006) is “to provide green spaces to be proud of, which will benefit the whole community, improving health, well being and quality of life”. The Strategy focuses on a number of key policy objectives/themes to help deliver the above aim and vision: Community safety Community consultation and involvement Partnerships Children’s play provision Sports development Support community events and activities Watford Open Space Study 2010.