London Borough of Bexley Bexley Green Infrastructure Study Evidence on Green Infrastructure, Open Space and Sports, Biodiversity and Metropolitan Open Land Part 3: Chapter 9 onwards London Borough of Bexley Bexley Green Infrastructure Study Evidence on Green Infrastructure, Open Space and Sports, Biodiversity and Metropolitan Open Land Project Number 10228 Version Status Prepared Checked Approved Date 1. Draft report D Manson K Moroney D Manson 22.07.2019 K Moroney H Liddle 2. Revised draft report D Manson D Manson D Manson 28.10.2019 K Moroney 3. Final draft D Manson D Manson D Manson 04.03.2020 K Stenson K Moroney 4. Final Report K Moroney D Manson D Manson 14.04.2020 D Manson Bristol Land Use Consultants Ltd Landscape Design Edinburgh Registered in England Strategic Planning & Assessment Glasgow Registered number 2549296 Development Planning Lancaster Registered office: Urban Design & Masterplanning London 250 Waterloo Road Environmental Impact Assessment Manchester London SE1 8RD Landscape Planning & Assessment Landscape Management landuse.co.uk 100% recycled paper Ecology Historic Environment GIS & Visualisation Contents Bexley Green Infrastructure Study April 2020 Contents Population, household and economic growth 40 Chapter 1 1 Health and wellbeing 49 Executive Summary 1 Climate change 58 Purpose of this study 1 Biodiversity 64 Approach to the study 1 Landscape and historic environment 66 Open space findings 3 Active travel network 70 Playing pitches findings 4 Metropolitan Open Land findings 5 Chapter 6 75 Urban greening findings 5 Open Space Evidence Base 75 Biodiversity, geology and geodiversity findings 6 Cemetery capacity findings 7 Typologies of open space 75 Bexley's Green and Blue Infrastructure network 7 Current provision 77 Characteristics of current provision 90 Summary of feedback from public consultation 107 Chapter 2 10 Summary of feedback from stakeholder consultation 115 Introduction 10 Development of standards 120 What is Green Infrastructure 10 Proposed standards 122 Study aims and objectives 14 Application of proposed standards 124 Structure of this report 14 Summary of open space findings 138 Chapter 3 16 Chapter 7 141 Methodology 16 Playing Pitches Evidence Base 141 Open Space 18 Cricket assessment 143 Playing Pitches 19 Football assessment 144 Metropolitan Open Land 22 Hockey assessment 147 Urban Greening 25 Rugby assessment 148 Biodiversity, Geology and Geodiversity 25 Other outdoor sports assessment 150 Cemeteries 26 Current and future demand for playing pitches 151 Bringing it all together: The GBI Network 26 Summary of playing pitch assessment findings 154 Presenting the study 27 Chapter 8 158 Chapter 4 29 Metropolitan Open Land Evidence Base 158 Planning Policy Context 29 Openness Assessment of the current MOL designation 158 National Policy 29 Consideration of potential new MOL 170 Regional Policy 30 Summary of Metropolitan Open land findings 175 Local Policy 36 Other relevant guidance and strategies 37 Chapter 9 178 Urban Greening Evidence Base 178 Chapter 5 40 Green roofs and walls 178 The Bexley Context: Drivers for GI 40 Street trees and tree canopy 179 LUC I i Contents Bexley Green Infrastructure Study April 2020 Contents Private gardens 182 Appendix D D-1 Summary of urban greening findings 187 Audit Forms (separate volume) D-1 Chapter 10 189 Appendix E E-1 Biodiversity, Geology and Geodiversity Results of Online Survey E-1 Evidence Base 189 Geology and geodiversity 189 Appendix F F-1 Biodiversity 190 Summary of Open Space Standards in Neighbouring Boroughs F-1 Chapter 11 199 Cemeteries Evidence Base 199 Appendix G G-1 Open Space Quality and Value Ratings G-1 Current provision 199 Demand 199 Indicative costs 201 Appendix H H-1 Summary of cemetery capacity findings 201 Glossary and Abbreviations H-1 Glossary H-1 Chapter 12 203 Abbreviations H-3 The Bexley Green and Blue Infrastructure Network 203 Appendix I I-1 Definition of Green Infrastructure 203 Data List I-1 Green Infrastructure Focus Map 204 The Sub Areas and Links of the Borough 213 218 Appendix J J-1 Playing Pitch Audit - Sport Specific Action Plan J-1 Chapter 13 219 Embedding Green Infrastructure within Bexley's Local Plan 219 Appendix K K-1 Playing Pitch Audit - Site Specific GI Policy in Bexley's Local Plan 219 Action Plans K-1 Measurable standards 221 Table of Tables Appendix A A-1 Table 3.1: MOL openness ratings 24 Review of Planning Policy A-1 Table 5.1: Value of public parks in Bexley (value expressed in million £s) 46 Table 5.2: London Environment Strategy targets 64 Appendix B B-1 Table 6.1: Open space typologies 76 Large Format Map of Sites B-1 Table 6.2: Open space by primary typology and hierarchy in Bexley 77 Appendix C C-1 Table 6.3: Summary of current provision of all open space by Geographic Region 78 Audit Form Scoring Criteria C-1 LUC I ii Contents Bexley Green Infrastructure Study April 2020 Contents Table 6.4: Summary of accessibility of sites 81 Table 10.1: Priority habitats 192 Table 6.5: Quantity of publicly accessible open space by Table 11.1: Availability of burial space at Council Geographic Region 81 managed cemeteries 200 Table 6.6: Total amount of accessible open space by Table 13.1: Examples of measurable standards relating typology when secondary typologies are included in the to GI 221 typology totals 84 Table A.1: Detailed review of relevant planning policy Table 6.7: Equipped play provision by typology 85 and programmes A-2 Table 6.8: Other play provision by primary typology 86 Table F.1: Accessibility standards adopted by nearby Table 6.9: Playable spaces by Geographic Region 87 local authorities F-2 Table 6.10: Ages catered for by play sites by Geographic Table F.2: Quantity standards adopted by nearby local Region 87 authorities F-4 Table 6.11: Condition of other play provision in Bexley 105 Table G.1: Quality and Value Ratings for Open Space Sites in Bexley G-2 Table 6.12: Breakdown of respondents’ satisfaction with quality of parks and open spaces in Bexley 108 Table G.2: Quality and Value Ratings for Play Sites in Bexley G-24 Table 6.13: Stakeholder consultation findings 116 Table I.1: GIS data presented in the Bexley Green Table 6.14: Quality and value matrix 121 Infrastructure Study I-2 Table 6.15: Proposed public open space standards for Bexley 122 Table 6.16: Proposed standards for allotment provision in Bexley 123 Table of Figures Table 6.17: Proposed standards for play provision in Figure 1.1: Overview of method 2 Bexley 124 Figure 2.1: Multiple benefits of GI 12 Table 6.18: Application of open space quantity standard Figure 3.1: Method overview 17 to identify shortfall/surplus 125 Figure 3.2: Geographic Regions 20 Table 6.19: Provision of allotments against the quantity Figure 3.3: The 10 steps to delivering a Playing Pitch standard 126 Strategy 21 Table 6.20: Relative provision of playable spaces per Figure 5.1: Population density 42 Geographic Region 126 Figure 5.2: Growth strategy 48 Table 7.1: Summary of findings for cricket 143 Figure 5.3: Index of Multiple Deprivation 51 Table 7.2: Summary of findings for football 144 Figure 5.4: Health and Disability Deprivation 52 Table 7.3: Summary of findings for hockey 147 Figure 5.5: Childhood obesity 53 Table 7.4: Summary of findings for rugby 148 Figure 5.6: Air quality 56 Table 7.5: Current and future Demand playing pitch sports and Geographic Area required 151 Figure 5.7: Noise 57 Table 8.1: Assessment of openness for current MOL Figure 5.8: Flood risk (rivers and seas) 61 designation 160 Figure 5.9: Surface water flooding 62 Table 8.2: Consideration of new land for potential Figure 5.10: Road Runoff Water Quality 63 designation as MOL 171 Figure 5.11: Landscape character 68 Table 8.3: Recommended minor boundary adjustments 175 Figure 5.12: Cultural heritage 69 Table 8.4: Summary of potential new MOL additions 175 Figure 5.13: Active travel network 73 Table 9.1: Breakdown of top 10 street tree (broad) Figure 6.1: Approach to calculating quantity of provision species in Bexley 179 by typology 77 Table 9.2: Street trees by Geographic Region 180 Figure 6.2: Sites by primary typology 80 Table 9.3: Top ten broad species by Geographic Region 180 Figure 6.3: Site access 83 Table 9.4: Street trees by age class 181 Figure 6.4: Play sites 88 Table 9.5: Tree canopy cover by London Borough 181 Figure 6.5: Sports sites 89 LUC I iii Contents Bexley Green Infrastructure Study April 2020 Contents Figure 6.6: To what extent are the entrances well Figure 6.34: Mode of transport used to access open presented? 90 space 111 Figure 6.7: What is the overall provision of signage? 91 Figure 6.35: Travel time to open space 112 Figure 6.8: What is the overall quality of access and Figure 6.36: Accessibility of allotments in Bexley in terms accesses within and through the open space? 91 of the travel times of respondents to the site they make Figure 6.9: A Welcoming place – summary of audit use of 113 results 92 Figure 6.37: Mode of travel to allotments 114 Figure 6.10: Is there natural surveillance into the site Figure 6.38: Range of quality and value ratings across from surrounding properties? 93 typologies 127 Figure 6.11: Do the approaches feel open and secure? 94 Figure 6.39: Quality and value ratings 129 Figure 6.12: Is there a flow of people through the open Figure 6.40: Metropolitan site access 130 space (to achieve self-surveillance)? 94 Figure 6.41: District site access 131 Figure 6.13: Healthy, safe and secure – summary of Figure 6.42: Local site access 132 audit results 94 Figure 6.43: Small local site access 133 Figure 6.14: Overall condition/quality