Summary: Theme 2b: A Beautiful and Historic City – Green Infrastructure 2017

What is green infrastructure? It is our natural environment and is the network of green spaces and natural resources including the River and riverbanks; the Green Belt; parks and the Botanic Garden; the grounds of the University, colleges, schools, hospitals, businesses and business parks; individual wildlife sites and habitats; woodland; gardens; highway verges; railway embankments; footpaths and green corridors; cemeteries and churchyards; allotments and community gardens; sports and playing fields; amenity green space ; designated Local Green Spaces; trees, hedgerows, grass, vegetation; built structures such as green roofs, green walls; natural water features; bird and bat boxes and roosting sites.

Policy G1: Preserving and Enhancing Green Infrastructure

This makes clear what is required of planning proposals, in contributing towards the protection and enhancement of green infrastructure in improving the City’s setting, in addressing shortage of open space, in promoting healthy communities, and in meeting the challenges of climate change and flooding.

Full policy here.

Policy G2: Designation of Local Green Spaces

Neighbourhood plans have a power to identify and designate Local Green Spaces as a way of providing protection against development of green areas of particular importance to local communities because of their beauty, historic significance, recreational value, tranquillity or richness of wildlife. Local Green Spaces have the similar development constraints as for the Green Belt.

Full policy here.

Policy G3: Creation of the Emerald Network

The Emerald Network will help create a network of sites of wildlife importance lying within or adjacent to Our Neighbourhood. Existing rights of way will provide corridors between sites to enhance biodiversity and connectivity between them. The idea for an Emerald Network came from discussion between the Forum and the Friends of Flass Vale. This builds on County Council policies including the Necklace Park which was never implemented.

Full policy here.

Policy G4: Enhancing the Beneficial Use of the Green Belt

No policy in our Plan includes development on the Green Belt, other than for proposals that meet the NPPF exceptions criteria. The Green Belt is particularly important to Our Neighbourhood because of one of its purposes is “to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns”. However, the NPPF does allow consideration of developments that could lead to the improvement of the quality of the Green Belt, such as better access, improved landscape, biodiversity, visual amenity and improvements to damaged or derelict land.

Full policy here.

Next section: Summary. Theme 3: A City with a Diverse and Resilient Economy