Meeting documents

1. THE ISSUE

1.1 This report sets out the reasons why the Council needs to adopt the first Green Space Strategy for the District and the benefits of doing so in terms of service delivery and improvements.

2. RECOMMENDATION

The Council Executive resolves that:

2.1 The Green Space Strategy is adopted as a corporate strategy and approves the action plan (attachment)

3.  FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

3.1 Adoption of the strategy will provide a framework to effectively co-ordinate Council resources and funding bids for green spaces. It will also assist other owners of publicly accessible green space to manage their spaces to the full benefit of all users. The Strategy also provides a mechanism for generating financial contributions from developers via planning obligations in relation to the provision of new green spaces and the improvement of existing facilities.

3.2 Failure to adopt the Green Space Strategy will undermine the Council's ability to achieve the above.

3.3 The parts of the Action Plan that are to be led by the Council will be largely delivered via existing revenue budgets. This will be supplemented in places by the utilisation of Section 106 monies (where appropriate) and bids for capital funds or external grants.

4. COMMUNITY STRATEGY OUTCOMES

Promoting a 'sense of place' so people identify with and take pride in our communities - many of the actions set out in the Strategy are based around closer working with local communities and developing neighbourhood identity through improving the quality of green spaces.

Celebrating the contributions people from different backgrounds and with different experiences can make, and promoting equality of opportunity - the strategy sets out the additional work required around developing community involvement and ownership of green spaces, along with proposing minimum standards for the quantity, distribution and quality of green space provision across the district.

Sharing resources, working together, and finding new ways of doing things - in addition to closer working with communities the strategy advocates the possibility of `self management' of facilities, for example allotments.

Building communities where people feel safe and secure - the strategy advocates closer working with other agencies to reduce the perception and effects of crime and anti social behaviour within green spaces.

Taking responsibility for our environment and natural resources now and over the long term - the strategy advocates the assessment of all green spaces to ensure that they contribute as much as possible to local biodiversity and sustainability.

Improving local opportunities for learning and gaining skills - the strategy sets out the need for an interpretation and information framework to enhance the benefit visitors gain from green spaces. The strategy also recommends the investigation of the benefits of making provision for environmental education within green spaces.

Improving our local economy - there is well documented evidence that good quality green space as aspired to in the strategy can improve the performance of the local economy.

Improving our local environment - the strategy includes many measures for improving aspects of the local environment, the most significant being a programme of review of the management of all green spaces.

Improving our local health and social care - most people already understand the link between green space use and health. However, for those that do not, the strategy sets out a need for a marketing framework to help promote the benefits of green spaces.

Reducing fear of crime - the strategy advocates closer working with other agencies to reduce the perception and effects of crime and anti social behaviour within green spaces.

Promoting independence of older people - the strategy sets out a target to prepare an access policy for green spaces to ensure equality of access for all. This will particularly benefit older people and members of the community with disabilities.

Improving life chances for disadvantaged teenagers - the strategy recognises that there are generally poor levels of provision for young people within green spaces, and sets out minimum standards for the provision of facilities for this age group as well as advocating a review of existing facilities.

Improving the environment for learning - the strategy sets out the need for an interpretation and information framework to enhance the benefit visitors gain from green spaces. The strategy also recommends the investigation of the benefits of making provision for environmental education within green spaces.

Cultural Development - the strategy looks at the relationship between culture and green spaces and many of the actions within it will have a positive impact on culture.

Improving the public realm - green spaces are a significant part of the public realm so the standards set out in the strategy will help to improve the public realm overall.

Improving customer satisfaction - the strategy has been developed based on strong market research and consultation and its implementation will see improved customer satisfaction.

Ambition for the community - i.e. What the council, together with its partners, is trying to achieve - the strategy sets standards for the quantity, distribution and quality of green space giving an overview of where new or improved green spaces and associated facilities are most needed. However, a great deal of flexibility has been built into the standards so that they can be used to deliver what local people want.

Prioritisation of ambitions - the strategy sets out a new way of delivering green spaces with a much greater degree of community involvement. The strategy itself has developed a hierarchy of provision so is a useful tool for determining relative priorities.

Increasing capacity of the council to deliver ambition for the Community to ensure we achieve what we say we will - the strategy advocates a greater emphasis on community engagement in the management of green spaces.

Managing performance of community ambition to ensure we achieve what we say we will - guidance and support will be given to the community to ensure that as ambition develops it is founded on what is achievable.

Creating and developing a better quality of life for the area through

Improving engagement with and a range of services for Older People and Children and Young People - good quality green spaces provide a range of services for the target groups and the strategy sets out a mechanism for the review and improvement of them, along with ways of improving engagement and involvement with the groups.

7.1 The Green Space Strategy has been written in response to a number of local and national strategies and policies. The main external pressure has come from:

D8 The Audit Commission Best Value Review Inspection Report on Leisure Time in Bath & North East Somerset

D8 Government guidance contained in Planning Policy Guidance Note 17

D8 Local peoples' views on the current provision of green space in the area

D8 The current quantity, distribution and quality of green space provision

D8 Existing local and national policy affecting green spaces

D8 Strategic Management - issues of a strategic nature with implications beyond this Council's own green spaces.

D8 Service Management - issues relating specifically to the management of this Council's own green space network.

D8 Site Management - issues relating to the management of individual sites.

D8 Community Issues - issues with a particular focus on community interest.

D8 Resources and Opportunities - issues around funding and other potential resources.

The report author and Lead Executive member have fully reviewed the risk assessment related to the issue and recommendations, in compliance with the Council's decision making risk management guidance.

The Council needs a framework for assessing the adequacy of green space provision, to ensure that equal access exists across the District. In addition, Planning Policy Guidance Note 17 places a requirement on Local Planning Authorities to undertake a robust assessment of green space and to develop local standards of provision, in order to justify requirements placed on developers. Without the strategy and its local standards there would be no framework to ensure equal access to green space and the Council could be challenged by a developer if he felt that any requirements placed on him were unfair.

Given the need to develop the Green Space Strategy as outlined above, no other options were considered appropriate.

During the process of developing the Strategy options have been considered on a wide range of issues e.g. determining land typologies and setting provision standards. These options have derived from guidance, observation and feedback from consultation. In these circumstances all options have been considered before a decision has been made.

11.1 Public and stakeholder involvement has been crucial in the development of the Green Space Strategy. Groups involved have included: All Bath & North East Somerset Councillors; All Town and Parish Councils; Education Youth Culture and Leisure Overview & Scrutiny Panel; Staff; Other B&NES Services; Service Users; Local Residents; Community Interest Groups; Youth Council; Stakeholders/Partners; Other Public Sector Bodies;

D8 Asking Parish and Town Councils what provision existed in their areas and what their perception was of local views and demand

D8 Holding focus groups in Bath, Keynsham and Norton Radstock to gain an early insight into local people's views and to help shape the questions to be asked during later on-street surveys

D8 Undertaking detailed on-street surveys across the District

D8 Using a simplified version of the on-street survey to send to various groups in the district in order to give broad representation of a range of equalities groups

12.1 Social Inclusion; Customer Focus; Sustainability; Human Resources; Property; Young People; Equality (age, race, disability, religion/belief, gender, sexual orientation)

13.1 The Council's Monitoring Officer (Council Solicitor) and Section 151 Officer (Strategic Director - Support Services) have had the opportunity to input to this report and have cleared it for publication.