Green Infrastructure and the NW region.

1. Green Infrastructure and the NW region. Martin Moss, Senior Specialist, Regional Advocacy and Partnerships Team Peter Wilmers, Green Infrastructure Manager – Natural Economy NW

2. Structure • GI – What’s it all about? • GI – Underpinning concepts. • GI and National Planning Policy. • GI – Activity in the NW. • GI planning in the NW. • GI guidance for planning. • GI mapping – a choice for Planners • Conclusions

3. Growing pressure on declining resource

4. Laisser-faire or Planned approach to GI? floods erosion drought habitat loss heat “NATURE” “NATURE” etc! or

5. Green Infrastructure – what’s all about? Quality of environment - healthy natural systems supporting people, wildlife and essential ecosystem services. Quality of life – greener living space, health benefits, contact with nature, opportunity for natural play, space to grow our own food. Quality of Place – natural environments supporting the natural economy and helping to deliver sustainable economic growth. Realising the 11 economic benefit streams.

6. We call it - The Fifth Critical Infrastructure Infrastructure – the basic physical and organisational structures needed for the operation of society or enterprise (Oxford English Dictionary). The 4 Critical Infrastructures; Transport. Water. Power. Waste. The 5th Critical is Green!

7. Definition – Take your pick!! NW GI Guide. The region’s life support system – The network of natural environmental components and green and blue spaces that lies within and between the North West’s cities, towns and villages which provides multiple social, economic and environmental benefits. Natural England. A strategically planned and delivered network comprising the broadest range of high quality greenspaces and other environmental features. Designed and managed as a multifunctional resource capable of delivering those ecological services and quality of life benefits required by the communities it serves and needed to underpin sustainability. Its design and management should also respect and enhance the character and distinctiveness of an area with regard to habitats and landscapes…….go to para 2

8. The GI Concept in the NW. There are 5 underpinning concepts. 1 – Resource. 2 – Asset. 3 – Function. 4 – Benefit. 5 – Planning.

9. Resource The totality of the natural environment is the GI resource base. All natural land and elements are a resource capable of serving functions. Describe the resource using typology.

10. Asset GI Assets are resources that deliver recognised public benefits. By virtue of their location, use or management. Sub-sets of Resource. To some extent relates to quality measures, eg SSSI.

11. Function GI Functions are the things that GI physically does. Numerous functions are possible – supporting biodiversity, public health, recreation, flood management are examples. Multi-functionality infers an efficient use of land – but there may be issues of compatibility.

12. Benefit GI Benefits are the societal outcomes – the social, economic and environmental goods and services that GI provides. Public benefit is defined in relation to social, economic and environmental policy goals.

13. Planning GI Planning is a process of planning natural environmental systems. Provision of services for people, the economy and the environment. An holistic approach complimenting wider effort for sustainable development.

14. Aiming for? 4 things – Creating new GI where needed - often retro-fitting of new GI into old places. Change the function of existing GI to meet identified new needs. Recognise what is already good and ensure it’s protection. GI planned, delivered and maintained like other forms of infrastructure.

15. Green Infrastructure - NW Regional guidance. Purposes; Communication. Guidance on process. Case study library. Advice on policy. A live document. The further in the less well developed – develops as concept becomes applied at different scales. Updates via website as experience grows (Sub-Regional and District level). www.greeninfrastructurenw.co.uk NW RTPI Commended 2008

16. The 11 Economic Benefits of Green Infrastructure. Land and property values Economic Growth and investment Labour Productivity Tourism Green Infrastructure Econ Benefits Quality of Place Biodiversity Climate change adaptation Flood management Products from the land Health and wellbeing Recreation and leisure The policy drivers. Ecotec 2008

17. The Benefits Cycle. Selling the benefits Buying the functions Why? Where? What? How? Benefits – conceptual outcome derived from GI functions Functions – What GI is physically capable of doing. Type – A physical form of GI that can deliver a function. Delivery – Intervention. Policy – seeks outcomes.

18. Thinking – Concept. Talking – The policy agenda - Benefits Planning – Policy Integration – Planning for Functions. Doing – Outputs - Multi-functional types. The “P” Zone Green Infrastructure Natural Economy Sustainable Communities P Talking Doing P Planning Thinking Ecosystem Services

19. Green Infrastructure and National Planning Policy. PPS 12 (local Spatial Planning) and 25 (Dev and flood risk). Relates to PPS1 (Sus Dev – Climate Change) and 9 (biodiv), and PSA 28. New PPS10? GI and GS – Action 3.1 Gov’t Strategy for Quality of Place. Regions have developed their own RSS policy – EM3 in the NW. RS2010 ??

20. Natural England Guidance. Launched at the ParkCity conference London 2009. Sets out Natural England’s current understanding of GI and our remit. Explores how GI can be embedded within LDFs. Process checklist – task relevant to LDF phase.

21. www.greeninfrastructurenw.org.uk NW partnership – Summer 2009 Natural Economy Climate Change The 11 Economic Benefits + Menu of tests for investors Eg NW CC Action Plan – Action 4.3 SubRegional GI Plans Other Reports and GI Proj Guide Demonstration projects + training Support/Coord Services NW GI Steering Gp NW GI Forum Growth Points GI Think Tank Planning and policy NW GI Unit + Panel Meeting the environmental conditions NENW IF Water Cycle Regional Policy and Guidance SFRA Single Reg Strat + “Critical Infrastructures” Habitats Regs Surface Water Local Development Frameworks Contaminated land Air Quality Area Based Regeneration initiatives Green Infrastructure Strategy NWDA, NE, EnvAg, GONW, FC, CFNW, 4NW, NENW & CABE

22. Green Infrastructure Planning in the NW. Activity – RS2010 – follow on from RSS. Sub-Regional Frameworks. LDF level. Area Based Regeneration Initiatives.

23. Regional Level – RSS and RS2010. RSS policy EM3. Critical GI work – RS2010 evidence base. NW GI Forum – Autumn – to focus on RS2010 and GI. Possible “Prospectus”. NW GI Forum – 17th September.

24. Sub-Regional Frameworks. Seeking to develop 5 Sub-Regional Frameworks for the NW. Lancashire – Draft nearing completion. Greater Manchester – Outline framework. Merseyside – Draft for March 2010. Cumbria – Developing vision and target areas. Cheshire – activity in West Cheshire.

25. Setting the strategic agenda – the forces for change. Lancs – Strategic Objectives. Improving quality of place. Improving health and well being. Creating a setting for investment. Enhancing tourism, recreation and leisure offer. Adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change. Growing and developing the Regional Parks Network. GM – Growth Support Functions. Flood risk management and climate change adaptation. Ecological framework. Sustainable movement network. Sense of place. River and canal corridor management. Image and setting for investment. Supporting urban regeneration. Community health and enjoyment. Embedding in the Sub-Regional Agenda

26. The Strategic Agenda - Lancashire GI Needs Assessment. Protect and enhance Improving Quality of Place – spatial priorities and key strategic interventions needed. Invest and improve

27. The Strategic Agenda - Greater Manchester Key Diagram Approach GI Framework – core diagram. Major network assets – major transport inf – economic and regeneration centres – destination parks. Climate Change – Key Diagram. Carbon stores – low carbon soils (restore) – flood zones – heat vulnerability.

28. Greater Manchester – Advice on LDF approach. Strategic GI Function. Objective for GI. Evidence. Priorities. Criteria. Spatial representation. LDF response.

29. Cumbria GI Framework GI Task Group set up October 08. Set out some key principles. Established a set of priorities for the framework. Agreed a staged approach.

30. Principles Help deliver Cumbria’s strategic objectives – role of environment in key economic, regeneration and strategic planning issues. Promote linkage between economic, social and environmental organisations. Develop the case for environmental investment. Promote the environment as a benefit.

31. Priorities. Climate change. Environmental investment to produce economic and social benefits. Improved biodiversity. Neighbourhood satisfaction. Greener countryside access. Opportunities for outdoor recreation. Economy - growth within environmental limits.

32. Approach. Gain buy in from stakeholders. Develop a vision and advocacy document. Collate baseline evidence – bringing together different strands of activity. Assess needs in four key areas – Carlisle, West Coast, Key Lakes (Windermere and Bassenthwaite). Toolkit of guidance – case studies.

33. For the Future - Pilot LDF Level Strategy. How to reflect RSS EM3 in LDFs – Devon example?. Burnley typology map. Rochdale pilot. Develop district level vision for GI. Establish district specific objectives. Pilot detailed mapping, issues resolution and delivery proposals process – Heywood. And elsewhere? Liverpool, West Cheshire ...

34. Pilot Area Based Initiative Level Plans How can GI inform area based regeneration? Experiments – Liverpool Knowledge Quarter. Irwell City Park – GM. Weaver Valley Regional Park.

35. The NW Growth Points - 8 Environmental Conditions Water Cycle Studies Strategic Flood Risk Assessments. Habitats Regulations Assessments. Surface Water Management Plans. Water Saving and efficiency. Contaminated Land. Air Quality. Green Infrastructure Strategy – via LDFs.

36. A choice for planners in choosing how to build your LDF evidence base. A jumble of different approaches, delivering only the evidence base for the POS plans, or an agreed regional approach which can underpin LDFS, and GI Strategies at different scales? Paul Nolan will return to this later.

37. CONCLUSIONS • The NW is starting to plan, manage and maintain our GI, at all scales, like the other “I’s”. • The NW has unique reg coordination, enabling us to maximise effectiveness. • NW Guidance has a strong focus on “how to do”- still learning. • The NW approach brings together the Natural Economy, Sustainable Communities and Ecosystem Services agendas. • The NW is building an understanding of all the benefits, and a strategic, proactive approach to GI into public decision- making. • - the planner’s role in all this is crucial.