Salisbury – From green space to green infrastructure

Ian Phillips MRTPI, CMLI

www.ianphillips.eu

greenspace initiative workshop, 23 February 2012

GI – history

• Originated in USA in 1990s to promote– value of natural environment in land use

planning– making best use of land as scarce resource

• Developed in UK from c. 2009• Embedded in UK government policy

2010• Emerging as EU wide strategy in

2012

GI – key concepts

• Essential services provided by natural systems – ecosystem services

• Valuing green / open space as an asset

• Multi-functional use of spaces• Connecting spaces to create

network• Collaborative planning, design

and management

GI – multiple benefits

AllotmentsBusiness parks

Community space

Country park

Suburban housing

Upland areas

Sustainable drainage

Urban centresGreen spine routes

GI assets – beyond PPG 17• Public parks and accessible open space• Sports pitches• Allotments• Cemeteries and churchyards• Open countryside• Nature reserves• Forestry and woodland• Farmland• Streets and urban spaces• Waterways, ponds, lakes and reservoirs• Linear features (transportation corridors, hedgerows, paths, etc)• Institutional land• Domestic and other private gardens• Car parks and under-used operational land• Green roofs and walls

The multi-functional network

• The whole is more than the sum of its parts

• Making best use of land• Grey to green - soft engineering

solutions• Identifying opportunities for

improvement• Addressing deficiencies of provision• Engaging new and more stakeholders

Salisbury – elements of a green city• Green fingers /

wedges into the city• High quality riverine

environments• Downland escarpment

surroundings• Historic parks and

open spaces mainly peripheral to compact, grid-based, mediaeval core

Salisbury – city of rivers• Blue space – the

natural network• Managing water supply

and quality• Alternative access

routes• Enhancing high

biodiversity value• Addressing flood risk

Salisbury – alternative accessibility network

• Historic routes linking city to countryside and surroundings

• A basis for greenway network – with rivers?

Salisbury – heritage site• An international

destination• Support for the

tourist economy• Built heritage related

to the landscape setting

• High quality spaces make good townscape

Salisbury – transport• Transportation

systems create spaces, landmarks and gateways

• Transportation routes offer corridors and links

Salisbury - suburbs

• Gardens contribute significant green space

• Most streets deserve trees

• Is mown grass good enough?

Stanhope selected for Salisbury city centre revamp“securing this city's future as a first class shopping and leisure destination”

“an awareness of the city's history and the 'once in a generation opportunity' this site presents”

“an outstanding opportunity to create a wonderful new riverside retail and leisure destination”

Salisbury development – managing change and identifying opportunities

gi and planning• NPPF supports green infrastructure• South Wiltshire Core Strategy, 2012 • Salisbury City Conservation Area Appraisal / Management

Plan• Salisbury Vision – private / public partnership• Key open space / landscape documents

– PPG 17 open space audit, 2006– Landscape character assessment, 2008– Settlement setting assessment, 2008– Wiltshire GI Strategy (consultation draft)

• Cross-boundary co-ordination / Duty to Co-operate?• Locally valued landscapes?• S.106 contributions / Community Infrastructure Levy?• Stakeholder workshops – Spaceshaper?

Local gi initiatives from afar

Local opportunities for Salisbury?

gi challenges

• The new planning system• Confusion between gi and open space• Marketing the gi concept and promoting

the long term and wider value of gi• Engaging disparate communities• Visionary thinking and leadership• Collaborative and cross-boundary

working• Resourcing and funding• Gi designation and protection

Recent gi initiatives

• Lawton Review – Making Space for Nature (Sep 2010)

• UK National Ecosystem Assessment (June 2011)

• Defra White Paper on Natural Environment (June 2011)

• NPPF Impact Assessment (July 2011)• EU GI working group – future strategy• Defra’s GI Partnership (October 2011)

Local action guidelines • Establish a vision• Identify and map existing assets• Identify and prioritise important local needs and areas of

under-provision• Target potential opportunity sites and under-used land,

exploit potential strategic links• Seek some easy, early wins• Produce a GI delivery strategy • Promote and support strong local plan policies• Engage broad community interests, including non-green

space partners, local businesses• Allow for ongoing management resourcing• Plan and design for

value, functionality, climate change, local character and heritage, public art and crafts, sense of place and DELIGHT