Local Green Space - Public forum - Planning Advisory Service (PAS)
Local Green Space
Ruth Parker, Addaswyd 7 Years yn ôl.
Local Green Space
New Member Postiadau: 5 Dyddiad Ymuno: 15/07/2015 Bostiadau diweddarHi
At Craven District Council in North Yorkshire we are currently working towards publication of the Local Plan over the next few months. I have been working on LGS sites. We did a
call for sites from the community at the end of 2015, with a number of applications received. We are now assessing them for designation, however are finding this tricky as the LGS guidance in the NPPF and NPPG is vague. It seems that whilst para 77 of the NPPF says that LGS designation will not be appropriate for most green areas or open space, it appears that most LGS applications are likely to meet one of the demonstrably special criteria. We are using evidence base info to assess LGS applications, e,g., Conservation Area Appraisals in addition to habitat & species info received from our local Ecological Data Centre. Part of the assessment also includes whether the space can be endure beyond the LP/NDP period, therefore we have asked for submission of information relating to the longer term management of the land within any LGS applications. We have not idnetified any potential LGS ourselves and are therefore only considering LGS applications received from the local community via the call for sites.
My question is whether any one else has had experience identifying potential LGS sites, assessing LGS applications from the community for designation and how this has been done?
We are finding that many open space & sports pitche sites would be protected under the draft policy relating to sport, open space and recreation and are asking ourselves whether there is a need to deisgnate as LGS where this is the case.
Has any one else had any legal advice on LGS designation?
Any advice would be much apprecaited!
Ruth Parker
Planning Policy Officer
Craven District Council
rparker@cravendc.gov.uk
01756 706232
Ian McDonald, Addaswyd 7 Years yn ôl.
RE: Local Green Space
Enthusiast Postiadau: 70 Dyddiad Ymuno: 15/05/2012 Bostiadau diweddarRuth,
We had 30 sites to assess and the results are in our Local Green Space Assessment document - http://www.gedling.gov.uk/media/documents/planningbuildingcontrol/localplanningdocument/LGS-March2016.pdf.
Most of the nomitated sites are protected open space and they will continue to be protected open space without Local Green Space designiation. Some sites meet all criteria set out in the NPPF including the second criterion i.e. demonstrably special to a local community and holds a particular local signicicance.
We didn't seek legal advice for this piece of work. We are aiming to submit our Local Plan to the Inspector in autumn. Let's hope the Inspector would be happy with what we have done.
Ruth Parker, Addaswyd 7 Years yn ôl.
RE: Local Green Space
New Member Postiadau: 5 Dyddiad Ymuno: 15/07/2015 Bostiadau diweddarHi Ian
Many thanks for your reply relating to Gedling BCs experience of assessing potential LGS applications. The link to the document was very helpful.
I will keep my eye on your Local Plan process to see how the Inspector views your approach.
Regards
Ruth
Ian McDonald:Ruth,
We had 30 sites to assess and the results are in our Local Green Space Assessment document - http://www.gedling.gov.uk/media/documents/planningbuildingcontrol/localplanningdocument/LGS-March2016.pdf.
Most of the nomitated sites are protected open space and they will continue to be protected open space without Local Green Space designiation. Some sites meet all criteria set out in the NPPF including the second criterion i.e. demonstrably special to a local community and holds a particular local signicicance.
We didn't seek legal advice for this piece of work. We are aiming to submit our Local Plan to the Inspector in autumn. Let's hope the Inspector would be happy with what we have done.
Ruth
Good luck with this.
But, to me this example highlights the issue with LGS. Why are they even necessary? Because parks and open spaces should already be protected under planning policies using the old PPG17.
The cynical amongst us may ask if the NPPF introduction of additional requirements for LGS such as 'demonstrably special to the community' is a way of making poorer quality parks and open spaces available for housing.