Object

Representation ID: 5070

Received: 20/12/2022

Respondent: Goldfinch TPS

Agent: Goldfinch TPS

Legally compliant? No

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? No

The Council’s existing ‘Open Space Audit Assessment Report’ (adopted October 2019) (Open Space Needs Assessment) (the Green Space Audit) forms insufficiently robust background technical evidence and fails to robustly respond to requirements of paragraphs 31 and 98 of the Revised NPPF (2021).
Put quite simply, the Council’s existing Green Space Audit (adopted 2019) does not give sufficiently clear and meaningful steer and direction, and does not provide robust recommendations to help inform Local Plan-preparation work going forward. In respect of the identification future open space needs required for the local area. These are critically important issues which should inform open space policy direction within the emerging Local Plan Review, and help inform the approach taken towards spatial planning across the district.
These future public open space supply issues (e.g. what are the future needs for open space provision required by a significantly expanded new residential population (aswell as existing residents living within long established residential communities) over the lifespan of the new Local Plan, extending up until the year 2039) are critically important, in order to help promote the future delivery of more sustainable residential communities. Which are well-served and have good access to a range of conveniently located different types of public open space provision. This is important to help support community well-being, community cohesion and integration, help support more physically active healthy lifestyles, as well as support biodiversity.
Highlights health benefits linked with open space. These were made even more apparent during the pandemic.
The Council is allowing insufficiently robust Green Space background technical evidence to be taken forward to inform Local Plan-preparation work.
By taking forward an insufficiently robust evidence base as referred to above, the Council is failing in its duty to protect the health of its existing and future new local residents by ensuring that there is a sufficient supply of important public open space areas, close to heavily populated residential areas and within easy reach of the various major new housing site allocations being proposed within the emerging Local Plan Review.