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Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning 2003

Application form

This application form can either be completed by hand or electronically (pdf version) on the Planning homepage at www.scotland.gov.uk/planning . Please complete all four questions. The deadline is 12 September 2003. An acknowledgement letter will be sent to the person who has completed this form.

Please provide a name and contact details of the organisation responsible for this work. If partners were involved, identify the lead organisation, and then list the other partners/bodies who had a key role.

Name of key partners (if appropriate)

Please complete the form by providing a brief summary (in no more than the space provided) of the piece of work you have entered. You must also conclude, with a key reason, as to why you think this work merits an Award.

Please tick the key criteria which relate to this entry:

You must describe in your written submission (below) how the criteria which you have ticked relates to your project.

Description of project

To provide baseline information on which Local Plan Open Space Policies have been based and a Greenspace Strategy could be developed, EDC undertook a comprehensive Greenspace Audit encompassing quantity, quality and community consultation.

Sites were categorised using a typology and hierarchy developed to reflect EDC urban greenspace and help assess the provision of different types of greenspace. The sites were then mapped using GIS and distance thresholds added to highlight geographical deficiencies of provision. Additionally, a basic assessment of quality was undertaken for each site using the indicators aesthetics, diversity, accessibility and condition. This data informed the formulation of EDC's Local Plan Open Space Policies.

To lend the study imparitiality, and to refine the qualitative assessment, specialist consultants were then employed to revisit the sites to assess their fitness for purpose using condition, function and quality as broad headings which were each then subdivided into five key indicators and given a score between one and five. Descriptive assessments were also made. The resultant data was then formalised into a report with a series of recommendations and priority sites for action.

To add a further layer to the audit and to guage community's perception of, and aspirations for its greenspace, community consultation has also been undertaken. This was done in three ways: participatory appraisal exercises, citizen's panel questionnaire and questionnaires to school children.

Professional knowledge - The auditing process has added to the collective professional knowledge through development of techniques to undertake a comprehensive audit encompassing quantity and quality and also to the understanding of the EDC greenspace resource through the data which has been generated. Innovation - We believe we are the first in Scotland to assess quality in such detail utilising numerical values for fifteen individual indicators in conjunction with descriptive assessments of other aspects of a space. Additionally, using a GIS platform on which to gather and manage this data is well ahead of other councils. Sustainable development - One of the fundamental aims of the audit/strategy process is to identify more sustainable ways of providing and maintaining high quality greenspaces.

Partnership - As part of the process a Greenspace Working Group was set up encompassing Planning, Partnership and Connect Services. The Strategy refinement stage will involve stakeholders from a much wider field, both internal and external. Through community consultation the public have also been involved in process and this has directly led to the setting up community groups to become more directly involved with the management of their greenspaces. A grant of 4000 was secured from SNH towards the cost of the consultant and they also took an active role in the production of the Audit Report. They have awarded 7500 towards the Strategy Phase.

Community Interest - A fundamental part of the auditing process was to assess community's aspirations for their greenspaces and what currently prevents them from utilising them more fully. The intention is to develop this consultation into active participation of communities in the management, maintenance and design of their local spaces through local flora.

Regeneration - The development of a Greenspace Strategy is an integral part of the wider environmental justice and urban regeneration initiatives and has the ability to stimulate inward investment.

Timescale (over which the project has developed)

The gathering of the objective data was carried out over a four month period starting in May 2002 with the initial qualitative assessment taking approximately a further two months. Simultaneously the sites were being mapped on GIS and as associated database set up for the information gathered. On completion of this stage open space policies for the final ised draft Local Plan were developed on the basis of the finding.

The consultants were engaged in January 2003 to undertake the full qualitative assessment. This was carried out over a two month period with the report submitted thereafter. The commencement of the Strategy phase was delayed until funding was secured but this is now in place and the contract awarded. It is due to be completed in November.

Context (the problem which had to be addressed)

In general East Dunbartonshire has a good geographical coverage of a variety of types of greenspace. However, over the years maintenance budgets have diminished, capital funds been secured and work carried out without proper provision for future maintenance and often the initial design and maintenance regime was unimaginative resulting in sites with low diversity, functionality, accessibility and aesthetics. This resulted, in some cases, in open space of limited value to the community and an increase in misuse of sites compounding the original problem.

We knew therefore that, generally, the main issue for ED greenspace was not necessarily one of quantity but one of quality and fitness for purpose.

Our problem therefore, was how to define the issue objectively and develop policies and a strategy to tackle the issues and maximise available resources including developer contributions.

Action taken

It was felt that in order to have a chance of addressing the problem the first step would have to be the completion of a comprehensive Audit of the greenspace resource including quantity and quality to identify exactly where the shortfalls lay.

To facilitate this process EDC created the post of Greenspace Officer whose remit would include the production of a Greenspace Audit and from that the development of a Strategy.

It was also felt in the past there had been a autocratic approach to greenspace provision by the Council without asking users, or potential users, what they actually required. Community consultation will therefore form an important strand in the development of the Strategy and it is hoped that by actively involving communities in the decision making process, and ultimately in management of their local spaces through friends of groups, that they will be more highly valued, see more usage, less misuse and become a focal point for the community.

An early opportunity was also taken to incorporate more proactive policies in the finalised draft Local Plan to replace previous largely negative and protective policies

Results achieved

To date the Audit has been completed, two participatory appraisals carried out, the citizens panel and schools questionnaires completed and the contract for the development of the Strategy has been awarded.

The initial audit carried out last summer allowed the development of new, more robust and targeted open space policies for this cycle of the Local Plan which went to Public Inquiry in June.

The Audit Report recommended three or four priority sites for action per settlement and this had already resulted in the formation of a new "friends of' group, who have become actively involved in the management of their local space, and contact made with two more interested communities. This is the type of model EDC would like to see rolled out area wide.

The methodology EDC has used throughout this process is being cited as an example of good practice by SNH and Greenspace Scotland and has resulted in two invitations for the Greens pace Officer to speak at seminars. With the publication of PAN 65 many other LAs are starting to look at undertaking audits and the Greenspace Officer has given advice to Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Fife, Dumfries and Galloway and Falkirk Councils on the process.

Conclusion - Why does this piece of work merit an Award?

ED is a small local authority taking a lead in a new area by undertaking ground breaking work to create what is being cited as an example of good practice by SNH and Greenspace Scotland to other local authorities about to embark on this process.

Date
10 September 2003

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