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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Introduction
1.1 Scottish Ministers are committed to a review of
planning guidance to set strong minimum standards for
including public open space in new developments. As a
foundation of this review, the Scottish Executive
commissioned this research study, which examines the
current use of standards, and proposes a new standards
framework. The study will inform the forthcoming review of
National Planning Policy Guideline 11: Sport, Physical
Recreation and Open Space (
NPPG 11).
1.2 'A Partnership for a Better Scotland' was published
in 2003, setting out priorities for the next four years of
the Scottish Parliament. The Agreement sets out Ministers'
commitment to social justice, with the overall aspiration
of "a Scotland where everyone can enjoy a decent quality of
life." As part of Ministers' commitment to enhancing the
environment and reforming planning, one of the supporting
activities is a review of "planning guidance to set strong
minimum standards for including public open space in new
developments".
1.3 The provision, design management and protection of
open spaces in our cities, towns, villages and
neighbourhoods are issues right at the heart of
sustainability. There is a growing recognition of the
importance of the basic 'quality of life' issues such as
the removal of graffiti and litter and the quality of
community open spaces. The role open spaces play in
contributing to the objectives of Scottish Ministers has
grown considerably in recent years, partly through a number
of research projects and establishment of organisations
such as Greenspace Scotland and a raft of community
projects and initiatives. There is widespread anecdotal
concern at a perceived net loss of open spaces and a
general concern relating to the quantity, quality and
maintenance and management of spaces within our urban
environment.
The Research Aims
1.4 It is the aim of the Scottish Executive and other
stakeholders to establish a practical minimum standard or
set of standards, for open space provision in new
development, especially new residential development.
1.5 In June 2004, Ironside Farrar Ltd and Robert Gordon
University were appointed by Scottish Executive, in
collaboration with Communities Scotland, Sportscotland,
Homes for Scotland, Greenspace Scotland,
CoSLA and Scottish Natural Heritage to
undertake a research project.
1.6 The research findings will help to inform the
forthcoming review of
NPPG 11, with regard to open space
provision and protection and will help address an
outstanding commitment in the Partnership Agreement to
establish meaningful and practical minimum standards.
1.7 The purpose of this study is to research recent
policy, consult with relevant organisations and review
options for the preparation of defensible, practical and
acceptable detailed guidelines for local authorities,
developers, communities and others on minimum standards of
provision of open space in new development, especially
residential development.
Research Objectives
1.8 The research has the following specific
objectives:
- Establish the current position with local
authorities on progress to date in preparing open space
strategies and audits.
- Provide advice on a set of minimum standards, which
can be derived in the short term for the various types
of open space as set out in
PAN 65. The preferred standard (or
standards) should incorporate elements of quantity,
quality and accessibility.
- Consider the relevance of proposed minimum
standards for the refurbishment, regeneration and
management of existing open space.
- Identify good practice examples where the use of
existing standards has helped to deliver quality open
space and the reasons for this happening.
- Identify factors contributing to bad examples of
open space provision. Where the mis-use of standards
has led to a poor outcome.
- Consider how a model based on the new standard(s)
of provision could be used as an indicator in wider
policy and societal interests
e.g. the role of open space in health,
physical activity and in communities.
- Consider how current and future delivery mechanisms
for open space provision should be tied in to the new
standards of provision.
- Identify any implications for the review of
NPPG 11 on the issues of open space
provision and protection.
Scotland's Open Spaces
1.9 A network of accessible open spaces in Scotland's
towns and village settlements is an important element of
the urban fabric that helps define quality of place and can
make an important contribution to quality of life and
environmental, social and economic aspects of
sustainability. The quality and character of open space is
often a defining element in the image and function of
places (for example, Princes Street Gardens, St Andrew
Square and Carlton Hill, Edinburgh; Dundee Law, Dundee;
Duthie Park, Aberdeen; Craig Phadrig, Inverness; Clyde
Waterfront and Buchanan Street, Glasgow) and plays a key
role in creating distinctive, appealing and connected
living space.
1.10 Open space, combining both green space and civic
space, is a vital resource for a very broad range of
functions that include direct activities such as active
sport, play, recreation, leisure, visual amenity, nature
conservation, access, micro-climate, sustainable surface
water management and less tangible or indirect effects
supporting place building, urban renewal, civic and
community infrastructure, healthier lifestyle choices,
competitive place and facilitating economic development.
Individual spaces are important but equally the wider
structure created by well connected open space networks and
safe and accessible linear spaces can allow the collective
asset of open space to better support a diversity of needs
and interests.
1.11 Quality open space is an essential element of
liveable places and is equally important within Scotland's
cities and larger metropolitan city regions as in its rural
environments and smaller settlements. Scotland has open
space of world-class quality but concerns exist regarding
local provision failing to meet local needs, the quality of
open space in new housing areas and the potential loss of
significant local open space assets to new development.
"A report prepared by Greenspace Scotland shows
that urban green spaces across Scotland are failing to
meet people's needs with less than 50% of people
agreeing that their local green spaces were good places
for children to play or safe places for physical
activity." (Greenspace Scotland Survey - February
2005)
1.12 The multi-functional nature of open space, its
requirement for positive management and the need for it to
address a diverse range of community needs and interests
requires clear strategic management if it is to offer best
value and offer spaces and places fit for purpose. In this
sense open space is a 'cross cutting' issue involving a
breadth of stakeholders and requiring collaborative
partnership working through a variety of agencies and
authorities engaged at national, regional and local levels.
Almost all authorities, agencies and organisations with an
involvement or responsibility to communities will share
interests in the quality and provision of open space, and
both the statutory planning and community planning process
can support quality open space management.
Current Planning Advice and Policy
Framework
1.13 The current policy and planning advice framework
has been established through
NPPG 11: Sport, Physical Recreation and
Open Space and
PAN 65: Planning and Open Space and is
supported by relevant advice within
NPPG 17: Transport and Planning,
PAN 67: Housing Quality,
PAN 60 Natural Heritage,
PAN 68: Design Statements and Policy
Statements on Architecture and Designing Places prepared by
the Scottish Executive.
1.14 The Scottish Executive Planning Advice Note 65:
Planning and Open Space encourages local authorities to
develop a clearer and more strategic understanding of the
role of open space and followed a detailed research study
and conference entitled Rethinking Open Space (2001).
1.15
PAN 65 published in January 2003 sets
out a framework for the development of open space
strategies based on audit, understanding of local
requirements and clear strategic objectives. Consultations
within this research study have allowed a review of local
authorities responses to
PAN 65 and recording of the current
level of progress and some of the challenges and issues in
developing meaningful open space strategies.
PAN 65 has been particularly important
in establishing both a clear planning framework and
typology for open space that has informed and helped to
encourage a systematic and standardised approach to the
planning of open space.
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