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.