We support the ‘Proposed policy direction’ as outlined in the GC LP ‘First proposals’ document to ‘include policies which identify and protect open spaces, including village greens, parks, sports and recreation areas, allotments, community orchards and Protected Village Amenity Areas, and Local Green Space’
It is essential that the publicly owned open spaces are protected and developed by communities for social, amenity and biodiversity value to improve these environments, encourage community cohesion and contribute to the widely recognised health benefits of bringing nature close to homes and provide safe and attractive areas for recreation.
In our established city suburbs and villages, open green spaces such as those on housing estates, village greens, parks, recreation grounds, allotments, community orchards, cemeteries and burial grounds together with private gardens, green spaces and small areas of woodland provide a series of green networks to enable wildlife to traverse and thrive within the built environment. In many cases these networks link to green infrastructure in the surrounding countryside.
In recent years there has been a significant loss of privately owned gardens, green spaces and small patches of mature trees for house extensions, new housing plots, parking in front gardens and garden offices, and even where planning permission is required there is often little mitigation required for biodiversity loss. This appears to be steadily reducing the available green habitat within the city suburbs and villages and it seems likely that the value of the green networks is being reduced. The development of garden land and subdivision of existing plots is covered by proposed Policy H/GL in the ‘First Proposals’ document, but clearly these areas are linked as regards impact on biodiversity.
So, this emphasises the value of publicly owned green space and that it is important to have a Policy in place to enable local communities to take steps to protect them from future development. Parish Councils and local community volunteers can then develop them as multifunctional spaces including the enhancement of green infrastructure to benefit wildlife.
Submitted on behalf of Fulbourn Swifts Group