All submissions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation are in! Here is our executive summary of how we think Planning reforms need to deliver better outcomes.
We believe that by prioritising people and nature, the ambitious targets to deliver new homes and create new towns can also be a vehicle to protect and increase parks and green space provision. As well as delivering against the critically important target of 1.5 million new homes, it is crucial for reforms to the planning system to address the decline in access to green space – especially for those communities that are already vulnerable to health inequalities and/or the effects of climate change.
The UK’s green space is at risk of terminal decline. We live in one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries and we need urgent action to ensure it doesn’t get worse. 6.3 million people do not live near a park or green space and seven out of eight regions in England do not currently meet the benchmark standards of green space per capita. According to our Green Space Index, 4,000 new parks need to be created in the next decade just to maintain the (already inadequate) current levels of provision.
By embedding the provision and protection of green infrastructure in planning reforms, this Government has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build spaces where people want to live, work, and thrive. We have the chance to create neighbourhoods that positively promote the needs of children and young people, as well as tackle decades of inaction and decline.
Fields in Trust are calling for:
A national strategy: An overarching national spatial strategy with clear targets for local authorities and developers to ensure sufficient levels and quality of local green space are provided and protected.
Minimum standards in planning: Mandatory minimum standards to be embedded in planning that guarantee high-quality green space is part of improving health and addressing inequalities, alongside delivering the Environment Act’s commitment to 15-minute access to nature.
Investment in local planning: Invest in resources to strengthen community engagement in the planning process, and ensure that the voices of children and young people are heard.
We want to reimagine the future of our parks and green spaces and the role they have in helping to deliver positive outcomes for health, wellbeing, and the environment.
Want to hear more of our thoughts on the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)? Check out our previous blogs…