Draft Regulation 18 Sandwell Local Plan

Open Spaces and Recreation

6.41 The principles of national planning policy on open space, sport and recreation need to be applied in a Sandwell context to support the vision for urban renaissance and environmental transformation and to deliver opportunities for safe, attractive, functional, linked and accessible green spaces for people to exercise and play sport in and enjoy. This resource also promotes the enhancement of the natural environment to support greater biodiversity, maximises benefits for health and well-being, helps to mitigate and adapt to climate change and promotes economic regeneration.

6.42 All open spaces and sport and recreation facilities in Sandwell, both existing and proposed, are subject to the policies and requirements of national planning guidance as well as more detailed local policies. These policies will apply to existing sites that have an open space, sport or recreation function, regardless of whether they are shown on the Sandwell Local Plan's policies map. The National Planning Policy Framework sets out national policy for the protection of existing open space, sports and recreational buildings and land, which should be read alongside Policies SHW4 and SHW5.

6.43 It should be noted that Policy SHW4 relates to the strategic approach to open space and recreation, whereas Policy SHW5 relates specifically to playing fields and built sports facilities.

6.44 Up-to-date local need assessments (for open space, playing pitches and built sports facilities) are central to the implementation of national policy. Local standards for different types of open space and recreation facilities have been developed for Sandwell, based on robust audits and needs assessments; these can be found in Appendix K. These standards will form the basis for the application of national planning guidance.

6.45 To promote healthy living, it is important that open space and sports facilities, and places that people visit every day such as shops and schools, are located and designed so that people are encouraged to walk or cycle to them from their homes. This can be achieved through:

1. Location of key facilities in the most accessible locations;
2. Meeting open space quantity, quality and access standards;
3. Setting of accessibility standards for new housing developments;
4. Co-location of key facilities and promotion of community use, such as dual use schools;
5. On and off-site measures such as signage and cycle storage;
6. Encouraging implementation of the Sport England Active Design policy.

Justification

6.46 Being in green spaces boosts various aspects of thinking, including attention, memory and creativity, in people both with and without depression^[121], as well as producing positive improvements in physical and mental wellbeing. All features of the outdoor environment contribute to environmental infrastructure, including natural and semi-natural habitats, parks and other open spaces, formal and informal recreation and sports facilities, historic buildings and landscapes, the public realm of spaces and streets, rivers, canals and drainage systems.

6.47 Sandwell's previous local plan identified a green space hierarchy in Sandwell, intended to -

"… analyse existing provision of green /open space, to identify strengths and weaknesses in the provision, and to guide decisions about improvements, new and replacement provision, and development proposals which impact on the provision."

6.48 The hierarchy identified types of green space, ranging from Regional / Sub Regional Green Space, such as Sandwell Valley and Strategic Open Space such as the Rowley Hills down to local formal and informal areas of open space, such as gardens, playgrounds and landscaped public spaces. The hierarchy is set out in Appendix K.

6.49 The provision of high-quality open space to serve new residential developments and the improvement of existing open spaces is critical to the overall aims of urban renaissance and environmental transformation. Policy SHW4 therefore identifies the functions of open space that are of importance to Sandwell, in addition to those set out in national guidance.

6.50 Greenways are defined as linear features of mostly open character, including paths through green spaces, canal corridors and disused railway lines (although some of these could be brought back into rail use in the future), which act as wildlife corridors and provide attractive and safe off-road links for pedestrians and cyclists. They form an important network throughout the Black Country but in some cases are of poor quality or are severed by other infrastructure or barriers. The restoration of towpaths, bridges, public rights of way and the creation of cycle and pedestrian links to enhance the greenway network will be sought through planning conditions and obligations, transportation funding, and the support of other organisations such as the Canal and River Trust. Blue infrastructure features such as rivers and streams also provide opportunities for physical activity.

6.51 Open space and play standards and requirements are set out in Appendix K and will be subject to review as evidence is updated over the Plan period.

6.52 Some common themes regarding open space, sport and recreation have emerged through audits and needs assessments. Communities greatly value local open spaces. However, quantity and accessibility for each type of open space and facility varies considerably from area to area, and an increasing population in certain areas of Sandwell over the Plan period will further affect these imbalances. In general terms, prosperous areas have low levels of provision but of a higher quality, whereas deprived areas may have sufficient quantities of open space but of limited quality and function.