Green Infrastructure- Adam Mindykowski, RTPI CPD

www.worcestershire.gov.uk

Green Infrastructure: Exploring Multi-functional Opportunities for Heritage Assets and Landscapes

Adam MindykowskiWorcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service


2Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service

“Green infrastructure is the physical environment within and between our cities, towns and villages. It is a network of multi-functional open spaces, including formal parks, gardens, woodlands, green corridors, waterways, street trees and open countryside. It comprises all environmental resources, and thus a green infrastructure approach also contributes towards sustainable resource management.”

www.greeninfrastructure.eu

"Green Infrastructure is the network of green spaces and natural elements that intersperse and connect our cities, towns and villages. It is the open spaces, waterways, gardens, woodlands, green corridors, wildlife habitats, street trees, natural heritage and open countryside.”

The West Midlands Green Infrastructure Prospectus (2003)

Does the historic environment have a place in Green Infrastructure planning?



Built Environment

HistoricEnvironment Natural

Environment

ENVIRONMENT

LandscapeCharacter

Historic LandscapeCharacter

UrbanCharacter

Climate

Change

Econ

omic

Change



www.greeninfrastructurenw.co.uk/

Green Infrastructure North West: benefits and value of GI

• As a setting for economic growth and investment, improving regional image and a local sense of place

• Increased property and land values • Attracts and retains people ensuring stable populations and labour supply • A focus for social inclusion, education, training, health and well-being • Landscape character and local distinctiveness, grounded in the principles of

Landscape Character Assessment • A framework for natural systems and functions that are ecologically

fundamental to species and habitat viability, healthy soils, water and air • Reverses habitat fragmentation and increases biodiversity to restore

functioning ecosystems and provide the fabric for sustainable living • Safeguard and enhance natural and historic assets • Contact between people and nature • Cohesive partnership working across disciplines and sectors

• As a setting for economic growth and investment, improving regional image and a local sense of place

• Increased property and land values • Attracts and retains people ensuring stable populations and labour supply • A focus for social inclusion, education, training, health and well-being • Landscape character and local distinctiveness, grounded in the principles of

Landscape Character Assessment (should also include HLC)• A framework for natural systems and functions that are ecologically

fundamental to species and habitat viability, healthy soils, water and air • Reverses habitat fragmentation and increases biodiversity to restore

functioning ecosystems and provide the fabric for sustainable living • Safeguard and enhance natural and historic assets • Contact between people and nature • Cohesive partnership working across disciplines and sectors



In what ways can the Historic Environment contribute towards and benefit from multi-functional objectives in Green Infrastructure planning?

Contributions• Historic hedgerows: landscape;

habitat network• Designed landscapes or parts of:

open space provision; locally distinctive amenity; habitat

• Ancient Semi-Natural Woodlands: amenity; habitat; flood attenuation

• Ponds and designed watercourses: habitat networks; sustainable drainage

• Holloways “green lanes”: green access network; wildlife corridors

Benefits• Buffers around assets: setting• Protection of wet sites, rivers; canals;

ponds and wetlands: palaeoenvironmental deposits; organic structures and artefacts

• Protection of woodlands; hedgerows (replanting): HLC; woodland archaeology

• Protection of designed landscapes: HLC; related assets

• Open space; amenity provision: located to conserve below ground archaeology or managed earthworks


Worcestershire GI: our vision

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Worcestershire's high quality natural and historic environment will perform a multi-functional role. It will enable sustainable growth of the green economy, improve the community's experience of natural and historic places, deliver benefits to health and well-being and under-pin the county's resilience to climate change.

Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service


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Worcestershire GI Partnership

Steering Group

Worcestershire Wildlife Trust (chair – David Dench)Worcestershire County Council (secretariat)Natural England

Partners

Bromsgrove District Council, English Heritage, Environment Agency, Forestry Commission, Malvern Hills District Council, Natural Englan, NHSRedditch Borough Council, Sustrans , Woodland Trust, Worcester City Council, Worcestershire Biological Records Centre, Wychavon District CouncilWyre Forest District Council

Task and Finish Groups

Data and Networks

Costing and Delivery

Economy and Society

Communications




The approach

Hierarchy from sub-region, district down to local level


Strategic Level - Sub regional approach that identifies a series of

broad Environmental Character Areas with defined objectives.

District Level - Further analysis is still required but it is envisaged that

this will identify a network of corridors and hubs at a district level that link across

the sub region. Site Based -

Concept plans developed to

provide a set of guiding principles to inform detailed master planning.


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HEAHistoric Environment Assessment

HLCHistoric Landscape

Characterisation

HERHistoric

Environment Record

HBWHistoric Buildings of Worcestershire

HFCHistoric Farmsteads

Characterisation

VHERAVillages Historic

Environment Resource

Assessment

STRATEGIC

AREA

SITE

FieldworkData and grey

literature

LANDSCAPE

SETTLEMENT LOCALITY


The Historic Environment evidence base in Worcestershire


The definition of Historic Environment Character Zones created from the combination of key HE and landscapeGIS data in 2009-10 (pre-HLC)

• Historic Environment Record assets (non- designated)

•Designated historic assets

•Landscape Character Assessment (LDU)

• Selected environmental themes (e.g. ASNW)

•Historic Farmsteads Stage One data


Strategic GI: the Historic Environment Assessment



Strategic Environmental Character Areas

• combined environmental character: underpins multi-functionality

• strategic GI corridors• Headline opportunities and

constraints


Analysis of the Evidence Base

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Environmental Character Areas

Socio-economic context

Health

Economy

Blue Infra and Flooding

Climate change

GI Assets



Assessing HE for district level GI


HEA sensitivity map:Bromsgrove District Council and Redditch Borough Council

Current and previous H

LC

Redditch Borough C

ouncil

HEA: assessing broad sensitivity and informing policy

HLC: underpinning site assessments

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A key objective for GI provision within site masterplanning should be the development of opportunities to conserve HE features and landscapes; promote their contribution towards defining local identity and setting and their contribution to multi-functional benefits.

GI and HE networks GI and HE open space/green space

GI and HE water features

hedgerows orchards ponds

green lanes designed landscape water filled quarries and clay pits

canals permanent pasture with earthworks

canals; leats; natural watercourses (often modified or associated with assets)

disused railway lines land with significant below ground archaeology

Wetlands: marsh, small bogs

linking views to and from assets: intra- and extra-site

ancient woodlands or distinctive plantations

moated sites

access: historic routes; links to assets and landscapes beyond the site

setting of assets including historic structures; buildings and farmsteads

Historic water management features and landscapes (SUDS?)


Local site-based GI: concept plans and statements


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HECZ148e Historic wooded landscape setting around parkland

Medium Development will potentially impact on historic woodlands and historic hedgerows that act as linkages, and the setting of Hewell Grange

Historic field pattern / ancient woodlandsSetting for historic parkland

Establishing broad objectives



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Key HE Green Infrastructure opportunities for Brockhill, Worcestershire:

· Allocation of open space / recreation where this might afford protection to high value / sensitive below ground archaeology

· Provision of interpretation to promote historic environment and land-use history

· Conservation, restoration and replanting of historic hedgerows and relic parkland to strengthen Historic Landscape Character, which will also provide habitat links through the landscape / between ASN woodlands

· Creation of access and enhancement of existing Public Rights of Way network to provide links to historic environment sites and distinctive landscapes beyond the development site boundaries



No GI Feature Functions 1 Northern Boundary 1. Stream corridor and water

management2. Biodiversity 3. Informal path network4. Connectivity with the wider

countryside2 Roman Road Corridor 1. Water management and SUDS

2. Historic environment 3. Biodiversity 4. Access 5. Informal recreation

3 Southern Boundary 1. Landscape links to the wider countryside

2. Biodiversity 3. Informal path network

4 River Severn Corridor 1. Access 2. Landscape connectivity with the

river corridor 3. Biodiversity

5 Significant Gap 1. Retain and enhance biodiversity 2. Retain landscape features3. Informal access and recreation

6 Central Corridor 1. Retain settings for historic buildings

2. Views through the site 3. Retain existing biodiversity 4. Natural environment connectivity 5. Access

7 Southern Stream Corridor 1. Stream corridor and water management

2. Informal path network3. Connectivity4. Biodiversity

Historic Environment

Restore and utilise historic hedgerows to promote a sense of historic landscape character and promote multi-functional benefits. Protect the setting of, and visual links, between historic farmsteads. Protect archaeology associated with the route of the Roman road. Promote the route of the Roman road as an historic access to Worcester as part of the site sustainable transport network. Explore opportunities to locate open space where this can afford protection to earthworks and significant below ground archaeology identified during survey and/or evaluation. Protect well-preserved areas of medieval ridge and furrow, particularly in the eastern and south-eastern part of the site.


Detailed Green Infrastructure site concept plans

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Identification of opportunities

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Types of projectNew development such as housing and economic development

Land management initiatives such as agri-environment and woodland grant schemesMinerals extraction and restoration

Infrastructure developments such as renewable energy and water

Funding and

viability

Priorities and delivery

Community Land Trusts

Delivering sustainable GI


Green Infrastructure- Adam Mindykowski, RTPI CPD

Technology

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