Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council - Unitary Development Plan 2006

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Chapter 14

GREENSPACE

14.1The term open space embraces many kinds of outdoor recreational and leisure uses and areas of different size, location and character. First and foremost, they are functional areas, e.g. grassed areas used for informal recreation, neighbourhood and town parks, playing fields and sports grounds, allotments, natural green areas with public access, although they will usually have an amenity value. Thus, as well as providing opportunities for sport, informal and passive recreation, these open spaces make an essential contribution to the quality and character of the urban fabric, support urban regeneration and improve the quality of life in the borough. Currently the distribution of certain types of open space is uneven relative to need and a major problem is the quality of many areas of urban open space. The Council will, through its Parks, Sports Pitch, and Play Areas Strategies, define a hierarchy of spaces, pitches, and targets for their provision to meet the borough's particular needs. The UDP will protect those areas of value or potential, identify areas or circumstances where new or improved provision is to be made based on local needs and standards, and ensure that the location of facilities is well related to existing and new development. It is particularly important to ensure that 'local' facilities are accessible by safe, pedestrian routes and that other more major facilities are easily accessible by public transport. The Council is keen to ensure that opportunities are taken to continue developing the recreational and amenity potential of greenspace corridors and 'natural' areas of urban open space e.g., urban woodlands. The Council will also ensure that new developments that create a demand for open space contribute towards new or improved provision.

14.2Access to sport and recreation, both formal and informal, can make a vital contribution to a persons quality of life. It provides enjoyment, an opportunity to interact with others and improves health and general wellbeing. It is therefore important to provide a range of open spaces and facilities that are sufficient in size and location to meet local demand.

14.3Local Open Space includes outdoor equipped playgrounds for children and areas of informal open space which provide opportunities for recreation to people of all ages. In providing for local open space within the Borough, the Council has defined three broad categories of site, which are:

a.LEAP (Locally Equipped Area for Play)* – should include at least 5 types of equipment and a small games area. Site must be at least 0.36 ha and within 400m (5 min walking time) of home.

b.NEAP (Neighbourhood Equipped Area for Play)* – should include at least 8 types of equipment, along with kickabout and cycle play opportunities. Site must be at least 0.85 ha and within 1000m (15 min walking time) of home; and

c.Informal recreational open space - should be over 0.2 hectares and within 400m (5 min walking time) of home.

14.4The LEAP and NEAP categories, referred to above, are derived from the National Playing Field Association's (NPFA) suggested standards for children's play provision. The Council has set itself the target of improving all of the fixed playground sites within the Borough to the LEAP standard, with the possibility of upgrading some of these to NEAP standard in the future where funding opportunities arise.

14.5In providing for recreational needs, areas of informal open space also have an important role to play. They provide opportunities for informal games and other passive recreation (e.g. dog walking), and have general amenity value and are used by people of all ages. In order to have some meaningful value they need to be suitable in terms of size, shape, topography and access. In assessing current provision and future demand, the Council has taken into account all accessible greenspaces, including those outside the urban area but which meet the needs of people in adjacent residential areas.

14.6Outdoor Sports Facilities includes pitches, greens, courts and athletics tracks, whether they are in the public, educational or private sectors, and are available for public use or use by members. Current provision of such facilities is approximately 192 hectares, which equates to 0.95 hectares per 1000 population. It has been calculated that the total provision required to meet current and anticipated demand, and achieve the Sports Pitch Strategy usage/quality standard, is 217 hectares. This gives a standard of 1.1 hectares per 1000 population and is considered a realistic assessment taking account of local demand, the availability of sites and the resources available to lay out and maintain new provision. Due to the climate and local ground conditions, the quality of a number of pitches is poor and this limits usage. Therefore, in order to meet demand, it is important that existing pitches are upgraded and improved as well as the achievement of additional provision to meet the standard of 1.1 hectares per 1000.

14.7It is important to protect open spaces, which have, or potentially have, a value for either formal or informal recreation in order to prevent the creation of further areas of deficiency. Such areas include town and neighbourhood parks, playgrounds, playing fields school playing fields, other formal sports pitches and courts, and informal grassed areas. The sites shown on the Proposals Map are those areas over 0.2 hectare which are currently in use, excluding those areas located outside the Defined Urban Area which are protected from most forms of built development under Green Belt and Open Land policies D/4 and D/10. This policy will also apply to any new areas of open space that are secured to meet the Council's standards and recreational strategies. It is also recognised that there are a small number of sites below 0.2 hectare that have recreational value, e.g. kick pitches and bowling greens, and these will also be protected under this policy.

14.8However, there are also a number of sites which, because of their small size, difficult location, topography, ground conditions or other restrictions, will have a very limited value or potential for recreation. Some of these sites may, however, have an amenity value and would be protected by the provisions of Policy G/10 'Protection of Urban Amenity Open Space'.

14.9School playing fields (especially secondary school playing fields) make a substantial contribution to overall public playing fields provision through the Council’s dual-use policy. The loss of school pitches (in great demand for community sporting use due to their general accessibility and the availability of changing and shower facilities) would further increase deficiencies in overall formal outdoor sports provision. Redundant school playing fields also provide the most significant opportunity, and in some cases the only opportunity, to alleviate a deficiency in informal or casual recreational open space provision.

14.10The policy recognises that in exceptional cases, development may be permitted on a site, or part of a site, if suitable alternative provision can be made in appropriate locations, or if improvements to another site are considered preferable by the Council - see criteria (c) and (d). The Council’s intention to seek planning obligations where appropriate for the suitable replacement or improvement of open space is in line with PPG17 “Sport and Recreation”. The details of any Section 106 agreements will be a matter for negotiation between the developer and the Council.

14.11Criteria (d) recognises that occasionally an area of open space will provide the only available site for built recreational facilities (e.g. a sports centre or changing/shower facility). However, open spaces should not be seen as an easy option to provide land for such facilities and development will only be permitted in exceptional cases.

14.12The availability of local open space close to homes contributes greatly to the quality of the residential environment. They give opportunities for children’s play and informal recreation for all ages. The Council will aim to provide local open space at a standard of 1.0 hectares per 1,000 population wherever possible. However, in view of the high density of the built-up areas of the Borough and the limited scope for new provision in some areas, it will not always be possible to achieve this standard. The policy recognises that it is not just the size or amount of open space in an area which restrict opportunities for informal recreation, but the poor quality of many areas and the lack of facilities contained within them. Without improvements, poor quality open spaces will remain under-used and neglected, whilst pressures for development will become more acute. Poor accessibility, and the real or imagined threat to personal safety and security, are other reasons why open spaces are not used to their full potential, and improvements are also necessary to address these problems.

14.13The Council will monitor the quantity and quality of open space so that new provision and improvements to existing open space can be targeted to areas of greatest need. This is particularly important as land and resources are likely to be limited. The Council has identified those fixed playground sites in the borough that it intends to bring up to LEAP standard. The areas currently deficient in children's play space and local informal recreational open space within each of the Townships are:

Heywood
Children’s play space - Hopwood and Summit
Informal open space - Hardfield Street/Hind Hill Street, Summit and Heady Hill

Middleton
Children’s play space - Langley, Hollins, John Lee Fold and Moorclose
Informal open space - North Langley, Alkrington

Pennines
Children’s Play Space - Hurstead/Greengate and North Milnrow
Informal open space - Wardle, Hurstead/Dearnley and North Milnrow

Rochdale
Children’s play space - Healey, Norden and Bamford
Informal open space - Fairway/Heywood Road, East Castleton, Fairway, Castleton

14.14Although in most cases local open space will comprise fixed playgrounds and informal areas of open space within housing areas there are also other sources of open space. Greenspace corridors, community woodlands, local nature reserves and areas of accessible countryside can be found throughout the Borough. These are often close enough to people’s homes to provide additional opportunities for informal recreation.

14.15There is an under-provision of outdoor sports facilities of all kinds in the Borough. The Council’s objective will be to secure formal sports facilities to a standard of 1.1 hectares per 1000 population outlined in policy G/2. It is not necessary for small individual communities to be self- sufficient in formal sports facilities, i.e. soccer, rugby, cricket, hockey, etc. However, it is desirable for pitches to be distributed so as not to disadvantage areas of the Borough. It is therefore appropriate to consider provision and demand at the Township level. The current issues affecting each Township with regard to outdoor sports provision are as follows.

Heywood

• Pitches are currently operating at maximum levels of usage.
• Some pitches are being overplayed resulting in a deterioration of the playing surface
• Most feasible opportunity to enhance provision is through improvements to existing school playing fields which have a ‘community use’ policy.

Middleton

• There is significant demand in the Township, mainly for junior pitches.
• Possibility of providing additional junior pitches at existing sites.
• Improvements are required at a number of existing pitches, especially in terms of drainage and ancillary facilities.

Pennines

• Currently unmet demand in the area for senior and junior football pitches.
• The local authority operates only one playing field in the Township, with the rest of the sports pitch provision either predominately privately owned or leased to voluntary run sports clubs.
• There is some potential to increase provision in the area but it would require significant improvements in terms of drainage and infrastructure.

Rochdale

• There is currently unmet demand in Rochdale for junior football pitches, rugby pitches and cricket pitches.
• Many pitches are overused and require improvements to drainage and infrastructure.  The condition of some pitches means it may be more cost effective to lay out new pitches on other sites.
• There are opportunities to increase provision at existing sites and improvements to under-utilised school pitches could help support additional community use. 

14.16Many existing grass pitches are in a poor condition due to over-intensive use, and deterioration of the playing surfaces is often exacerbated by the Borough’s relatively high rainfall, the preponderance of boulder clay soils and the fine particulate structure which offer poor drainage. Other pitches have inadequate facilities such as showers, changing rooms and car parking. Improving existing pitches not only benefits existing users, but also means that the pitch can be used more often (e.g. if it has better drainage) thus reducing the need to lay out new pitches.

14.17One of the main problems in laying out new sports pitches is the lack of suitable sites that are available within the urban area. Whilst urban sites are preferred, urban fringe locations, which are accessible to areas of population, will be acceptable. It is likely that opportunities for sporting activities in the urban fringe will increase as farming activity in marginal areas contracts in response to Government pressures to curb agricultural production and to diversify the rural economy.

14.18It must be recognised that the ability of the Council to implement some of the above measures using its own capital budgets and spending powers will be very limited. However, the UDP, together with the Council's 'Sports Pitch' and 'Sport and Recreation' strategies will provide a proper context and a basis for assessing priorities within the Council’s capital programmes. Also, the Council will take every opportunity to secure funding and assistance from external sources. Finally, in seeking to improve overall level of provision, the Council will assist local voluntary sports clubs to acquire, operate and maintain facilities for their exclusive or shared use, where appropriate.

14.19Any provision of additional formal outdoor and indoor sports facilities is likely to be directed mainly at existing areas of open space. It is acknowledged that concentrating such facilities and making more intensive use of such areas can have operational and financial advantages in increasing accessible provision in deficient parts of the Borough and minimising running and maintenance costs. However, the policy recognises that the effect of such an approach can be to compromise the other qualities that an open space currently provides, i.e. its general amenity value or physical attraction, existing natural features and the value of that area for casual informal use. In addition, the extra traffic which is generated, the buildings and structures which are often necessary to support the activities, and the activities themselves, can have a significant impact on local amenity and create visual, noise or other disturbance.

14.20The majority of allotment gardens and livestock plots in the Borough are Council owned (the Council operates some 40 sites comprising more than 600 individual plots) although there is a small number of privately owned sites. Sites remain popular in most locations, with high levels of occupancy and a waiting list for many sites. Demand is often local to sites and most sites are within walking distance of nearby residential areas. Demand is likely to remain high due to factors such as increased leisure time and a growing interest in self-sufficiency and home-grown produce (particularly among some ethnic minority groups).

14.21The Council intends to protect such sites as a valuable local resource for leisure and subject to the availability of resources will continue to enhance sites in respect of the facilities they contain and their visual quality. Where new or relocated sites are provided, they will be expected to be of an appropriate size, accessible, include a suitable range of facilities for users, and to take account of any particular qualities or characteristics of their setting e.g., in the design of buildings and use of boundary fencing materials in order to protect or enhance local visual amenity.

14.22The policy will be applied to all allotment sites irrespective of size but for practical purposes, only those sites over 0.2 hectare are shown on the Proposals Map.

14.23Within the urban area there are a number of substantial undeveloped green wedges or corridors which contain a variety of open land uses and natural greenspaces (including managed open spaces, woodland, farmland, allotments etc.). Some corridors are substantial such as those in the Roch, Beal and Irk valleys whilst others are smaller consisting of a series of linked greenspaces. Greenspace Corridors have a diversity of character ranging from attractive ‘semi rural’ landscapes to more tightly defined corridors which provide visual relief and accessible greenspaces for surrounding heavily built up areas.

14.24Greenspace Corridors have a range of purposes which are:

a.to provide opportunities for informal outdoor recreation;

b.to provide recreational routes linking recreational open spaces and urban areas with the surrounding countryside;

c.to secure the enhancement and establishment of wildlife habitats and areas of nature conservation interest;

d.to allow the free passage of wildlife species, flora and fauna; and

e.to provide amenity through welcome relief from urban development.

14.25These corridors are an important open land resource and the Policy is designed to protect such areas from major developments or any built incursions that would sever parts of a corridor, impede its function and detract from its natural, visual or recreational quality. It is accepted that limited small scale built development may be appropriate but proposals must demonstrate high standards of design, layout materials and landscaping which complement the character, landscape and nature conservation qualities of the corridor. This is especially important within corridors which have a more natural or rural character such as river valley corridors. The criteria set out in policy NE/6 ‘Landscape Protection and Enhancement’ and any supporting landscape character guidelines produced will be applied to development proposals within or adjacent to greenspace corridors. It is also important to ensure that within river valley corridors, development and activities do not increase the risk of flooding or have an adverse impact on water quality. Proposals will be assessed against policies EM/7 ‘Development and Flood Risk’ and EM/8 ‘Protection of Surface and Ground Water’.

14.26The Policy recognises that many parts of greenspace corridors are privately owned and in beneficial use e.g. for grazing or other open uses. The provision of, or increase in recreational activity must take account of the need to protect private interests and minimise the potential for conflict with recreational use. Proposals for recreational use will also be assessed against the ability of the host landscape to accommodate such use without detracting from its character or environmental quality or the visual amenity of the area.

14.27In addition to the control of development, the Council will support and carry out appropriate measures to protect and enhance the environmental, visual, recreational and ecological quality of corridors. Initiatives such as the Pennine Edge Forest and Roch Valley River Valley Initiative are helping to establish long term improvement programmes for corridor enhancement, including planting of locally native trees, improved recreational access along water courses from adjacent communities and measures to conserve and improve landscape, ecological, soil and water quality. The potential for corridors to contribute to urban regeneration has also been recognised, for example in developing strategies for Housing Market Renewal areas and the regeneration of older industrial and urban fringe locations, in particular derelict and untidy land. The Council will continue to work with landowners, developers, community interests, voluntary and public sector agencies to promote and carry out further improvements where opportunities and resources permit.

14.28The site subject to this proposal falls largely within the Kingsway Business Park (Proposal EC/7). Consistent with the intention to secure a high quality, low density development within a landscaped setting, the Kingsway Business Park proposal includes requirements for:

a.The preservation and enhancement, or creation of new sites/features, of ecological importance (e.g. habitats) wherever possible; and

b.The creation of new and the extension of existing public open space and formal recreation areas, including the extension and improvement of Stanney Brook Park.

14.29Proposal G/9 effectively defines the Stanney Brook corridor and park and how the Council proposes to protect and enhance them. It is considered that its limited expansion and the provision of new recreational facilities typical of a small urban park could enhance the park. This will meet future demand for recreation from employees and visitors to the Business Park and the residents of existing and proposed housing areas to the east. The Stanney Brook corridor, however, will only have potential for limited low-key, passive recreation. An improved footpath network and the provision of landscaped seating areas would be particularly desirable. The Stanney Brook corridor is also defined as a greenspace corridor under Policy G/8 and the opportunity exists to establish links with other parts of the corridor network, and enhance its ecological value as a Site of Biological Importance through appropriate landscaping and management.

14.30The relationship between the Stanney Brook corridor and other areas and elements of the Business Park development should be carefully considered. The Stanney Brook corridor should be regarded as an integral landscape feature of the Business Park and the layout and design of industrial buildings will need to have regard to its distinct rural character. In order to secure vehicular access to and within the Kingsway site, it will be necessary for the Stanney Brook corridor to be crossed by roads in at least two places. The Council will not wish to place undue restrictions on road crossings but would wish to ensure that the impact on the corridor and the watercourse itself is minimised.

14.31The implementation of this proposal will require close co-operation between the Council and the developers of the Business Park. Joint funding arrangements will need to be agreed on the basis of an overall enhancement and management plan for the Stanney Brook corridor and park and this should form part of any overall scheme for the development of the Kingsway Business Park.

14.32Within the built-up area of the Borough (shown as the Defined Urban Area by Policy G/D/1) there is an extensive patchwork of informal natural or grassed areas or more formal landscaped areas which, because of their size, physical characteristics or location, have limited potential for meaningful recreation. However, they often contribute or have potential to contribute towards the environmental quality of an area. More specifically, these areas often act as a buffer area between incompatible uses (e.g., as a visual screen or noise attenuation zone), help to enhance the settings of individual buildings or groups of buildings, help to distance housing from major roads, provide habitats for wildlife and provide opportunities for passive low-key recreation e.g., walking, sitting and relaxing. The value of these open spaces should not be under-estimated and it is therefore important that consideration of proposals for the development or the change of use of amenity open space should balance the benefits of development against the loss of that land.