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APPENDIX 2: DETAILED OPEN SPACE, SPORT AND RECREATION
REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS
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| The following guidelines will be used to assess
the quantity, quality and function of open space, sport and recreation facilities
required to serve the residents of new housing developments, as set out
in Policy H9 and also any provision that may
be required to compensate for loss of open space, sport and recreational
facilities. Revised Supplementary Planning Guidance on Residential Development
will also provide further guidance. The current Wolverhampton Parks and
Green Spaces Strategy and Wolverhampton Sport and Recreation Strategy should
also be referred to. Development Briefs will, where appropriate, set out
open space, sport and recreation requirements for specific sites. |
| An amended form of these guidelines will be published
and adopted as Supplementary Planning Guidance following the completion
of appropriate needs assessments and the setting of new standards, if appropriate
(see Policy R1). |
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Key Definitions
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| 1. |
It will be assumed that the number of residents a development
is designed to accommodate is equivalent to 75% of total bedspaces, except
in the case of flatted developments, where this figure will be reduced to
50%. |
| 2. |
The minimum requirement per resident for recreational open
space will be 26 sqm, in accordance with the standard set out in Table
12.1 |
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Standards of Provision
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| 1 |
Over 100 residents
40 dwellings or more |
| 1.1 |
The provision of multifunctional, quality recreational open
space should normally form an integral part of the design of any housing
development designed to accommodate more than
100 residents of 40 dwellings or more.
A total of 26 sqm recreational open space per resident should be provided
on-site, to include: |
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- Informal play space
- One Local Equipped Area for Play (LEAP) for every 1,000 residents
& one multi-ball games area for every 2,000 residents; These requirements
may be increased where needs are likely to be greater than normal e.g.
certain low-cost or high density schemes or reduced / waived where it
can be demonstrated that a development will, during its lifetime, generate
a limited demand for children's play
- Footpath / cycle route links between recreational open space on and
off site;
- Natural green space which makes use of existing on-site or adjacent
landscape features where possible e.g. wildlife corridor along an existing
stream.
- Landscape and design elements to provide a setting for architectural
and features / public art and focal meeting
places for local residents.
(1) |
| 1.2 |
Contributions towards the following sports and recreation
facilities may also be required, where appropriate: |
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- Neighbourhood Equipped Area for Play;
- Playing field provision;
- Other sports facilities.
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| 1.3 |
The following will not be considered to contribute
towards recreational open space requirements: |
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- private amenity areas provided in lieu of gardens on high density
developments e.g. flats;
- small, incidental pockets of open space which are not usable for recreation;
- areas designed specifically for other purposes e.g. verges, acoustic
landscape mounding.
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| 1.4 |
Contributions towards off-site provision / enhancement within
the Neighbourhood or District Park area, or a combination of on-site and
off-site provision, may be an acceptable alternative, where: |
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- The size, shape or topography of the site limit the potential to
provide a functional area of recreational open space or play facilities
on-site;
- There is already good access to a sufficient quantity of open space,
sport and recreation facilities in areas nearby, as defined by the Wolverhampton
open space, sport and recreation standards and the Parks and Green Spaces
Strategy; or
- The ability of the wider community to access facilities on-site would
be limited.
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| 1.5 |
Such contributions may be pooled (see 2.4) in certain circumstances
e.g. where a major new facility is needed and a number of housing developments
in the same area could contribute towards its provision. |
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| 2 |
20 - 100 residents
10 - 39 dwellings |
| 2.1 |
To maintain a high quality of design on smaller housing developments,
there will normally be a requirement to provide small areas of open space
on-site, up to 8% around
10% of the total area of the site. The function of these open spaces
will be to improve the appearance of the development and provide limited
amenity space for residents of the development. They should form an integral
part of the design and layout of the streetscape and provide focal points
which act both as design features and as informal meeting places for residents.
They may include hard or soft landscaping and will normally be maintained
by a management company set up by the developer (see 12). For more detailed
guidance on the design of residential developments see Chapter
4: Design and SPG on Residential Development.
(2) |
| 2.2 |
Housing developments of between 20
and 100 residents 10 and 39 dwellings
will not normally be expected to provide new recreational open space or
play facilities on-site, as the small open spaces which would be generated
are considered to be of limited value for recreational purposes.
(1) |
| 2.3 |
In lieu of on-site provision, developers will be expected
to make contributions towards the creation or enhancement of open space,
sport and recreation facilities which could reasonably be expected to serve
the needs of the development. Such contributions should equate to the cost
of providing: 26 sqm recreational open space per resident (minus any provision
made on-site for design purposes); one Local Equipped Area for Play for
every 1,000 residents; and one multi-ball games area for every 2,000 residents
(calculated pro rata); plus the cost of maintaining all such provision for
10 years. The particular type(s) of recreational open space provision the
contributions will be used to improve will depend upon local needs and priorities
as set out in the Parks and Green Spaces Strategy and Sport and Recreation
Strategy. |
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| 2.4 |
Where contributions are not sufficient, at the time, to be
viably used to enhance local open space, they will be pooled into a ring-fenced
fund dedicated towards providing priority enhancements in the relevant Neighbourhood
or District Park Area, and will be spent within a specified time period.
Enhancements may include measures to improve safety and security, such as
lighting and natural surveillance, provision of play equipment or access
improvements. |
| 3 |
Less than 20 residents
10 dwellings |
| 3.1 |
Developments designed to accommodate
less than 20 residents of less than 10 dwellings
will not usually be expected to make contributions towards recreational
open space provision. However, where a number of smaller developments are
taking place in close proximity and it is considered that these form phases
of a larger development, recreational open space contributions may be required.
(1) |
| 3.2 |
Areas of open space which ensure the
high quality design and amenity of the development
(see 2.1) may still be required on these very small developments.
(3) |
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| 4 |
Housing for people with special needs |
| 4.1 |
Where developments are designed to house people with special
needs, for example the frail elderly or single homeless people, it may be
necessary to provide most or all of the open space requirement for the development
on-site, regardless of the size of the development. These areas of open
space may not necessarily be accessible to the wider public. |
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Design Issues
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| 5 |
Planning applications for residential development should provide
detailed plans of the open space to be laid out and landscaped as part of
the development, indicating those areas which the Council will be requested
to adopt. |
| 6 |
Wherever possible, a single open space, no smaller than 2,500
sqm, should be provided, in a location central to the site (or, where appropriate,
central to a wider residential area), within 400m walking distance of all
residents on the site and with safe and easy access, which does not involve
crossing a major road. Fragmented provision may be subject to additional
commuted sum payments to cover the increased pro rata maintenance costs
of smaller open spaces. |
| 7 |
Formal play areas and areas which may be used for informal
ball games should be separated from residential areas by a 25m landscaped
buffer and designed so as to avoid nuisance to nearby residents. However,
they should also be located so that children at play are visible from substantial
areas of the development, to allow supervision. |
| 8 |
All provision should conform with any additional requirements
set out in Supplementary Planning Guidance on Residential Development and
the relevant section of the Parks and Green Spaces Strategy. |
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| Provision and Maintenance of Open Space On-Site |
| 9 |
Although the provision of recreational open space on-site
may be carried out by the developer, the preferred option is by making an
appropriate contribution to Wolverhampton City Council Leisure Services.
Where a developer is to provide open space / play space, the design and
installation must be completed to a specification agreed by the Council.
This will be a condition of the planning permission. |
| 10 |
All open space and facilities should be available for use
before 75% of the dwellings on the site are occupied. |
| 11 |
Wherever practical, developers should make arrangements for
the adoption of new areas of recreational open space by the Council. However,
before the Council adopts any open space, it will require such areas to
be laid out to its satisfaction. Therefore, it is important that developers
discuss their intentions with Leisure Services as early as possible in the
development process. Developers will be required to make arrangements, by
way of commuted sums, to cover the cost of ten years maintenance of new
open space / facilities by the Council. When agreement in principle is given
to the adoption of open space, the Council will determine the level of commuted
sum to be payable upon adoption of the open space. |
| 12 |
Alternatively, developers will be required to set up a management
company to ensure that open spaces are managed and maintained to a high
standard in perpetuity. |
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Contributions Towards Off-Site Provision
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| 13 |
Where off-site provision / enhancement is accepted in lieu
of on-site provision, commuted sums will be secured via a S106 agreement.
Commuted sums will be calculated on the basis of current costs and shall
include the cost of maintaining the relevant open space / facilities for
10 years. There will normally be a requirement for commuted sums to be paid
soon after the commencement of development. In exceptional circumstances
phased payments may be acceptable. |
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| REASONS FOR PROPOSED CHANGES |
| 1. |
For clarification |
| 2. |
For clarification |
| 3. |
For clarification |
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