BASE HEADER

Yes

ID sylw: 107366

Derbyniwyd: 06/03/2025

Ymatebydd: National Trust

Green and Blue infrastructure – Many of the National Trust’s places are integral to South Warwickshire’s green and blue infrastructure (GBI) network, particularly the extensive walks across countryside between Packwood House and Baddesley Clinton, across Charlecote Park and the extensive parkland of Farnborough Hall. The National Trust are supportive of the acknowledgement by the Local Plan that GBI provides multiple benefits, including providing habitats for wildlife, enhancing health and wellbeing outcomes in an area by providing space for recreation, and building resilience to a changing climate including flood control and preventing urban heat islands.
We are pleased that the Local Plan identifies the risks that new development presents for GBI, particularly in respect of increased numbers of residents in an area as a result of housing growth, which can exacerbate pressures on existing areas of green space. This can reduce tranquillity and availability of space, weakening its recreational value, and it can have negative impacts on on-site biodiversity due to increased levels of disturbance and disruption to habitat connectivity. We therefore would expect new development to incorporate proposals for open space and green infrastructure within the development site to ensure that this contributes towards the existing GBI network but also protect existing open space and recreational sites from excessive use and the associated recreational impact that would result from it.
In respect of the regional park proposals, whilst we thoroughly support the measures to maintain and enhance the green infrastructure network, we would recommend that the 8 Hills Regional Park is referenced in this policy and designated on the Policies Map as land to the north west of Forshaw Heath Lane. We consider that this would both strengthen South Warwickshire’s green infrastructure network and present an opportunity to enter into a partnership with a governance structure for the Regional Park and engage in a cross-boundary relationship when it comes to truly integrated green infrastructure for the benefit of people and nature across the West Midlands conurbation and beyond.
We are supportive of policy direction 40 and consider that many policy directions set out within the draft Local Plan (preferred options consultation) will contribute towards the successful achievement of a strong GBI network, including LNRS, BNG and the protection of habitats and species.