Local Green Spaces

Through a local plan, areas of green space that are of particular importance to local communities can be designated as Local Green Space as a way to provide special protection against development. Designating a green area as Local Green Space would give it similar protection to Green Belt land, but otherwise there are no new restrictions or obligations on landowners.

A Local Green Space does not need to be in public ownership, however the landowner will have the opportunity to respond to any proposal to designate their land as a Local Green Space. The site also doesn’t need to be publicly accessible if it is significant for another reason, for example because it is important for wildlife.

Designating land as Local Green Space does need to fit with planning for sustainable development in the borough though. This means that the local plan still needs to be able to identify enough land to meet the housing and employment needs of the area up to the year 2043, and designating land as Local Green Space can’t be used as a way to try to stop land from being developed.

The Local Green Space designation should only be used where the green space is:

(a) reasonably close to the community it serves;

(b) has a particular local significance that is able to be demonstrated, for example because of its beauty, historic significance, recreational value (including as a playing field), tranquillity or richness of its wildlife; and

(c) is local in character and not just a large area of land.