Policy information sourced from the Aylesbury Local Plan

I1 Green infrastructure

wildlife, improving quality of life and water quality and flood risk, health and wellbeing, recreation, access to nature and adaptation to climate change. The council will support proposals for green infrastructure where there is no significant adverse impact on:

  • Wider green infrastructure networks including public rights of way and green infrastructure opportunity zones identified by the Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Natural Environment Partnership
  • Potential to contribute to biodiversity net gains
  • Management of flood risk and provision of sustainable drainage systems
  • Provision of a range of types of green infrastructure
  • Provision of sports, recreation facilities or public realm improvements
  • Potential for local food cultivation by communities
  • Achieving a satisfactory landscaping scheme including the transition between the development and adjacent open land

New housing developments of more than 10 units or which have a combined gross floorspace of more than 1,000 square metres (gross internal area) will be required to meet the ANGSt (accessible natural green space standards) in Appendix C to meet the additional demand arising from new residential development. Amenity green space will need to be provided on site. Sports and recreation facilities can be provided as required (Policy I2) on the same site where these are compatible with publicly accessible green infrastructure.

The Accessibility Standards in Appendix C will need to be met by providing accessible natural green space on or off site for developments of more than 10 homes and which have maximum combined gross floorspace of more than 1,000 square metres (gross internal area) unless it has been demonstrated in an assessment for a planning application that accessible natural green space provision has already been met, when including the increased population of the new development and any other committed development.

Conditions will be imposed on permissions or planning obligations sought in order to secure green infrastructure reasonably related to the scale and kind of housing proposed. The benefits to be obtained or provided by the council by virtue of the obligation will be directly relevant to the development permitted and the needs of its occupiers and fairly and reasonably related to its scale and kind.

To count towards any ANGSt quantitative/accessibility requirement, such green space must meet the definitions of ‘accessible’ and ‘natural’ in paragraph 11.8

The council will only accept the loss of ANGSt including the incorporation of such areas into private garden land if:

  • The ANGSt has been subject to an assessment which shows it to be surplus to requirements
  • The land does not fulfil a useful purpose in terms of its appearance, landscaping, recreational use or wildlife value
  • The land does not host an element of semi-natural habitat or any other feature of value to wildlife to a greater extent than would be the case if it were planted as a garden
  • The loss of publicly accessible green infrastructure would not set a precedent for other similar proposals which could cumulatively have an adverse effect on the locality or the environment
  • The continued maintenance of the land for publicly accessible green infrastructure would be impractical or unduly onerous
  • Publicly accessible green infrastructure lost will need to be replaced by equivalent or better following an assessment justifying this need based on applying the standards in Appendix C

Formal outdoor sports areas, play areas, and allotments all serve a specific purpose and may be located within or outside ANGSt. Either way such facilities should be located on land that is additional to the ANGSt provided by a developer and be complimentary to it.

Green infrastructure being provided must have a long term management and maintenance strategy to be agreed by the council with assets managed for at least 30 years after completion and during this time secure a mechanism to manage sites into perpetuity. The management and maintenance strategy shall set out details of the owner, the responsible body and how the strategy can be implemented by contractors.

Policy information sourced from the Aylesbury Local Plan