Policy information sourced from Lewisham Core Strategy

12 Open space and environmental assets

In recognising the strategic importance of the natural environment and to help mitigate against climate change the Council will:

  • conserve nature
  • green the public realm
  • provide opportunities for sport, recreation, leisure and well-being.

This will be achieved by:

  • protecting the character, historic interest and amenity of, and within, open spaces, as well as the effects of development outside their boundaries
  • protecting Metropolitan Open Land, open space, urban green space and green corridors from inappropriate built development to ensure there is no adverse effect on their use, management, amenity or enjoyment in accordance with the principles of PPG2 and the London Plan
  • maintaining and improving the publicly accessible open space network, such as the Waterlink Way, the Thames Path, the South East London Green Chain, the East London Green Grid, parks and gardens, playing fields, nature reserves, allotments, community gardens, amenity green space, cemeteries and churchyards as well as smaller open spaces that have townscape quality
  • designating additional Metropolitan Open Land in accordance with the London Plan definitions, in particular Sydenham Wells Park, Horniman Gardens and Telegraph Hill Park due to the role they perform in the South East London Green Chain
  • improving the quality of accessibility to existing open space by public transport, cycle and foot
  • preserving or enhancing the local biodiversity and geological conservation interests in accordance with national and regional policy, in the form of PPS9 and the London Plan by designating Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
  • protecting trees, including street trees, and preventing the loss of trees of amenity value, and replacing trees where loss does occur
  • seeking new on-site provision of public and private open space as part of new development
  • improve accessibility to existing areas of public open space in the identified areas of open space deficiency within the wards of Brockley, Catford South, Lee Green, Perry Vale and Telegraph Hill
  • seeking exemplary design for new, and improvements to existing open space, in the context of the local character and its distinctive historical qualities working with the Environment Agency (EA) where appropriate
  • maximising opportunities for sport and recreation through well-designed and managed spaces, which take into account the Mayor’s Children and Young People’s play space requirements in a safe environment
  • promoting living roofs and walls in accordance with London Plan policy and Core Strategy Policy 8 
  • promoting and supporting local food growing and urban agriculture.

Planning obligations will be sought to ensure the implementation of this policy where appropriate.

For more information please see the Core Strategy