ANGUS LOCAL PLAN REVIEW FINALISED PLAN - Angus Council

2.76 Open spaces serve a range of functions, they contribute towardsthe amenity and character of an area, are an important sporting,recreational and social resource, provide opportunities for wildlife andnature conservation and are valued and enjoyed for a variety ofreasons. The Local Plan seeks to protect the open space networkfrom development, which might erode the function of open spaces orthe characteristics for which they are valued. This includes greencorridors, which provide physical linkages to major open spaces anddirect access to the countryside.Policy SC29 : Open Space ProtectionThere is a general presumption against development of openspaces of sporting, recreational, amenity or nature conservationvalue including those shown on the Proposals Maps, for otherforms of development. The loss of open space will only beconsidered acceptable where:• the retention or enhancement of existing facilities in the areacan best be achieved by the redevelopment of part of the sitewhere this would not affect its sporting, recreational, amenityor nature conservation value or compromise its setting; or• replacement open space of the same type and of at leastequal quality, community benefit and accessibility to thatbeing lost will be provided within the local area; or• it is demonstrated through an open space audit that there isan identified excess of open space provision in the local areato meet existing and future requirements taking account ofthe sporting, recreational and amenity value of the site.2.77 As well as protecting existing open spaces the Local Plan seeksto ensure that new development is accompanied by an appropriatelevel and type of open space. The design of open space must coverthe new development as a whole and provision will be linked tophases of development. New spaces should be designed according totheir intended use or function, be well located and properlymaintained.2.78 Apart from the physical provision of open space it is importantthat linkages with the overall green space network are recognised.New open spaces will require to be integrated with the existingnetwork by incorporating green access corridors which link up withexisting path networks and open spaces. An Open Space Audit iscurrently underway which will establish existing levels of open spaceprovision at a local level, assess current and future requirements andidentify deficiencies and problems with the existing network. This willform the basis of the preparation of an Open Space Strategy and willbe used to derive local standards for open space provision.Amenity greenspace -Landscaped areas providingvisual amenity or separatingdifferent buildings or land usesfor environmental, visual orsafety reasons i.e. road verges,or greenspace in businessparks, and used for a variety ofinformal or social activities suchas sunbathing, picnics orkickabouts;Playspace for children andteenagers - Areas providingsafe and accessibleopportunities for children’s play,usually linked to housing areas;Sports areas – Large andgenerally flat areas of grasslandor specially designed surfaces,used primarily for designatedsports i.e. playing fields, golfcourses, tennis courts, bowlinggreen; areas which are generallybookable;Green corridors – Routesincluding canals, river corridorsand old railway lines, linkingdifferent areas within a town orcity or part of a designated andmanaged network and used forwalking, cycling or horse riding,or linking towns and cities totheir surrounding countryside orcountry parks. These may linkgreen spaces together;Natural/semi-naturalgreenspaces – areas ofundeveloped or previouslydeveloped land with residualnatural habitats or which havebeen planted or colonised byvegetation and wildlife, includingwoodland and wetland areas;Other functional greenspacesallotments, churchyards andcemeteries;Civic space – squares, streetsand waterfront promenades,predominantly of hardlandscaping that provide a focusfor pedestrian activity and makeconnections for people and forwildlife, where trees and plantingare included.2.79 In the interim, open space requirements for new housingdevelopments will generally be based on the National Playing FieldsAssociation (NPFA) six acre standard (2.43 hectares of open spaceper 1000 head of population). However the amount and type of openspace to be provided by the developer will be dependant upon existingprovision in the locality and the scale and type of developmentproposed. There may be circumstances where the provision of openAngus Local Plan Review43Finalised Plan