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A Future Green Infrastructure for St Helens

Nicola HopePlanning Project Officer

The Mersey Forest

����Green InfrastructureGI is an important tool in helping to drive economic and social regeneration and renewal through helping physically improve local environmental quality, especially where this has been degraded through past industrial uses.

The Mersey Forest Plan identifies levels of community woodland appropriate across the area based on landscape assessment.

The St Helens Countryside in and Around Town Project considers green infrastructure in more detail, suggesting how wide ranging benefits can be achieved through planned expansion, alternative management and retention of resources, matched to local needs

����GI in the North West

• Policy Context– Regional Spatial Strategy– Regional Economic Strategy– Regional Forestry Framework– North West Green Infrastructure Guide

• Green Infrastructure Plans– Green Infrastructure Unit and Website

www.greeninfrastructurenw.org.uk

– Green Infrastructure Think Tank

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To achieve major environmental improvements in and around towns and cities, creating beautiful areas rich in wildlife, with associated provision for access, leisure and education, thereby making them more attractive places in which to live, do business and enjoy leisure time

Community Forest Programme

• Started 15 years ago to test the potential of forestry as a tool for environmental regeneration and social development

• Half the population now lives in or within easy reach of a Community Forest

• Regularly identified as key delivery mechanisms for emerging initiatives

����The Mersey Forest

The Mersey Forest is both a concept and an area within which all will work in partnership to transform the landscape through woodland planting and the creation of associated habitats to produce long term, sustainable benefits for the economy, people and wildlife. (The Mersey Forest Team 2005)

Six Central Themes• Converting wasteland to community

woodland

• Creating networks of wooded greenways

• Greening key transport routes

• Returning farmland to forestry

• Weaving woodland into new development

• Capitalising on existing woodland assets

����Countryside in and Around Towns Project

St Helens, Merseyside

����Case Study Area

����Green Infrastructure Planning Approach

Current GI Resource Assessment

Local Needs and Opportunities Assessment

Future GI Options / Recommendations

1. Extend and Create New GI Resource

2. Manage GI Resource Differently to Develop Appropriate Functionality

3. Ensure Retention of Existing GI Resource

Incorporation of LCA to determine appropriate intervention

����Nation Vision to Local Aspirations

1. Bridge to the Country2. Gateway to the Town3. Health Centre4. Classroom5. Recycling and Renewable

Energy Centre6. Productive Landscape7. Heritage and Cultural Legacy8. Place for Sustainable Living9. Engine for Regeneration10. Nature Reserve

����Nation Vision to Local Aspirations

1. Bridge to the Country2. Gateway to the Town3. Health Centre4. Classroom5. Recycling and Renewable

Energy Centre6. Productive Landscape7. Heritage and Cultural Legacy8. Place for Sustainable Living9. Engine for Regeneration10. Nature Reserve

HEALTH

����Nation Vision to Local Aspirations

1. Bridge to the Country2. Gateway to the Town3. Health Centre4. Classroom5. Recycling and Renewable

Energy Centre6. Productive Landscape7. Heritage and Cultural Legacy8. Place for Sustainable Living9. Engine for Regeneration10. Nature Reserve

EDUCATION

����Nation Vision to Local Aspirations

1. Bridge to the Country2. Gateway to the Town3. Health Centre4. Classroom5. Recycling and Renewable

Energy Centre6. Productive Landscape7. Heritage and Cultural Legacy8. Place for Sustainable Living9. Engine for Regeneration10. Nature ReserveRECREATION

����Nation Vision to Local Aspirations

1. Bridge to the Country2. Gateway to the Town3. Health Centre4. Classroom5. Recycling and Renewable

Energy Centre6. Productive Landscape7. Heritage and Cultural Legacy8. Place for Sustainable Living9. Engine for Regeneration10. Nature Reserve

REGENERATION

����Health Theme

����Education Theme

����Recreation Theme

����Regeneration Theme

����Needs AssessmentHealth- Area based, linked to locally important deprivation statistics- Linkages to doctors surgeries, hospitals and care homes

Education- Borough-wide raising awareness of GI resource in schools- Potential for linkage of sites and schools

Recreation- Incorporating Public Open Space Assessment findings- Linkage between sites emphasised particularly for Forest Park

Regeneration- Borough-wide raising profile, importance and benefits of GI- Overcoming lack of understanding and recognition of

opportunities

����Linking to the LCA

• Positive landscape features

• Landscape sensitivity

• Visual sensitivity

• Landscape strategy statement

• Management issues and options

• Woodland recommendations

����Process

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Needs

Green Infrastructure

status

Requirements for locally

sustainable communities

Recommendations of

landscape strategy

Action Points and Recommendations

• Project Lessons

• Locally Specific

����Embedding in Local Policy

• Working with thematic champions– Education Advisers– Health Professionals (PCT)

• Awareness raising with Local Strategic Partnership Board

• Providing a sound evidence base

• Informing delivery plans

• Used as a demonstration model for other areas

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www.merseyforest.org.uk