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Planning for Sustainable Land-Use:
The Natural Capital Planning Tool (NCPT)
Oliver Hölzinger
Consultancy for Environmental Economics & Policy (CEEP)/
School for Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham
Envecon 2016, London
18th March 2016
Demographics:
•The UK has the fastest population growth in Europe and is projected to grow by almost 10 million within the next 20 years.
•Birmingham’s population is projected to grow by about 20% until 2030.
Background
Demographics:
•The UK has the fastest population growth in Europe and is projected to grow by almost 10 million within the next 20 years.
•Birmingham’s population is projected to grow by about 20% until 2030.
→This puts significant additional pressure on green infrastructure and the ecosystem services it performs.
→At the same time the demand for ecosystem services increases because more people ‘use’ and benefit from them.
Background
“The Government expects the planning system to
deliver the homes, business, infrastructure and
thriving local places that the country needs, while
protecting and enhancing the natural and historic
environment. Planning has a key role in securing a
sustainable future. However, the current system
[…] is failing to achieve the kind of integrated
and informed decision-making that is needed to
support sustainable land use.”
Natural Environment White Paper, 2011
Background
Background
• Evidence about the impacts of proposed developments/plans is often prepared as part of the planning process (EIA, Flood Risk Assessment, stakeholder responses etc.)
Background
• Evidence about the impacts of proposed developments/plans is often prepared as part of the planning process (EIA, Flood Risk Assessment, stakeholder responses etc.)
• However, such information often comes from diverse sources and is not presented in a ‘fit-for-purpose’ format
Background
• Evidence about the impacts of proposed developments/plans is often prepared as part of the planning process (EIA, Flood Risk Assessment, stakeholder responses etc.)
• However, such information often comes from diverse sources and is not presented in a ‘fit-for-purpose’ format
• Decision-makers and planners often have very limited time and resources to review and process such data; e.g. to reveal trade-offs
Background
• Evidence about the impacts of proposed developments/plans is often prepared as part of the planning process (EIA, Flood Risk Assessment, stakeholder responses etc.)
• However, such information often comes from diverse sources and is not presented in a ‘fit-for-purpose’ format
• Decision-makers and planners often have very limited time and resources to review and process such data; e.g. to reveal trade-offs
• ‘Soft’ (qualitative) information is often undervalued/neglected when compared to ‘hard’ (quantitative) evidence
“The planning system should contribute to and
enhance the natural and local environment by […]
recognising the wider benefits of ecosystem
services.”
National Planning Policy Framework, 2012
Background
“The planning system should contribute to and
enhance the natural and local environment by […]
recognising the wider benefits of ecosystem
services.”
National Planning Policy Framework, 2012
But how?
Background
The Natural Capital Planning Tool (NCPT)
Core project team:
Project partners:
Funder:
NCPT Project
Better assess and manage the long-term impacts of
proposed developments and plans on the delivery of
ecosystem services.
Project Aims
Better assess and manage the long-term impacts of
proposed developments and plans on the delivery of
ecosystem services.
Develop a simple and straight forward excel tool that can
be applied by planners and developers. No specific
ecosystem services expertise is required from the tool
user.
Project Aims
Better assess and manage the long-term impacts of
proposed developments and plans on the delivery of
ecosystem services.
Develop a simple and straight forward excel tool that can
be applied by planners and developers. No specific
ecosystem services expertise is required from the tool
user.
Move away from a tick-box exercise to integrated and
informed decision-making with the main aim to ensure
that new developments and plans have an overall net
positive impact on the provision of ecosystem
services.
Project Aims
Assessment Scope
The tool allows assessing the impact of new developments
and plans on 10 ecosystem services:
•Harvested products
•Biodiversity
•Aesthetic values & sense of place
•Recreation
•Water quality regulation
•Flood risk regulation
•Air quality regulation
•Local climate regulation (climate change adaptation)
•Global climate regulation (climate change mitigation)
•Soil contamination
Methods
• A Multi-Criteria Decision-Analysis framework has been
chosen as basis for the NCPT (no monetary valuation)
Methods
• A Multi-Criteria Decision-Analysis Framework has been
chosen as basis for the NCPT (no monetary valuation)
• A set of relevant (and readily available) indicators was
identified
Methods
• A Multi-Criteria Decision-Analysis Framework has been
chosen as basis for the NCPT (no monetary valuation)
• A set of relevant (and readily available) indicators was
identified
• For each assessed ecosystem service an expert task
group was established with the main aim to ‘translate’ the
indicators into impact scores (45 members altogether)
Methods
• A Multi-Criteria Decision-Analysis Framework has been
chosen as basis for the NCPT (no monetary valuation)
• A set of relevant (and readily available) indicators was
identified
• For each assessed ecosystem service an expert task
group was established with the main aim to ‘translate’ the
indicators into impact scores (45 members altogether)
• Habitat maturity has explicitly been considered (a mature
woodland patch receives e.g. a higher biodiversity score
than a newly created young one)
≠
Tool Functionality
Indicator
information entered
by tool user
Tool Functionality
Indicator
information entered
by tool user
NCPT calculates
impact score
(for each ES)
Tool Functionality
Opportunity for tool
user to adjust
scores
Indicator
information entered
by tool user
NCPT calculates
impact score
(for each ES)
Tool Functionality
Opportunity for tool
user to adjust
scores
NCPT calculates
overall
development
impact score
Indicator
information entered
by tool user
NCPT calculates
impact score
(for each ES)
Tool Functionality
Opportunity for tool
user to adjust
scores
NCPT calculates
overall
development
impact scoreProceed with
development
Indicator
information entered
by tool user
NCPT calculates
impact score
(for each ES)
Tool Functionality
Opportunity for tool
user to adjust
scores
NCPT calculates
overall
development
impact score
NCPT provides
information about
‘design-strategies’ and
best practice to
improve the impact of
the development on
ES
Indicator
information entered
by tool user
NCPT calculates
impact score
(for each ES)
Tool Functionality
Opportunity for tool
user to adjust
scores
NCPT calculates
overall
development
impact score
NCPT provides
information about
‘design-strategies’ and
best practice to
improve the impact of
the development on
ES
Re-design and
re-assessment
Indicator
information entered
by tool user
NCPT calculates
impact score
(for each ES)
Tool Functionality
Opportunity for tool
user to adjust
scores
NCPT calculates
overall
development
impact score
NCPT provides
information about
‘design-strategies’ and
best practice to
improve the impact of
the development on
ES
Re-design and
re-assessment
Proceed with
development
Indicator
information entered
by tool user
NCPT calculates
impact score
(for each ES)
The Way Ahead
• NCPT is in a test version and not published yet
• We just secured NERC Green Infrastructure Innovation Funding to
further develop and test the NCPT
• Project partners include Defra, The Royal Town Planning Institute
(RTPI) and the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA)
• Case study partners:• Birmingham City Council: Smithfield Enterprise Zone
• Central Bedfordshire Council: Development Site Allocation
• Southampton City Council: Town Park Estate
• Skanska: Improve GBI Design of Development
• Solihull Council: UK Central/HS2 Garden City
• Tarmac: Mineral Extraction Site Restoration
• Opportunity for further case studies if self-funded…
• Explore Ecosystem Services Offsetting and monitoring opportunities
• NCPT Publication: February 2018
Questions?
NCPT Phase 1 Report: http://www.rics.org/ie/knowledge/research/research-reports/natural-capital-tool-planning-/
Contact: [email protected]
Natural Capital Planning Tool (NCPT)
Many thanks for your attention!
