Green Infrastructure in the West Midlands

 

Green Infrastructure is a major element of Environmental Infrastructure and has a vital role to play in enhancing the places we live, work and enjoy in our spare time, as well as providing an important network of wildlife habitats. It also helps to deliver against an agenda increasingly focused on sustainability and climate change. 

Green Infrastructure is described as the network of green spaces and natural elements that intersperse and connect our cities, towns and villages. It is the open spaces, waterways, gardens, woodlands, green corridors, wildlife habitats, street trees and open countryside. Green Infrastructure provides multiple benefits for the economy, the environment and people and can help promote safer, cleaner and healthier communities and is a key ingredient in supporting Community Strategies and Local Area Agreements.

The importance of this green space is highlighted in the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy, which states that “Access to quality green space can contribute greatly to the Region's urban renaissance, improving the quality of life in urban areas providing opportunities for sport and recreation and supporting biodiversity. Maintaining, enhancing and, where appropriate, increasing the amount of green space is, therefore, an important factor in considering the most efficient use of land.”
The importance of such Green Infrastructure is increasingly being recognised in regional and local strategies, action plans and frameworks.

The Forestry Commission works with key regional partners such as Natural England to encourage, help and advise stakeholders and partners to adopt the Green Infrastructure planning approach as part of their core activities and influence. It is important that the Green Infrastructure approach becomes an integral part of key regional processes such as the Growth Points development and the reviews of the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy and West Midlands Economic Strategy.  At locations such as the Black Country it has a major role to play in ‘environmental transformation’ and local urban regeneration.

The development of best practice advice is important and the Forestry Commission is working on a ‘Forestry Exemplar Project’ focused on Burton, a New Growth Point and ‘urban capital’ of the National Forest.

In order to raise awareness of Green Infrastructure and its importance to the region, the Forestry Commission led a task group, which, on behalf of the Assembly’s Regional Environment Partnership, commissioned the production of the West Midlands Green Infrastructure Prospectus and accompanying technical report. These documents are designed to inform regional, sub regional and local policy and practice and are now being put to good use across the region.