B. The Natural, Historic and Social Environment Introduction The environment in Glenfield’s sustainable development This chapter of the Neighbourhood Plan deals with the environmental component of sustainable development, together with open spaces of community value from the social component, as described in the National Planning Policy Framework (2019), page 5. The chapter aims to balance the requirement for appropriate development in the Plan Area against the value of environmental and other features that are both special – appreciated, in their own right and as community assets, by local people – and significant for their wildlife and history. It also deals with broader environmental topics – biodiversity protection, flood risk, walking for amenity and recreation, air quality and views – which are of concern to the community. Care was taken during preparation of the plan to ensure that the policies (and the sites and areas of environmental significance covered by them) were not unduly restrictive on development during the Plan’s lifetime. Some 24% of the area of all open and currently undeveloped land in the Plan Area is protected at any level from potential environmentally damaging development, as follows: 1. Total area of Neighbourhood Plan Area 2. Open and/or undeveloped land 3. Area recognised in this Plan (including existing designations) for environmental protection
c. 540. ha c. 161.9 ha c. 39 ha
Glenfield Parish Council, with the enthusiastic Figure 4: Green Glenfield - open spaces managed for support of the community, has developed a community and wildlife deliberate and successful strategy for creating a green, biodiverse and accessible environment around and within the historic and more recent residential areas. Available land has been acquired, new housing developments have been required to include green open space, and long-term management for wildlife and people is planned-in and implemented either by the Parish Council or, in the case of some new development, by the open spaces management company in liaison with the Parish Council. As a result, much of Glenfield has the appearance (on the ground and on a map) of a ‘garden village’. This way of balancing the health and well-being and environmental value of open space against local need for new housing and economic growth anticipates, and is compatible with, national long-term strategies. Numerous residents have commented particularly during the pandemic restrictions as to how 27
