Integrated projects
To build on the Natural London vision we have targeted delivery across the Wild, Active and Future London programmes in a few selected key areas alongside our core work, working with partners to provide visible gains on the ground in London, and a model for urban delivery. By identifying specific spatial or thematic projects within focal areas, we have identified; these 'integrated projects' which are delivered via a cross-team project group.
1. Wildspace
A project based around one of London’s most high profile SSSIs and linked to regeneration of the area, Wildspace aims to provide a natural environment-focused visitor destination for Londoners.
A partnership (comprising Havering Council,Thurrock Council, RSPB, London Thames Gateway Development Corporation, Thurrock Development Corporation, Natural England, Environment Agency and Veolia) is developing a flagship conservation park known as Wildspace for a World City. Centred around the Inner Thames Marshes SSSI (also known as Rainham Marshes), the objective is to transform the image of the area and provide an internationally celebrated ecological and leisure resource for the emerging communities of London Riverside.
The areas between Rainham, Purfleet and the River Thames will be joined and managed as a single unit which celebrates the unique natural and cultural heritage of the Thames Marshes. This historic landscape and its diverse natural and cultural heritage will be protected and made accessible to all through high quality access, facilities and interpretation.
Wildspace will set new standards in nature conservation as a centrepiece of a ‘Green Infrastructure approach’ and central to the East London Green Grid, the strategic masterplan for Green Infrastructure delivery in East London. See: Wildspace Thurrock
Integrated delivery
Wild London – enhancement of SSSI and complementary habitat creation on adjacent land.
Active London – access and outreach project aiming to raise awareness amongst hard-to reach and diverse communities in East London. Extensive new access/walking/cycling routes – to be promoted as ‘wild and healthy’ exercise.
Future London – Wildspace will inform and shape the regeneration of London’s riverside by providing the hub of a Green Infrastructure framework and creating a sense of place which will be reflected in the redevelopment of adjacent industrial land.
2. Lee Valley and the Olympics
Building upon a network of existing Green Infrastructure, the Olympics and the Olympic Park provide an opportunity to further promote the health and social inclusion benefits of accessible natural green space.
The Lee Valley to the north and south of the Olympic Park in Stratford contains a wide variety of green spaces and important wildlife habitats, but it is the most fragmented part of the Lee Valley RegionalPark and many of the green spaces here are inaccessible or unwelcoming. It is also an area where neighbouring local communities are largely categorized as deprived, scoring poorly in terms of mental and physical health and wellbeing and access to nature.
The Olympics provides a catalyst for improving the Green Infrastructure of this part of the Lee Valley. London’s biggest park will return a large section of the River Lee (and associated watercourses) to both people and nature. Natural England has been instrumental in ensuring plans for this new green space meet our standards for access and nature.
Natural England is working with local organisations to realise the opportunities provided by the Olympic Park to:
increase and improve access to Walthamstow Reservoirs;
develop the concept of a Lower Lee Valley Park to the south of the Olympic site where the river is currently at its most deficient in access, connectivity and green space;
prepare an Upper Lee Valley Landscape Strategy that will inform future Green Infrastructure development.
Our vision for the Lee Valley is that it will become fully accessible to a broad range of people and wildlife all the way from outside London to the shores of the Thames. We can make a significant contribution to this through targeted interventions.
Integrated delivery
Wild London – supporting the creation of Biodiversity Action Plan habitats in the Olympic Park.
Active London – improving access to the reservoirs and ensuring the Olympic Park meets natural health service objectives.
Future London – ensuring the natural environment aspirations of the Olympic Park are incorporated into the wider regeneration of the Lower Lee Valley.
3. Neighbourhoods Green
An initiative aimed at improving and enhancing quality of green space around housing estates.
The quality of people’s homes is influenced by the spaces around them. There is increasing recognition that well-designed,well-managed green spaces next to housing developments are crucial to contributing to people’s quality of life and making neighbourhoods more enjoyable to live in.
Neighbourhoods Green aims to highlight the importance of green spaces for the residents of social housing and to raise the quality of their design, management and safe use within social housing providers. Natural England is working with 9 social landlords from across London to deliver action through a ‘Natural Estates’ project. The work has involved estate green space surveys and consultation with housing estate communities. The intention is to deliver community action to improve the biodiversity of estates, to ensure that the communities are involved and directly own ‘their’ local natural green space, in turn benefiting them through direct links to the natural environment.
Natural England will continue to invest in the Neighbourhoods Green partnership to expand activity in order to demonstrate the potential that social housing and its green space holds, not only for biodiversity and accessible natural green space but also for addressing climate change adaptation issues (e.g. the role that green space plays in cooling estates). Partners include the Notting Hill Housing Group, the Peabody Trust, CABE Space, Natural England and Groundwork London.
Integrated delivery
Wild London – promotion of A NaturalEstate guidance for improving estate biodiversity and opportunities for links to higher quality local habitats.
Active London – co-ordination of parts of the Neighbourhoods Green partnership and implementation of the Natural Estates programme through Access to Nature funding and exploration of bespoke Walking the way to Health schemes.
Future London – development of a Neighbourhoods Green, ‘Neighbourhoods Cool’ climate change adaptation project.
4. Wandle Valley Regional Park
An initiative aiming to connect spaces and places along the Wandle Valley to create a Green Infrastructure network and a landscape with a common identity across four boroughs.
The Wandle Valley follows the course of the River Wandle from Croydon through Sutton, Merton and Wandsworth to the River Thames. It has been identified as a potential regional park in the London Plan. Regional Parks in London are identified as large areas (over 400 ha) of linked open space that can provide and combine a range of functions.
The London Plan recognises Wandle Valley’s potential to address London’s identified deficiency in open space and contribute to regeneration of the south sub-region. Natural England is a key contributor to the Wandle Valley Steering Group. We are funding a landscape character assessment of the Wandle Valley to help identify and promote the proposed park’s natural signature and provide guidance as to how to reconnect local communities to their hidden river valley. This project will facilitate the next stage of the Wandle Valley Regional Park’s development by informing the vision and means by which the regional park will be delivered.
Integrated delivery
Wild London – river restoration and water vole conservation projects. Validating the ‘natural signature’ concept (see page 10).
Active London – reducing areas of deficiency (areas lacking accessible natural green space) and establishing Walking the way to Health Initiative (WHI) schemes.
Future London – securing additional natural green space and biodiversity/landscape enhancement through influencing regeneration projects. Providing an opportunity for roll out of a strategic Green Infrastructure plan (a ‘green grid’ approach) beyond East London, with a particular focus on climate change adaptation.
5. Mayesbrook Park
Transformation of a traditional urban amenity park into a climate-proofed urban green space. A delivery project of the East London Green Grid.
The Mayesbrook Park project aims to create the first demonstration site in London for adapting an urban park to the impacts of climate change through river restoration and the creation of a future-proofed woodland and formal gardens. Importantly from the outset it will engage local schools and the wider community, building awareness of the concepts of quality Green Infrastructure, climate change adaptation, healthy living and biodiversity. Local school children are being engaged and contributing their views and thoughts on the park and the future plans. The project will depend upon a wide partnership of both public and private sponsors working with the local community.
Key partners are the Environment Agency, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, Thames Rivers Restoration Trust, London Wildlife Trust and Natural England.
Mayesbrook Park has been named as one of the winning candidates under the London Mayor’s Priority Parks Initiative, which will provide significant additional funding to the project.
Integrated delivery
Wild London – river restoration and creation of new Biodiversity Action Plan habitats including acid grassland. Enhancement of a poor quality Local Nature Reserve in southern part of park.
Active London – roll out of London region’s Natural Connections project engaging local schools with river restoration park improvements. Providing a focus for expansion of Walking the way to Health schemes in the borough.
Future London – park transformation aiming to be a climate change adaptation exemplar.
6. Thames Gateway in London
A major regeneration initiative which aims to deliver sustainable development through adherence to a set of ‘eco-region’ principles.
The Thames Gateway stretches 40 miles along the estuary from Canary Wharf in London to Southend in Essex and Sittingbourne in Kent. It is Europe’s largest regeneration programme dealing with the twin drivers of a) industrial decline and b) demand for new housing and infrastructure to service the London’s financial sector and the logistics and high-tech industries locating within the east Thames corridor. Projects include the London Gateway, the Olympics, Cross Rail and large scale housing growth is due to take place in the coming years.
The components of the Thames Gateway of most significance to Natural England are the concepts of ‘eco-region’ and ‘Parklands’. These concepts aim to ensure that the natural environment and sustainability objectives are integral to the regeneration of the Thames Gateway by building on the success of the green grid networks and by addressing wider issues of: urban design and sustainability; establishing the Gateway as a low carbon region; developing the area as a new model for the management of waste and water resources; and working with the natural environment to minimise and manage flood risk.
The new Thames Gateway Minister, Bob Neil MP, has indicated ongoing support for the regeneration of the area and the coalition government has committed to the Core Vision for the Thames Gateway, including the Parklands concept.
Three Green Grid partnerships of East London, South Essex and North Kent, alongside the overarching Greening the Gateway Partnership that Natural England chairs, have been central to the delivery of the Parklands Programme to date, and have produced an update on progress: (2.28mb)
. The partnership plans to work closely with local communities and partners to ensure delivery of the Parklands vision.
For information on engagement with the natural environment in the Thames Gateway, see the MENE Thames Gateway analysis: (2.13mb).
Integrated delivery
Wild London – targeting delivery of agri-environment schemes to deliver new and improved Biodiversity Action Plan habitats and improving SSSI management condition.
Active London – reducing areas of deficiency, promoting Walking the Way to Health scheme and raising awareness of the benefits of the natural environment to health and wellbeing.
Future London – implementing Green Infrastructure through regeneration and renewal. Ensuring climate change adaptation interventions and urban greening initiatives deliver benefits for biodiversity, landscapes and establishing London’s ‘natural signature’.
