Natural England

We have identified our priorities through evaluating spatial data (Focal Point mapping) and determining key themes (Destination Statements).

Focal Points

We have identified spatial priorities for our work through a process of focal point mapping. We have broadly analysed five key datasets (natural landscape, biodiversity, access to natural greenspace, indices of multiple deprivation and green infrastructure) and set these into a spatial context.

Our approach recognises that:

• London’s diverse natural landscape assets can be subcategorised into several discrete landscape types ranging from remnant grazing marsh, river valleys, downland, etc.
• London’s biodiversity assets include a comprehensive suite of wildlife sites (including SSSIs) that form ecological networks or potential ecological networks.
• London has particular concentrations of social and economic deprivation, and health inequalities.
• Substantial areas of London have limited access to high quality greenspaces. Many of these correspond with areas of high deprivation.
• London’s river network and areas of regeneration and renewal provide opportunities for green infrastructure and its associated benefits such as flood management, adaptation to climate change and increased access to nature.

Map of Focal Points [670 kB]

Destination Statements

Destination statements describe our thematic priorities. They have been prepared for 7 key themes which capture Natural England’s objectives in London. These themes are:

1. Biodiversity
2. Access
3. Landscape
4. Green infrastructure
5. Health and well-being
6. Education and life-long learning
7. Climate change

1. Biodiversity

Introduction

London is a remarkably green city. Two-thirds of London’s land area is occupied by green spaces and water. Of this, about a third is private gardens, a third parks or in sports use and a further third is other wildlife habitats, such as grasslands, woodlands and rivers; albeit much of this is embedded within an urban fabric. London’s biodiversity reflects this mosaic. Large areas of semi-natural habitat such as grazing marsh and chalk downland supporting species such as water voles an orchids are confined to the urban fringe, whereas areas of ancient woodland, mature parkland and reservoirs (which support considerable numbers of wintering wildfowl) can be found throughout the capital. London’s parks and gardens and even the built environment can support rare and unusual species such as stag beetles and peregrine falcons as well as a wealth of common species which, importantly, provide people with everyday contact with nature.

Most of London’s most important habitats and species are found within London’s statutory (Sites of Special Scientific Interest – SSSI) and non-statutory sites (Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation - SINC). The London Biodiversity Action Plan (and complementary Borough Biodiversity Action Plans) detail priority habitats and species and the actions required to protect them.

Key Outcomes and Outputs

Aim – to conserve and enhance London’s biodiversity both to contribute to national and regional targets and to provide people with an opportunity for contact to nature close to the places where they live and work.

The key outcomes are:

• All SSSIs are in or moving towards favorable condition status.
• The biodiversity interest of SSSIs is enhanced by ensuring SSSIs are linked and connected by complementary habitat within the wider greenspace network.
• Regional biodiversity targets are met.
• Biodiversity targets are met through landscape scale projects.
• Biodiversity enhancement is met through gains from regeneration and renewal.

Outputs will include:

• Targeted agri-environment schemes.
• Establishment of a self sufficient, autonomous regional biological records centre.
• Identification of landscape scale initiatives and our contribution to their delivery.
• A programme of seminars to provide local authority officers with the skills and knowledge to secure
biodiversity through implementation of the NERC Act ‘biodiversity duty’
• Continued development of the regional BAP to recognise new challenges and opportunities for biodiversity conservation

2. Access

Introduction

The provision of good quality natural greenspace can provide local communities with places for education, exercise and relaxation. In addition, natural greenspaces can benefit the local economy through encouraging tourism, and attracting economic development and local investment. These areas can also provide important habitats for a variety of wildlife, contribute to environmental services and sustainable resource management, and create a natural amenity within the landscape.

In London, the definition of natural greenspace includes semi-natural habitats (woodlands, heaths etc.); parks and greenspaces which containing a reasonable amount of natural features (e.g. mature trees and lakes with marginal vegetation); and sites which have been deliberately designed and planted to provide habitat for wildlife. London’s network of Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs) encompass most, but not all, of the land which can be defined as natural greenspace.

Key Outcomes and Outputs

Aim – To enhance and conserve the provision of accessible natural greenspace within London for the benefit to Londoners of improved health and well-being.

The key outcomes are:

• The provision of accessible natural greenspace within 300m (or 5 mins walk) of every Londoner's home
• The public to be fully aware of the location of accessible natural greenspace and of the benefits which natural greenspaces provide.
• The principles of accessing natural greenspace to be fully understood by planners and developers and incorporated within development proposals.
• A year on year reduction on the GLA’s ‘Areas of Deficiency’, ensuring all Londoners have ready access to wildlife and the natural environment.

Outputs will include:

• New resources (Natural England’s expertise and financial support via a variety of funding streams, including Access to Nature (A2N)).
• Support, advice and resources for delivering reduction of the GLA’s Area of Deficiency.
• Development of the ‘Wild London Open London’ initiative with Visit London and the GLA.
• Exemplar sites demonstrating best practice in accessing the natural environment.
• Further research and evidence to consolidate and refine ANGSt as a robust and fit for purpose tool within the London region (and elsewhere) – including definitions of accessible, natural and greenspace.
• Enhancement of WildWeb to provide better promotion of the availability of accessible natural greenspace.
• Completion of Rights of Way Improvement Plans (RoWIPs) and development of associated projects.

3. Landscape

Introduction

Natural England has an obligation ‘to conserve and enhance the English landscape for aesthetic, cultural and historic purposes as well as those carried out for habitat protection purposes.’ It has adopted the European Landscape Convention’s definition of landscape: ‘Landscape means an area, as perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors.’

Landscape is universal, occurring everywhere (cities, towns, suburbs and the countryside), not just in places with fine scenery – it is about the relationship between people and place. The landscape of urban areas is essentially a man-made infrastructure of buildings, streets and open spaces that occur at a variety of different scales and types. This landscape is very susceptible to quick periods of change due to the social, economic and environmental needs of society. Within its structure, the urban landscape incorporates a wide range of natural features which benefit both people and wildlife.

Key Outcomes and Outputs

Aim – For the natural environment to be fully recognised and valued as a key component of all landscapes, thereby being conserved and enhanced for the cultural, environmental, aesthetic and economic value it presents to society.

The key outcomes are:

• A clearly defined vision for London’s urban landscape
• The geographic legibility of London to be informed as much by the natural environment as the built environment
• Key natural landscapes to be recognised and mapped in Local Development Frameworks and supporting plans and strategies
• Planners and developers to be fully aware of the opportunities for restoring/recreating the natural components of landscapes to foster and improve a sense of place informed by the natural environment

Outputs will include:

• Landscape character assessments of key landscapes in London where the natural environment informs, or has the potential to inform, geographic legibility of the area i.e. define a sense of place.
• Regional plans and strategies to incorporate policies that take account of the importance of the natural environment components of urban landscapes
• The establishment of exemplar initiatives, which demonstrate our vision for the urban landscape.
• The use of concept statements to assist planners and developers to take account of all existing natural features to inform the wider landscape setting of new developments

4. Green Infrastructure

Introduction

The Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 directs Natural England to contribute to sustainable development through ensuring the protection and enhancement of the natural environment. This statutory duty carries with it tremendous potential to promote and secure not only development that is sustainable, but that also delivers environmental gain over and above baseline conditions. Furthermore, an underlying principle of the London Plan is for London to become an exemplary, sustainable world city.

The interaction between this regulatory and policy framework, and the scale of private and public investment in land development in the London region, creates opportunities for innovative approaches for the achievement of sustainable development and environmental gain within the urban context, through the promotion and implementation of green infrastructure. Green infrastructure is the shorthand description of a functional greenspace network, that provides environmental services through design and management that emulates natural processes and ecosystem functions. The ‘services’ delivered include: flood management; amelioration of the heat island effect; ‘air-conditioning’ and pollution control (including noise).

Key Outcomes and Outputs

Aim - the conservation and enhancement of the natural environment through embedding green infrastructure into regeneration and renewal.

The key outcomes are:

• London as the national model for the delivery of sustainable development and environmental planning gain in an urban setting.
• Robust polices in Local Development Frameworks and associated planning documents that maximise opportunities for the delivery of environmental improvements through the development process.
• Enhanced integration of the built environment and the natural environment within new development to maximise both ecological networks and the well-being of people.

Outputs will include:

• Enhancement of the natural environment through land use strategies and the development process.
• Proactive engagement with major development projects (e.g. Olympics) or within growth areas (e.g. Barking Riverside) to establish urban exemplars for sustainable development which incorporate natural environment objectives.
• The East London Green Grid fully implemented and seen as a flagship initiative by policy makers for providing good quality greenspace.
• Green infrastructure frameworks and plans for the other key areas of London e.g. The Wandle Valley.

5. Health and Wellbeing

Introduction

London has some of the starkest inequalities in health to be found anywhere in the UK, and worst affected are London’s disadvantaged communities. All Boroughs have pockets of deprivation and ill-health, locally defined as poor neighbourhoods or estates. Deprivation and poverty contribute to ill health and poor mental well-being, with children and young people, ethnic communities and the elderly most likely to suffer.

Common problems include rising obesity, poor mental health and unhealthy environments. Evidence shows that contact with the natural world and access to natural environments can promote healthy lifestyles by providing opportunities for physical activity, as well as benefits to mental health and well-being. In addition, accessible natural greenspace, by providing an environmental good which can be enjoyed by all, can improve social integration by increasing social contact amongst adults and promoting unstructured creative play by children.

Because of the relationship between poor health, deprivation and areas which are deficient in accessible natural greenspace, addressing deficiencies through well designed high quality greenspace can go a long way to addressing some of the health inequalities affecting London’s deprived communities. The Mayor’s Biodiversity Strategy and Health Inequalities Strategy recognise that programmes that improve accessible natural greenspace and reduce areas of deficiency in access to nature can contribute to improve health outcomes.

Key Outcomes and Outputs

Aim – to contribute to better physical and mental health through encouraging greater use and appreciation of London’s natural environment.

The key outcomes are:

• Greater awareness amongst health professionals of the contribution that the natural environment can make to people's health and well-being.
• The benefits to health of the natural environment to be underpinned by rigorous and systematic evaluation.
• Increased participation in Walking the Way to Health (WHI) and Green Exercise projects
• WHI and Green Exercise initiatives to lead to increased support and resources for the management of natural greenspaces.

Outputs will include:

• A natural environment component to the Department of Health’s Physical Activity Care Pathway.
• The establishment of a green exercise programme in partnership with Local Authorities and Primary Care Trusts.
• Expansion of WHI and the establishment of a networking forum for WHI.

6. Education (Life Long Learning)

Introduction

Developing knowledge and understanding of the natural environment provides people with the opportunity to have better, more fulfilling experiences of the natural world. Education also results in behaviour change, it equips people with the skills to take action to protect and conserve that which they value, consequently making a significant indirect contribution to the protection and conservation of the natural environment.

"Working with the Grain of Nature" (the England Biodiversity Strategy) recognises that the education and life-long learning agenda is not simply a matter of improving the public’s understanding of the natural environment; it covers: improving skills both within the natural environment sector and within the education sector; formal education through projects that deliver the national curriculum or develop collaborative initiatives with colleges and universities; promotion of informal learning through volunteering, play and recreation, and; the provision of natural greenspaces within which both formal and informal leaning can take place.

Key Outcomes and Outputs

Aim – to increase the number of people with an awareness of the value and importance of the natural environment and, consequently, the constituency willing to support and act to conserve and enhance the natural environment.

The key outcomes are:

• The strengthening of a strategic network for training and best practice sharing for teachers and environmental educators delivering secondary school science in London, potentially delivered by the London Environmental Education Forum (LEEF).
• Environmental education and awareness-raising to be delivered through less formal mechanisms in order to complement more structured programmes and initiatives (e.g. parks staff to be provided with the knowledge and skills to be informal educators; interpretation material to include common messages).
• Education materials to be more readily available, user-friendly and pertinent to a wide variety of natural greenspaces.

Outputs will include:
N.B. to be confirmed – subject to staff resource

7. Climate change

Introduction

Climate change has been identified as the biggest environmental issue of our time. The predicted changes to our climate have the potential to have profound impacts on wildlife, landscape and people. In urban areas, and London in particular, the negative impacts of hotter drier summers and warmer wetter winters, are likely to be exacerbated by the heat island effect and the greater volumes of storm water runoff caused by the imperviousness of much of the urban realm.

The Mayor has signalled that climate change will be the priority cross-cutting agenda, and this is reflected in London Plan policies and through the production of a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. Natural England has identified climate change as one of its four campaign themes.

The primary focus of our climate change work in London will be around climate change adaptation. This will entail specifying how the natural greenspace network can be designed and managed to ease the impacts of climate change by providing a green infrastructure that can help to manage flood risk and control the heat island effect, while also identifying how habitats and species can be managed to respond to climatic change.

Key Outcomes and Outputs

Aim – to demonstrate how improvements to the ecological functioning of the greenspace network can provide environmental services which ameliorate the adverse impacts of climate change on people.

The key outcomes are:

• London’s greenspace network to be designed and managed to contribute to containing the impacts of climate change
• habitat management will be modified (if necessary) to respond to changing environmental parameters in order to enhance the resilience of existing habitats and species and to accommodate new habitats and species
• more people will be aware of climate change and its potential impacts and be willing to support actions to manage greenspace accordingly

Outputs will include:

• sound evidence illustrating the impacts of climate change on London’s natural environment
• technical guidance to inform the future-proofing of the design and management of the natural environment
• a climate change ‘park’ and exemplar land management programmes demonstrating new design and management techniques
• a campaign using natural environment indicators to raise more public awareness of climate change