Agenda item

The Head of Planning will be in attendance to provide an overview of the Middlesbrough Council’s Land Use and Wildlife/Sustainable Water Action Group.

 

Recommendation: for Panel to determine whether any further information is required.

The Head of Planning provided an overview of the Middlesbrough Council’s Land Use and Wildlife/Sustainable Water Action Group.

 

The key areas of The Green Strategy for this Action Group were:

 

• Improving the quality and increasing the amount of green space
• Increasing tree cover.
• Planting trees along road corridors to increase pollution absorption.
• Providing greater levels of carbon capture through increased tree cover.
• Increase the amount of land given over to wildflowers.
• Become a more bee-friendly town.

 

A Green Blue Infrastructure Strategy (GBIS) had been produced to give the Council a better understanding of the green and blue elements of Middlesbrough and assist in the development of the Local Plan. 

 

There were six themes in the GBIS:

 

• Regeneration, Heritage and Sense of Place.
• Biodiversity and Geodiversity.
• Reconnecting Communities with Nature.
• A Resilient Landscape.
• The Blue Network and Waterfronts.
• Walking and Cycling.

 

The GBIS was critical in delivering the key elements of The Green Strategy.

 

The key themes for the Land Use and Wildlife/Sustainable Water Action Group included:

 

• Expanding the urban tree network.
• Laying the foundations for the nature recovery network.
• Blue corridors: enhancing the beck valleys.
• Development a network of multifunctional SuDS.
• Rethinking urban grasslands.
• Embedding the principles of the Green Strategy/GBIS into policy and new developments.

 

In terms of expanding the urban tree network, it was recognised that Middlesbrough had quite a low coverage of trees, reflecting in part the fact that it was the most urbanised of the Tees Valley Authority areas.   The Mayor had set out a plan to plant 10,000 trees per annum and this was currently on track and would continue across the Borough.  In terms of planning, the Council was seeking to encourage planting through development schemes.   A programme for implementing micro forests was being developed and all Members were invited to submit suitable locations within their Wards for consideration.   The Council had applied to Tree Cities of the World and successfully achieved Tree City status.   It was important to ensure that the correct type of trees were planted and appropriate management arrangements were in place.  Middlesbrough Council’s Tree Policy was in place and would be monitored and amended if necessary.

 

The heart of the Nature Recovery Network was biodiversity.  There had been changes to the National Planning Policy Framework and national Biodiversity Net Gain and the Environment Act was currently passing through Parliament.   The key actions identified by the Action Group in terms of achieving biodiversity were:

 

• To continue to seek options for new nature reserves in Middlesbrough, working with the Tees Valley Nature Partnership.
• Green Shoots Project – looking at local wildlife sites and how they could be restored and managed.  The three sites that had been selected and prioritised were: Middlebeck, Ormesby Beck and Marton West Beck.   This was a one year programme.
• The Tees Valley Nature Partnership represented nature forums across the Tees Valley and identified and recommended wildlife sites.  Three sites identified in Middlesbrough included: Middle Marsh, St Joseph’s Cemetery and Stainton Way.  Wildlife sites needed to be designated through the planning process and the Local Plan. 
• The Council was considering developing a Local Nature Recovery Strategy which included all the local wildlife sites, so that document would be available until the Local Plan review was completed.
• Management Plans for wildlife sites would also be put in place.
• Stainsby Country Park was identified in the Local Plan as part of the Stainsby development.  Discussions were ongoing with Developers regarding bringing sites forward and a key element was how the Country Park could be developed.  This was a long term project.
• Biodiversity Net Gain – a requirement of the Environment Act would be that it would deliver 15% biodiversity net gain.  The Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) had produced a number of tools for measuring biodiversity levels.  The proposal for Middlesbrough would be to deliver biodiversity gain on site in the first instance, or it that was not possible, on other sites in Middlesbrough.  If delivering that net gain was not possible in Middlesbrough, then it would be delivered within the Tees Valley or further afield.    Middlesbrough Council was working with the other Tees Valley Authorities to achieve a strategic and consistent approach across the area on delivering this aim.  It was potentially a mechanism for taking money from development and putting it into local wildlife sites to enhance them, manage them better and increase biodiversity.
• Local Nature Recovery Strategy – potentially this would be at Tees Valley level rather than Middlesbrough although the details had not yet been decided.

 

Often when thinking about green infrastructure, the blue elements were overlooked.  Middlesbrough had a series of beck valleys running north and south that created green corridors feeding into the River Tees.  These were an important resources not only for biodiversity but also for recreational facilities as well and providing key links.  Although tasks had not yet been set for this element, it would be developed to improve the quality of water courses and seek opportunities to develop greater access and interpretation.

 

Middlesbrough Council would prepare and adopt a Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SuDS) Guide to ensure that SuDs were incorporated as integral elements in development proposals that were natural looking.

 

Re-thinking urban grasslands was primarily about considering whether grasslands and highway verges could be turned over to wildflowers and rewilding.  One of the objectives in the Green Strategy was to make Middlesbrough more bee friendly.  Cutting back on the mowing regimes and allowing more wildflower meadows would increase pollinator trails for bees.  This work was already underway and the Council had adopted a regime that included cutting less often and putting in more wildflower meadows.

 

The Green Blue Infrastructure Strategy (GBIS) had already been adopted by the Council and was a critical element for the Local Plan review.  The Urban Design Framework had also been updated.  A Green Blue Infrastructure checklist was also being developed to ensure that green and blue infrastructure and the Green Strategy were at the forefront of any new developments.

 

A Panel Member highlighted that whilst it was important to plant new trees, the Council needed to have a robust plan and regime for maintenance.  The Officer commented that it was vital to ensure the right trees were planted in the right place and making sure resources were available to manage and maintain them for the future.

 

It was noted that a Neighbourhood Plan was being drawn up in Coulby Newham and there would be an emphasis on green space and having a country park incorporated into it.   It was highlighted that green spaces that were designated within a Neighbourhood Plan were afforded a significant degree of protection to prevent inappropriate development.

 

In response to a query regarding microforests and tree planting at the flood facility location at Sandy Flatts, the Officer confirmed that he was awaiting a response from the Environment Agency as to when this would be undertaken.

 

In relation to local wildlife sites it was explained that they had to meet certain criteria before they could be designated as such.   Generally, Tees Valley Nature Partnership would assess all applications and make recommendations to the relevant planning authority as to whether a site should be designated or not.   Once designated, the site would be incorporated into the Local Plan at the first opportunity.

 

With regard to the pond area in Centre Square, it was explained that as part of a Reserved Matters planning application an ecological assessment was carried out by the applicants.   Cleveland Wildlife Trust advised the Council that the ecological value of the pond was not that high.  However, the Planning Committee recognised that in addition to the ecological value of the pond, it was also an important amenity space.  Therefore, one of the conditions attached to the outline planning application was in relation to biodiversity net gain.   So when the development came forward, the Council would expect to see an enhancement of the biodiversity over and above what already existed and how amenity space of equivalent value would be incorporated into the development if the pond was removed. 

 

AGREED that the information provided was received and noted.