Tuesday 30 Mar 2010 @ 15:57
Natural England
Natural England
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Nature Nearby - Accessible Natural Greenspace Guidance
Natural England believes that everyone should have access to good quality natural greenspace close to where they live.
This new guidance is a key tool for those working on the planning and management of parks and green spaces and their ‘natural’ development. It sets out the standards we are promoting to provide high quality accessible natural greenspace:
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Quantity and Accessibility – the Access to Natural Greenspace Standards (ANGSt)
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Visitor Service Standards –for our most visited NNRs and for Country Parks and Local Nature Reserves
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Quality – the Green Flag Award
We would like to see these being adopted in both open space and green infrastructure strategies to ensure that everyone can benefit from regular contact and experiences of the natural environment close to where they live.
As Guy Thompson, Executive Director, explains in his foreword:
“Nature Nearby” is everyday nature, on our doorsteps. It can take many forms. It might be a place designated for wildlife - a nature reserve, woodland or a country park. But in the majority of cases people’s contact with nature takes place in local neighbourhoods – a village common, the local park, the scrap of land at the bottom of the street. And these places should be no less special than ‘official’ sites.
It includes 21 site examples of good practice across the numerous messages we are advocating to the sector that parks and green spaces can deliver – securing biodiversity, a natural health service, places for play and outdoor learning and building resilient within the natural environment to the negative effects of climate change. They are our insurance policy.
If you are a parks and greenspace practitioner particularly a decision maker, planner or manager of greenspace, or a community volunteer that supports them, this guidance is for you.
For further information linked to this guidance please see:
Quantity and Accessibility - the Access to Natural Greenspace Standards (ANGSt)
Information and resources for local authorities and policy makers
