|
|
|
|
|
A
study of the potential to enhance the green and
open spaces of Stocksbridge SRB5
Report by Jim Flanagan and Sheffield Wildlife Trust
for SVP 5.0. EXISTING STRATEGIES, POLICIES, PROJECTS
5.1. Policy framework There are many policies, plans and strategies, both statutory and non-statutory, that will determine the form and development of proposals for open space projects within the SRB5 area. The following plans, polices and initiatives are ones that will have most relevance to open space projects. 5.1.1. Sheffield Unitary Development Plan (UDP) Project proposals made under this feasibility study aim to be compatible and work effectively with the range of environmental planning policies and strategies of Sheffield City Council as set out in its UDP (adopted in 1996). The UDP contains details of statutory and local designations that impact on the SRB5 area. Green Belt is the major land designation and it covers virtually all of the rural area around Stocksbridge. Areas of Natural History Interest (ANHIs), geological sites, Open Spaces, Areas of Special Character and Conservation Areas also occur in Stocksbridge. The SRB5 area contains several designated Open Spaces, three Areas of Special Character and one Conservation Area covering Bolsterstone. The UDP gives all these areas a measure of protection from proposals that might damage their value and interest to the local community. Within the UDP are incorporated local strategies. These are often developed independently of the UDP process by the City Council, usually to address specific issues or to clarify policies and guidance, and are usually in the form of separate documents. The Nature Conservation Strategy, produced in 1990, is still the key policy on nature conservation within Sheffield. The more recent Countryside Strategy sought to provide a more unified approach to land use and its management between a range of interests and groups in Sheffield. 5.1.2. Peak District National Park Plans The SRB5 area includes within its boundary, on the south-west, a portion of land that is also within the Peak District National Park boundary. The National Park's Structure Plan provides strategic planning guidance for the whole National Park. Planning regulations (as in all National Parks) are characteristically more rigorous because of the need top protect the Park's special qualities. The Structure Plan also deals with adjacent areas to the National Park in policy. It differs from the South Yorkshire Forest Plan in where links for nature conservation should be located in the southern part of the SRB5 area. The National Park Plan deals with the practical implementation of the Structure Plan and is currently being reviewed. There is also a National Park Plan that deals with management, including conservation and recreation. In this the National Park's own Farm Conservation Scheme Grant plays a significant role in furthering management objectives. In the case of the SRB5 area within the National Park funding will depend on which of the three categories of value it falls into (ie areas or features of high, good or lower National Park value). 5.1.3. South Yorkshire Forest Plan The South Yorkshire Forest consists of eight zones with the SRB5 area lying within the Upper Don Zone. The main overall objectives of the South Yorkshire Forest Plan (published in 1994) are:
Other key objectives to encourage access to the countryside for all. Specific proposals for action in the Upper Don Zone have led to the establishment of the Wharncliffe forest core area (one of five within the South Yorkshire Forest) in which Nature Reserves, improved visitor facilities, trails and footpaths are being set up or developed. New planting on areas for landscape restoration and hedges and scrub to be planted on the urban fringe and woodland edges are also aims. The plan is currently under review and a recent audit of its performance shows that many of its objectives have been successfully met or exceeded (with SSVUDP contributing heavily to effort in the Upper Don zone). On the downside, work is still required to achieve other targets such as woodland management. The Forest area is being proposed for extension in some places, but apart from this there are unlikely to be any other major changes. The present overall aims and objectives of the Forest Plan are expected to remain in place. 5.1.4. Forestry Commission policies and plans The Forestry Commission leads on national biodiversity action plans for woodland in the UK. The two bodies that form the Commission - Forest Enterprise and the Forestry Authority - are both committed to implementing these action plans to achieve set targets on woodland management and planting. Forest Enterprise is currently producing a Forest Design Plan for Wharncliffe Wood. Woodland Grant Schemes have been secured from the Forestry Authority to manage woodland within the SRB5 area including Fox Glen, Windhill, New Hall, Pot House and Bitholmes Woods and for new planting along the Stocksbridge Steel Valley Walk (Fox West Wood). Under WGSthere are incentives for creating or enhancing public access. Farm Woodland Premium Scheme, administered by the Forestry Commission, encourages woodland creation on farmland. 5.1.5. Yorkshire Water Recreation and Conservation Policies The company has recently been updating its recreation and conservation policies for land in its ownership. A number of woodlands are YW-owned within the SRB5 Area including broad-leaved and coniferous and are managed for a variety of purposes including commercial timber production. 5.1.6. Natural Areas and Countryside Character Areas (English Nature & Countryside Agency) 1996 saw the introduction of 'The Character of England: Landscape, Wildlife and Natural Features'. This was a map dividing up England into areas based on landscape, wildlife and other features. It was the culmination of a joint initiative between the then Countryside Commission (now Countryside Agency) and English Nature. A Countryside Character Areas map was produced by the Countryside Commission whilst English Nature produced a Natural Areas map. The only difference between the two is an amalgamation of some of the Countryside Character Areas in the latter. These maps show Stocksbridge within the Yorkshire Southern Pennine Fringe Countryside Character Area and mainly in the Coal Measures Natural Area. These are an approach to influence regional and local policy-making, particularly on key work such as the implementation of biodiversity action plans and new guidance on landscape assessment. Locally, landscape character issues are being developed within Sheffield with the production of a local historic landscape strategy to enhance existing policies that relate to its protection and interpretation. 5.1.7. Living City Initiative (Local Agenda 21) Sheffield's Living City Initiative is currently developing a Sustainable Development Strategy that will include include parks and open spaces and countryside. Some work has already been undertaken in Stocksbridge with the completion of a Local Agenda 21 action plan in 1998. It produced information and recommendations on key issues such as waste and transport but time did not allow for research of other issues such as parks and open spaces. 5.1.8. Sheffield Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) Since 1991 biodiversity has been promoted by Sheffield City Council's Nature Conservtion Strategy and integrated into the UDP in 1996. Although there is no statutory underpinning of biodiversity action plans it is generally recognised that local authorities should ensure that there is one for their area and to lead or assist with implementation through partnership with local groups and organisations. Sheffield's Local Bodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) will be a key indicator for sustainability in the regeneration of Stocksbridge. Nationally and regionally, habitats and species are being linked to quality of life indicators using, for instance, farmland birds and hedegrows. The SRB5 area contains significant areas of key national and local priority habitats and species. Action on parks, open space and countryside will seek to maintain and enhance biodiversity by linking in with the Sheffield LBAP process. 5.1.9. Local Environment Agency Plan (LEAP) Environment Agency produced plan covering the Rivers Don, Dearne and Rother catchment areas. The LEAP provides strategic direction for the work of the Agency across a wide range of issues from development of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems, the management of river corridors for flood control, enhancement of biodiversity, managing waste and monitoring and taking action to improve river quality. There is an urgent need to address minewater discharge at various locations within or close to the SRB5 area that contribute to the poor quality of the water in the Little Don. The LEAP is subject to regular review and input is always sought from local people, groups and organisations. 5.1.10. SCC policy on parks and open Spaces There are many SCC policies and strategies that link into parks and open space, some backed up with national planning policy guidance such as sport and recreation (PPG17). Strategies include Nature Conservation Strategy, Countryside Management Strategy, Woodlands Policy, Green Belt Plan, Supplementary Planning Guidance for Historic Parks and Gardens (1998), Housing Strategy (recently reviewed), Sheffield City Achievement Strategy and Education Development Plan, Community Partnerships Strategy, Sheffield Play Policy etc. There is not enough space to deal with all these individually but details of most of these can be found in Section 4 of SCC's Countryside Strategy. Sheffield Wildlife Trust, in partnership with SCC produced a Parks Regeneration Strategy that was approved in 1993. Revised in 1998 it has ten key actions including development of partnerships and community involvement to protect and enhance parks, open spaces and urban countryside. The Strategy also seeks to maintain and develop the Ranger Service to support activity in parks and open spaces and recommends the establishment of a "Parks Investment Programme" to provide strategic focus for their regeneration. 5.1.11. National developments on parks and open spaces There have been recent developments in bringing parks and open spaces to the attention of Government. A recent inquiry on town and country parks by the House of Commons Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee makes a series of strong recommendations to the Government to divert more resources into parks and open spaces to help regenerate urban communities. The Government has, however, been developing funding mechanisms to enhance open space regeneration and around £97m is being made available under the New Opportunity Funds to preserving, improving and promoting open spaces for a variety of purposes that directly benefit local communities. 5.2. Existing projects In 1997, Andy Warren, the then Project Manager of SSVUDP, produced a strategy document to enhance the strategic effectiveness of the project. Within this a three-year forward plan of work was outlined for implementation to achieve the strategic approach to work required. Andy Warren's departure, in late 1998, coincided with a re-organisation of the Countryside Commission (from whom the project received some of its funding). The momentum of progress stalled until renewed funding was secured from the new Countryside Agency for continuation of the project and a new project manager appointed. Several projects are now actively running, or about to be launched, involving SSVUDP in partnership with local community and conservation groups. This feasibility study is aimed to develop further the strategic framework for this work to be carried forward by identifying sites and targets. SSVUDP also undertakes work outside the SRB5 area with recent work carried out at Low Road Nature reserve and the Millenium Green, both at Oughtibridge (the latter in co-operation with Oughtibridge Conservation Group) and Glen Howe Wood at Wharncliffeside (where Heritage Lottery money is to be used for its management). Current projects or planned within the SRB5 area are as follows: a) Parsonage Farm A project supported by SYF and Deepcar Village Community Association involving some landscape improvement through tree and shrub planting. b) Knoll Top (Bocking Wood) Land on this site is owned by Corus Engineering Steels and Sheffield City Council. The woodland has become overgrown and parts of the public right of way are in poor condition. A management plan is now in preparation and parts of this are already being implemented. Improvements will cover footpaths hedgerow management, stream restoration and some thinning of beech trees in Bocking Wood. c) Fox Glen Work on this site is in co-operation with Stocksbridge and Deepcar Environment Group has been ongoing since the early 1990s. The aim of management has been to open up the woodland by selective felling and clearance of dense scrub. Restoration of a bandstand has also been carried out and a boardwalk installed. Woodland management is being undertaken with the help of money secured through the Woodland Grant Scheme. d) Newton Grange Community Orchard A project that involved young people in planting fruit trees in the grounds of this home for elderly people. e) Bitholmes Wood SSVUDP is helping to manage this Woodland Trust reserve by providing manpower and tools to carry out selective thinning and coppicing of trees in some parts and dry stone walling. f) Wharncliffe Heath Nature Reserve This involves working with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (who lease the land from Forest Enterprise) to manage the reserve's heathland habitat which is important for breeding nightjar. Support for this work has been given since the reserve was set up in 1994. g) Establishment of environmental project training team The Project Manager of SSVUDP is developing a team of volunteers, New Deal and Intermediate Labour Market (ILM) recruits (and Environment Task Force people) to carry forward a programme of environmental improvements throughout the SRB5 and Upper Don areas. Menu for this Section is in the right hand column
Stocksbridge SRB5 Greenspace Audit undertaken by Jim Flanagan for Sheffield Wildlife Trust - see their Community Action Handbook - full of good ideas for your local site |
|
|||||||
|
Text and Photographs (unless stated otherwise) © Steel Valley Partnership Stocksbridge, all rights reserved. Terms of use: Any involved in education or training may copy the contents of these web pages, with the proviso that they always make reference to the original copyright. |
||||||||
|
Web pages by Map21 Ltd - latest update 24 june 05 |
 |
|||||||
