Delivering Green Infrastructure – Funding & Partnership Working Case Study Example: Peterborough (one of four Environment Cities)

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Delivering Green Infrastructure Funding
Partnership WorkingCase Study Example
Peterborough (one of four Environment Cities)

• James Fisher
• Natural Networks Project Officer
• Hosted by Peterborough City Council

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• Delivering Green Infrastructure Funding
  Partnership Working
• Introduction to Peterborough
• Peterboroughs Natural Networks Partnership
• Green Grid Strategy
• Delivering GI via Growth Area Funding our
  experiences
• Delivering GI via the Planning Process other
  sources of funding
• Links to Peterboroughs Local Area Agreement
• Strategic Context

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• Peterborough An Introduction
• Unitary Authority since 1998
• Environment City status in 1992
• Current population 160,000
• Added as extension to London-Stansted-Cambridge
  growth area in 2005
• Growth targets set to provide 20,000 more jobs,
  25,000 more homes and 40,000 more people by 2021
  than it had in 2001 (Opportunity Peterborough as
  LDV driving forward 1billion regeneration of
  city)
• Greater Peterborough Partnership (Local
  Strategic Partnership) coordinating delivery of
  Sustainable Community Strategy Local Area
  Agreement
• 4 Priorities in LAA including Creating the UKs
  Environment Capital

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• Peterboroughs Natural Networks Partnership
• Formed in 2005 in response to the new Growth
  Area challenges opportunities
• Chaired by Natural England includes over 20
  organisations
• Environmental Charities (Peterborough
  Environment City Trust, Nene Park Trust, Wildlife
  Trust, Amphibian Reptile Conservation etc)
• Statutory Bodies (Forestry Commission,
  Environment Agency, GO-East) plus LDV
  (Opportunity Peterborough) LSP (Greater
  Peterborough Partnership)
• - PCC Planning Services one of the main lead
  partners (hosting of project officers produced
  Green Grid Strategy)
• - Other sub-regional projects (Great Fen Project,
  River Nene Regional Park)
• - Major land owners

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• Peterboroughs Green Grid Strategy (GGS)
• Launched spring 2007, provides framework
  action plan for GI provision in Peterborough with
  links to GI in adjacent counties.
• Seeks to insure sustainable growth planned for
  city goes hand in hand with protection
  provision of high quality GI.
• Brings together GIS databases of wide range of
  environmental assets - analysed to identify gaps
  opportunities in ecological recreational
  networks.
• Makes recommendations for priority projects
  under headings of biodiversity landscape
  access recreation, major new green spaces.
• Provides valuable resource to inform guide
  planners, developers key interest groups in
  planning, implementation management of
  multi-functional GI projects
• Used to underpin funding bids that create
  enhance new existing green-spaces, biodiversity
  sites other GI.

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• Implementing the Green Grid Strategy
• Strategy identifies opportunities proposed
  projects including creation of new sites
  facilities and enhancement of existing sites
  corridors
• Each project given a priority agreed lead
  organisation
• Partners provide quarterly progress updates
  using traffic light system
• Since 2006 the Partnership has successfully
  secured c. 2m funding from various sources to
  enable delivery of green infrastructure projects
  identified in the Strategy

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• South Peterborough Green Parks
• NNP secured 1m in 2006 via GAF2 to deliver
  priority GI projects in South Peterborough area
  with significant developer contributions
• SPGP Vision is to create an exciting,
  inspirational place to visit, where nature
  conservation, history, culture recreation is
  integrated in a sustainable way with planned
  development
• Project included biodiversity access
  enhancements as well as work on engaging
  communities and building partnerships in the area

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• Project Outcomes Access Biodiversity
• Re-surfacing/ construction of 15km of cycle
  footpath network
• Creation of 7000m2 wild-flower meadow using
  native meadow seed mix
• Construction of 20m long artificial bat
  hibernacula to provide suitable habitat for
  over-wintering bats
• Construction of three new ponds for wildlife
  educational visits
• Installation of pond dipping platforms bird
  watching hut
• Woodland, grassland wetland habitat
  enhancements

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• Project Outcomes Community Engagement
• Series of events held including schools activity
  days community orchard planting photographic
  competition Big Draw.
• Natural Networks website launched, providing
  info on green-spaces heritage sites to visit
  events activities taking place
  www.naturalnet.org.uk
• Natural Play facilities installed orienteering
  courses established.
• Audio Tour produced GPS Mobile Explorer
  project trialled

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• Housing Growth Fund 2008-11
• NNP coordinated GI element of Peterboroughs
  Programme of Development which was submitted to
  DCLG by Opportunity Peterborough
• 670k (4) initially secured for 3 GI projects
  2 project officers plus 10 matched funding
• Peterboroughs HGF allocation managed directly
  by PCCs Project Governance Board
• Project Officers provide regular updates to
  Board via monthly Highlight Reports

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• Housing Growth Fund 2008-11 Delivery
• Strategic Access Green-space Linkage project
  delivering capital enhancements to Green Wheel
  cycle network plus biodiversity improvements
  along route
• Green Grid Explorer Innovative project using
  GPS technology to deliver audio-visual content to
  hand held PDAs/ smart phones at Ferry Meadows
  New interactive map feature on website new
  interactive interpretation facilities at Nene
  Park.
• John Clare Country Restoration Provision of new
  green open spaces west of city community
  engagement, being delivered by Wildlife Trust
  Langdyke Countryside Trust.

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• Housing Growth Fund 2008-11 Delivery
• Additional 250k Green Project Fund recently
  negotiated by NNP following original GI
  allocation of 4 which NNP considered
  insufficient to provide adequate GI for city
• NNP invited partners to propose suitable
  projects
• Proposed projects then assessed by NNP against
  Green Grid Strategy criteria
• Best projects then presented to Governance
  Board, Business Cases developed and projects
  ready to be delivered during 2010/11

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• Delivering Green Infrastructure via GAF
  Peterboroughs Experience
• GAF2 Round of funding operated successfully with
  reporting finance claims made directly to
  GO-East.
• GAF2 10 top-slice recognised value of GI in
  building sustainable communities
• HGF (GAF3) has no top slice so no guarantee of
  funding for GI projects
• Budget control reporting all handled by PCC
  local decision-making means GI funding
  potentially affected by changes in local
  priorities
• Environment Capital aspirations (in LAA) very
  helpful in justifying GI projects and securing
  growth funding

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• Delivering Green Infrastructure via Planning
  Process
• NN Partnership coordinate responses to major
  planning applications re Green Grid Strategy
  SPGP Delivery Plan
• Currently coordinating NNP response to Great
  Haddon application (5,300 house urban extension)
  with 40 green-space provision
• NNP reps met with developer prior to submission
  of application to emphasise importance of
  incorporating GI corridors/ connectivity/
  accessible open space provision
• NNP commented on Hampton Leys development area
  brief emphasising need for green-space
  connectivity proposals for Country Park/
  Visitor Centre
• Negotiated s106 contribution towards promotion
  implementation of Green Grid Strategy via
  Alwalton Hill business park development

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• Other Sources of Funding GI in Peterborough
• Use of Local Transport Partnership (LTP) funding
  to deliver access enhancements
• Big Lottery Fund for natural play sculptures
• Breathing Places funding for community projects
  e.g. traditional orchard planting Apple Day
  event at Crown Lakes Country Park
• Natural England funded South Peterborough Green
  Parks Delivery Plan research into user groups
  use of green spaces
• Currently making bids for Access to Nature fund
  for next phase of Mobile Explorer project

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• Funding Green Infrastructure 2011 Onwards
• Current HGF GI projects all end by March 2011
  including project officer posts.
• This could have significant impact on future
  delivery of GI in Peterborough
• PECT has valuable role as charity in assisting
  with funding bids on behalf of Partnership
• Contributions from NN partners has provided
  secure future for NN Website - PECT taking on
  site from PCC to enable commercialisation
• Green Grid Strategy Environment Capital
  aspirations extremely valuable for supporting
  future bids
• Integrated Development Programme includes all
  Green Grid Strategy priority projects/
  initiatives as part of overall 20 year 1.95
  billion plan

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• Linking to Peterboroughs LAA
• Green Grid Strategy Table of Priority Projects
  includes potential links to LAA/ NIs
• Reps from NNP attend meetings of Greater
  Peterborough Partnership (LSP)
• Recently presented to Outcome Lead Officers how
  GI links to and can help deliver many National
  Indicators/ Outcomes e.g.
• 1) Adapting to climate change
• GI enables sites to be linked to reverse habitat
  fragmentation.
• Opportunity to use water management for flood
  attenuation
• Planting of trees for carbon sequestration
  microclimate cooling.
• 2) Community Cohesion
• Green spaces make ideal places for meeting
  events
• Reducing perception of crime through enhanced
  permeability accessibility
• Providing opportunity for community involvement
  participation in creation on going
  management.

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• Linking to Peterboroughs LAA
• 3) Improving Health
• GI provides opportunities for exercise (passive
  active recreation), relaxation improved
  mental health.
• 4) Transport
• Increases permeability of urban areas for
  walking, cycling horse riding.
• 5) Economic Growth
• Make attractive places to live work Potential
  for increased property values increasing
  visitors tourism.
• 6) Education
• Opportunities for education interpretation
  e.g. Wild Schools project.

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• Strategic Context of the Green Grid Strategy
• Currently being incorporated into the Core
  Strategy with Supplementary Planning Document
  (SPD) covering the aspirations of the strategy.
• Helps Peterborough City Council meet its duty to
  conserve biodiversity under Natural Environment
  Rural Communities (NERC) Act.
• Working with Highways Department to ensure GG
  Strategy embedded in Long Term Transport Strategy
  (LTTS) Local Transport Plan (LTP)
• Working with EA to incorporate concept into
  Water-space Strategy