Future ecological planning

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Future ecological planning

• Carolyn Harrison
• Emeritus Professor,
• Department of Geography
• University College London

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Ecological planning

• The purpose of ecological planning is to
• make collective choices about the states of
  the environment we want, prevent breaches of
  environmental constraints and make adaptations
  possible when such constraints have been
  breached

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Lecture outline

• Briefly review the environmental and ecological
  consequences of Londons muddled growth
• Introduce the RCEPs 23rd Report 2002 on
  Environmental Planning as a framework
• Review The London Plan in terms of the RCEPs
  recommendations
• Speculate tentatively about future ecological
  planning

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Metropolitan Green Belt
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The environmental and ecological consequences of
muddled growth

• A distinctive urban environment polluted land,
  air and water, with a heat island, flash floods
• A substantial green estate quality and
  character reflect urban density and disturbance
• A fragmented green matrix of semi-natural and
  largely artificial habitats garden escapes
  abound
• Poor quality inner city environments
• A global ecological footprint far exceeding its
  fair share

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Brent reservoir urbanisation and disturbance
effects (Batten)
1833 72 bird species Reservoir beyond the urban edge
1970 47 species 65 of catchment urbanised
1980 20 species 100 urbanised ( only birds tolerant of disturbance survive)
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London Index of Deprivation
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Londons ecological footprint

• The area of resource use, on a per capita basis,
  required to support the city
• 293 times the size of the city itself- an area
  the size of Spain!
• Per capita footprint in terms of global resources
  is c. 6.3 global hectares our earth share is
  only 2.18 global hectares
• Londons profligate use of resources in
  comparison to its fair share is unsustainable

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RCEP Environmental Planning

• Found a proliferation of plans on different
  topics and spatial scales
• Absence of an integrated, holistic approach to
  planning
• A predict and provide' approach that
  marginalized the environment
• In the context of sustainable development a
  system that was not fit for purpose

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Royal Commission on Environmental
PollutionRecommendations

1. Clearer policies and objectives for the
   environment
2. Statutory recognition of planning in protecting
   and enhancing the environment goals and targets
3. The introduction of holistic spatial planning
   covering all aspects of sustainable development
4. Much improved availability of environmental
   information
5. Engage a wider range of people in decisions about
   setting and achieving environmental goals so that
   the public trust the planning process.

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The purpose of town and country planning and its
statutory role

• to facilitate the achievement of legitimate
  economic and social goals whilst ensuring that
  the quality of the environment is safeguarded
  and, whenever appropriate, enhanced.
• (RCEP 23rd Report
  para 8.33)
• Statutory role of planning is to develop and set
  agreed environmental goals and targets

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Spatial strategies

• Integrated Spatial strategies should be four
  dimensional addressing environmental capacity
• the atmosphere
• ground water
• the land surface and
• should look into the future 20-30 years

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Recommendations continued

• All aspects of land use should be included for
  example, proposed development should take account
  of pressures placed on environmental resources
  aggregates and water supply, waste disposal,
  biodiversity,energy requirements etc.
• Improved accessibility of information to assist
  in target setting and achievement
• Greater public participation as a means of
  gaining public confidence in the planning process

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The London Plan 2004

• Is consistent with many of these recommendations
• Takes a long term perspective 25 years
• A spatial plan addressing all land uses
• Sets clear targets for environmental policies
• Establishes base line information against which
  progress can be made
• Involved many groups in consultation and was
  scrutinised in public

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Five main environmental strategies in the London
Plan

• Waste EU requires alternatives to landfill by
  2010 a recycling target of 25 plus re-use
  and waste reduction
• Air quality congestion charge vehicular
  emission standards to be met increase public
  transport proposed central Low Emission Zone
• Biodiversity key species and site protection
• Energy reduce CO2 by 20 relative to 1990 level
  by 2010 introduce zero-carbon developments
  sustainable construction practices
• Noise reducing ambient levels

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Ecological assumptions underpinning the
environmental strategies

• Efficiency of resource use including land
  recycling, high density development, re-use of
  waste
• Greater self-sufficiency - in energy
  production, consuming more of its own waste
• Reducing levels of waste, pollution, and
  environmental degradation

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An exemplary, sustainable world city?The basic
assumptions of The London Plan

• Has to welcome all expected growth in GDP and in
  population
• Has to concentrate incremental employment in the
  central area
• Has to expand transport networks to support this
  structure
• All growth has to fit within the Green Belt a
  compact city

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Necessary powers for implementation or
patronage, persuasion, and publicity ?

• The Mayor has limited powers no significant tax
  raising powers
• Has to work in partnership with Londons
  functional bodies London Development Agency
  Transport for London,
• The 32 London Boroughs responsible for their own
  local plans that should conform to the London
  Plan,
• Plus a host of other statutory organisations,NGOs
  and the voluntary sector

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Connecting with Londons Nature
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Thinking ecologically .the SINC approach

• Maintaining and enhancing biodiversity
  conservation the intrinsic value of nature and
  nature that is distinctively urban
• Valuing nature for all the benefits it affords
  society the multiple values approach
• Access to high quality natural areas as a matter
  of social equality Areas of deficiency in
  access to wildspace
• A robust system fit for purpose - SINCs are
  recognised in the London Plan

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Biodiversity Targets

• There is no net loss of important wildlife
  habitat
• That a net reduction is achieved in the Area of
  Deficiency of accessible wildlife sites
• No net loss - losses have occurred and will
  continue to occur but will new sites be added of
  equivalent quality and accessibility?
• Reduction in Areas of Deficiency? are being
  monitored and a base line has been established,
  but how to deliver in practice?

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Section 106 Agreements or Planning Gain

• Entered into by LPA and a developer to deliver
  public benefit were development to go ahead.
• No third party enters negotiations so the process
  lacks transparency and fairness
• National studies show 106s little used for
  biodiversity benefits off site
• In London they are routinely used for social
  housing benefits and occasionally for green roofs
• Inadequate for delivering larger scale
  environmental benefits

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Conclusions

• A market led Planning System prevails not
  driven by a central concern for the environment
• Predict and provide continues - pressures put
  on natural resources are not fully counted
• A stronger planning system is needed habitat
  fragmentation will increase areas deficient in
  access to greenspace are unlikely to be reduced
  sustainable construction practices will
  marginalize biodiversity collective needs
  reliant on Section 106s will be insufficiently
  funded..

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Who is leading on ecological planning?

• The EU - on air and water quality, carbon
  trading, habitat conservation sustainability
  assessment
• The Mayor and his team - on congestion charging,
  low emissions zone, energy efficient construction
  in the public sector
• Central Government - lagging behind on climate
  change on mandatory sustainable construction
  practices changes to the Planning System have
  not been holistic or fundamental enough to put
  an ecological approach at its centre.

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The future ?

• We are already confronting the consequences of
  breaching environmental capacity manifest in
  global climate change and rising sea levels.
• To adapt we will require a stronger planning
  system that puts environment and ecology at its
  centre.