Natural England

Natural England’s Accessible Natural Greenspace Standard says that everyone home should be within 300 m of an accessible natural green space of at least two hectares (ha) which is equivalent in size to two football pitches. Each home should also have access to:
• At least one accessible 20 ha site within 2 km
• At least one accessible 100 ha site within 5 km
• At least one accessible 500 ha site within 10 km

Natural England recently launched a £25 million Big Lottery funded ‘Access to Nature’ scheme – to support projects that bring new audiences into contact with nature.

Notes to Editors:

For copies of Sir Martin’s speech or to arrange interviews with Natural England or pilot projects please contact the Natural England press office on 0845 603 9953, press@naturalengland.org.uk, out of hours 07970 098005. For further information about Natural England please visit: www.naturalengland.org.uk

Natural England works for people, places and nature to conserve and enhance biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas. We conserve and enhance the natural environment for its intrinsic value, the wellbeing and enjoyment of people, and the economic prosperity it brings.

Natural England broadly defines natural green space as:

Pilot projects

Work has been carried out on the Access to Natural Greenspace Standards in Yorkshire and Humberside, the South West and South East Regions, the Eastern Region and London region with pilot schemes in: West Ham Park, Newham Whittington Park, Islington King George's Park, Wandsworth The Warren, Sutton Paddington Recreation Ground, Westminster Barham Park, Brent Margravine Cemetery, Hammersmith Weavers Fields, Tower Hamlets Spitalfields City Farm, Tower Hamlets Hilly Fields, Lewisham Hackney Downs, Hackney East and West Reservoirs, Hackney Neighbourhoods Green, 10 sites in various locations including 1 in Bradford. Rainham Marshes, RSPB (Havering) ‘Count Bat’, London wide Bat Conservation Trust Websters land, Newham Crayford Marshes, Bexley Belmont recreation ground, Haringey Cromwell bottom, Y & H region Stort Valley Consultation, E region Groundwork Peterborough Green Parks, E region Froglife Thames Mapping Sustainablility and Communities, London, E an SE region

Case studies

Weavers and Allen Gardens

Weavers

Background:
To improve the biodiversity of this park and enhance the local area. To improve the nature conservation and access to nature for the local residents. Organise environment events for the community in particular, involvement of Schools, thereby, introduce young people to the benefits of wildlife and nature conservation.

This has been awarded Green Flag Status since 2002 and now comprises of a woodland work, which was formally a ‘dog walking’ area. The main aim of this project is to up-grade this woodland area, improving its biodiversity content and educational walk.

Description:
To plant Wild Cherries.
Create wild flower meadows (Plug Planting and Seed)
Compile and install Woodland Walk illustration signs at entrances.
Thinning and coppicing of Woodland Area.
Organise events, with volunteers, friends and young people.
To compile and up-date Woodland Walk Leaflet
Provide Training to Key Monitoring Officers

Benefits:
• Promote biodiversity to the Local Community
• Enhance the wildlife within a multi used urban park
• Improve the access to the natural environment
• Involvement of the Friend and Local Schools.
• Bring a sense of ownership, particular to young people.
• Meet Local Biodiversity Action Plans.
• A good example of the natural environment, which can exist within a park which provides other activities.

Allen Gardens (littlie seeds project)

Working with one of our inner city farms. The aims are to involve the local schools ( approx 10 in total ) in the process of growing wildflower plugs from seeds; Organising outdoor events with schools in planting wildflower plugs in various parks.

Description:
• School Children involved in the propagation of seeds to plugs.
• Involvement in the plating of plugs within parks.
• The compilation of a wildlife gardening tips leaflet with packs of seeds for our residents.

Benefits:
• Education.
• Creative ways of working with third sector partnerships.
• Events for wildlife.
• Improve wildlife corridors.
• Promotion and development of biodiversity.
• Ownership

Cromwell Bottom

Two projects are being funded by Natural England’s Access to Natural Greenspace Target by delivering increased opportunities for a more diverse range of people to access the natural environment. The projects aim to improve access for disabled visitors to the land adjacent to a Local Nature Reserve at Cromwell Bottom . Located on the River Calder between Elland and Brighouse in Calderdale. Cromwell Bottom is recognized as perhaps the most important wildlife site in Calderdale, and is being developed as a prime conservation area. It is part of a green corridor offering a diversity of habitats and linking Cromwell Bottom to other natural areas up and downstream of the River Calder.

The Cromwell Bottom Access Improvements project aims to open up the site to a more diverse range of users who traditionally have low access to the countryside due to disability. It will do this by completing a wheelchair accessible link of 150 metres from the Calder & Hebble canal towpath to Cromwell Bottom Local Nature Reserve. This project also includes the construction of a 20 metre ramp to enable easier wheelchair access to the site.

The second project involves the production of an audio guide for visually impaired visitors to the site. It has been specifically developed & designed to enable improved access to the site and enhance the enjoyment and experience for visually impaired visitors. In addition to way-finder information, the audio guide includes industrial history information & descriptions of wildlife found on the site. The audio guide is being narrated by Peter White, a Radio 4 presenter who is visually impaired himself. It will be in MP3 format and downloadable for free from Natural England & Calderdale Council’s website.

The Warren

The Warren Railway lands is a triangle of chalk grassland sandwiched between two rail routes in the heart of the London Borough of Sutton. When opened to the public it will contribute towards the GLA’s strategic target to reduce “Areas of Deficiency” in access to nature. Sutton Nature Conservation Volunteers and Sutton Council have managed the site in partnership since 1994 as chalk grassland, a priority habitat in the UK’s Biodiversity Action Plan. In Sutton there are many pockets of chalk grassland in the urban setting that nevertheless can hold considerable wildlife. Indeed chalk grassland supports a very rich flora, one of the most species-rich habitats in Europe supporting over 40 species of flowering plant, as well as a rich diversity of insect and other small animal life. Typical chalk plants include the herb marjoram and field scabious, whilst common blue butterflies can be found feeding on the nectar of the plants deliberately left to flower, and viviparous lizards are regularly seen in spring and summer basking in full view.

To publicise the site, the value of chalk grassland, and to celebrate the opening to the public, a number of events are being held. These involve local people as well as nature conservation volunteers in a series of practical tasks ranging from scrub and tree removal, improving access, and enhancing the vista by opening up views into the chalk grassland area. We sought to engage people within 1km walking distance of the site by holding a series of educational events, such as building bird and bat boxes on site, leading a combined bat walk and moth night, and a local history and wildlife walk around the site and its locale. We look forward to making this site a success for nature, which is accessible to local people.

‘The flowering of Hilly Fields’ ANGST Project

As the idyllic name suggests, Hilly Fields, located in the heart of Lewisham borough, has a landscape feel that offers commanding views across London. Its size and prominence within the urban north-west of the borough make it a priority site for ecological improvement and engagement events, especially as there is a general lack of spaces that can offer the public an experience of nature.

‘The Flowering of Hilly Fields’ is a partnership project that has sought to involve the local users, schools and volunteers in a series of events. For instance, bulb planting with the local school is a fantastic and relatively easy activity that is a great way to connect with children. They become fully absorbed in the task and benefit from going back in the spring to see the results of their labour and gain an understanding about their own interaction with nature.

Both native hedge planting and meadow plug planting events have helped to draw people together and generate wider interest and debate about the park. This is essential because the bedrock of any scheme will be the people who regularly choose to use the park and get involved. Funding opportunities, contractors and even park managers come and go but it is the users who provide continuity and therefore it is they who need to own the initiative.

Meadow planting events introduce flowery herbs to areas that lack colour and diversity, and with careful management new species will establish and thrive. Plans to plant a long traditional hedge will help reinforce the structure and general landscape of the park by defining a rather indistinct boundary. It will become a source of food and shelter for birds, insects and mammals.

Improving the walking surface and steps in Hilly Fields wooded nature area will help to develop the informal identity of this feature. The improvements to this quiet and secluded wildlife sanctuary will encourage exploration and the enjoyment of this area as a place to relax and observe nature.

The ‘Bird Champion,’ is being piloted in various Lewisham parks and this exciting initiatives seeks to identify members of the public willing to manage bird feeding stations. The bird champion ensures that bird feeders are kept topped up with seed and nuts. They record the bird species witnessed and these observations are published on park notice boards. The end result is that the wider public are made aware of the diversity of bird species they can see. They are then encouraged to look for themselves and can choose to contribute to the scheme by submitting their own sightings and adding to our collective understanding and appreciation of this very special natural space.

It is hoped that a by-product of the work to involve the public with wildlife enhancements will be a reduction in an “area of deficiency for access to nature” and that the park wins a Green Flag Award to add to the eight that the Borough has already achieved.