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Cambridgeshire Green Vision

Cambridgeshire

Cambridgeshire Green Vision

Process

Creating a non-profit company to co-ordinate growth plans

The creation of Cambridgeshire Horizons in 2004 was instrumental in the development of green infrastructure in Cambridgeshire. The not-for-profit company is funded primarily by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and is responsible for co-ordinating growth plans.

The new company allowed Cambridgeshire County Council’s strategic work on green infrastructure to be integrated within the emerging growth agenda. John Onslow, director for development at Cambridgeshire Horizons, believes it was the need to ensure that “quality of life was placed high on the agenda that led to Cambridgeshire becoming an early adopter of the green infrastructure approach”.

Cambridgeshire Horizons employs a green infrastructure manager and services the partnership forum. Its 19-person staff team and board of management play a crucial role in the multi-functional aspect of green infrastructure alongside their broader role of coordinating major developments, developing funding plans for growth and promoting quality of life. Their work includes:

  • sustainable infrastructure strategies
  • championing low-carbon growth
  • project management.

This direct involvement in project management combined with access to the DCLG Housing Growth Fund enables Cambridgeshire Horizons to operate at both the strategic and delivery levels. Green infrastructure is being linked with other growth-centred issues including:

  • space to play and relax
  • enhanced access to the countryside
  • integrating communities with good schools and healthcare provision
  • arts, leisure and community facilities
  • improved transport and utilities infrastructure.

Refining the green infrastructure strategy

The first green infrastructure strategy, written in 2006, is based on three core elements - green corridors, major new green spaces and big landscape-scale projects.

The strategy proposed:

  • at least 22 new green corridors, based on features such as footpaths, cycle ways, bridleways, rivers, ditches, disused railways lines and hedges.
  • over 20 new or enhanced major green spaces such as country parks, as part of the ‘green vision’. The larger projects form ‘green hubs’ or focal points in the green corridor network, and are linked to proposed developments.
  • six big landscape projects, including the Great Fen Project and the West Cambridgeshire Hundreds. These aim to enhance the quality of the landscape and wildlife across large parts of Cambridgeshire, mainly in agricultural areas.

However, the green infrastructure strategy is not a static document. A second edition will be released in 2010 and will deal with emerging issues such as climate change, health and wellbeing and the relationship with local area agreements and local development frameworks.

Securing funding

The project obtained money from the Housing Growth Fund in 2004. This has been instrumental in the progress made so far, leveraging funds from other bodies such as the East of England Development Agency (EEDA).

Nearly £3 million of the Housing Growth Fund money for 2009/10 to 2010/11 was allocated to the delivery of the green infrastructure strategy. This has enabled progress to be made despite the downturn in the housing market caused by the 2008/09 economic recession.

A range of green infrastructure projects is moving forward on this basis, including:

  • improvements to 50km of recreational routes around the City of Cambridge, linking existing and planned developments to the countryside, green spaces and the city
  • the enhancement of the River Cam corridor to the south of Cambridge.

However, the brake on public spending as a result of the recession, combined with a shift in resources away from growth areas is placing some of these projects at risk.  The partnership will continue to deliver green infrastructure as part of the growth agenda, but will increasingly need to look at ways of integrating projects with new developments and sourcing other funding streams.

Future management will rest with the project sponsor or partners. In the case of new developments, the community infrastructure levy is an option for long-term funding.

Focusing on quality of life

The green infrastructure strategy focuses on connectivity, facilities and landscape-scale interventions that will improve the quality of life in Cambridgeshire.

Concerns over future traffic volumes mean that facilities which encourage sustainable transport use - such as cycle ways and walkways linking the town and countryside - have a high priority, especially around the City of Cambridge.

The creation of new destinations and improved countryside access will provide informal recreation, and also tie-in with pitch sports and recreation centres.

Given much of Cambridgeshire’s low-lying, fenland landscape, the green infrastructure strategy also recognises the importance of large landscape-scale projects based on wetland corridors such as the Rivers Cam and Ouse and the restoration and expansion of habitats to act as ecological reservoirs.

A notable example is Wicken Fen, where the National Trust has set out a 100-year vision for its expansion. This will not only support its unique wildlife and take advantage of the carbon-fixing property of its peat soils, but also provide a huge and accessible area of countryside for people to enjoy.