Councils quizzed on management of green spaces

Just as many of us have started the New Year with the resolve to look after our health, CABE, the government’s advisor on urban design, is calling on urban local authorities to assess the health of their green infrastructure.

Launched today as part of CABE’s Grey to Green campaign, the GI healthcheck is an online tool for urban councils in England to find out how well they are prioritising their green spaces. Green Infrastructure underpins the function and character of urban communities, but many local authorities do not realise how heavily their resources and skills are prioritised towards grey projects.

The ten GI healthcheck questions ask councils to assess the priority given to green spaces and the staff and resources to manage them. Local authorities will receive feedback that rates their performance, helping them identify where they need to make improvements, as well as inviting them to participate in CABE’s GI pilots, to be launched later this year.

Sarah Gaventa, Director of CABE Space, said:
‘The GI healthcheck is an easy way for local authorities to identify how seriously they take their green spaces. The CABE website has useful tips to help councils make the shift from grey to green if their healthcheck score reveals they need support.’

Notes to Editors

• Further details on Grey to Green can be found at http://www.cabe.org.uk/grey-to-green
• CABE is the government’s advisor on architecture, urban design and public space. As a public body, we encourage policymakers to create places that work for people. We help local planners apply national design policy and offer expert advice to developers and architects. We show public sector clients how to commission buildings that meet the needs of their users. And we seek to inspire the public to demand more from their buildings and spaces. Advising, influencing and inspiring, we work to create well-designed, welcoming places.
• CABE Space is a specialist unit within CABE that aims to bring excellence to the design, management and maintenance of parks and public space in our towns and cities.