Our Green Spaces

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Our green spaces are critical to the health and happiness of our communities. They serve a variety of important purposes including making space for nature, space for growing food, or recreation and other community use including giving people the chance to experience the benefits of being outdoors.  Generally our public green spaces are multipurpose - there are usually opportunities to increase the biodiversity value even where nature is not the primary purpose. The planting of trees not only provides habitat for pollinators, they will help ensure they remain comfortable to use as our summers get hotter by providing shade.

 

Research shows that teenage girls particularly like having an array of small green spaces to visit (rather than one big space), so we promote circular walks around our network.  

 

Benson Parish Council has committed to a Green Spaces Strategy, setting out the  principles which inform how they are managed.  Over time, we will work with our other parish councils to consider similar agreements. 

 

Most of our green spaces are designated as Local Green Spaces within relevant Neighbourhood Plans, giving them protection equivalent to Green Belt under the National Planning Policy Framework.  Almost all are in public hands.

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