Open Space Strategy
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The Council adopted the Glasgow Open Space Strategy (OSS) at the City Administration Committee of 6 February 2020.
The OSS is a corporate strategy that will align the work of various council services to deliver a variety of benefits for people and nature in Glasgow in line with the strategy's three outcomes - enhancing:
- the City's Liveability, increasing its attractiveness as a place in which to live, work, move around, study and invest;
- the Health and Wellbeing of the City's human population and of its flora and fauna; and
- the long term Resilience of the City in relation to issues such as climate change.
Open Space Strategy Delivery Plan
The OSS sets out how the City can utilise its many, varied open spaces to help deliver the three outcomes, based on analysis of 15 different ways in which open space can benefit the City, including for: play; recreation; formal sport; food growing; habitat creation; active travel; and flood management.
The Council is working to provide a better understanding of all 15 aspects of current and future need, with a view to informing the production of an OSS Delivery Plan (OSSDP) for the City.
The process for producing the OSSDP will consider potential synergies between all of the aspects of open space need, helping clarify how the City's open spaces should be used to address all open space needs in the longer term.
This process will be informed by engagement with local communities and local organisations.
Open Space Standards
The OSS contains a set of Open Space Standards which constitute a key aspect of need. The Council considers that an important component of successful places is local access to good quality open space that a variety of people want to use.
Accessibility and Quality Standards have been developed to help achieve this. A Quantity Standard will be used to better understand the distribution of public open space throughout the City, and where new spaces may need to be delivered, the standards will form part of the Development Plan's Supplementary Guidance SG6 - a draft will be produced for public consultation.
They will help determine locations where new or enhanced open space should be provided to support new development and will also determine whether a financial contribution should be taken from developers for this purpose.
Open Space Map
The Glasgow Open Space Map is an audit of the City's open spaces. The interactive map illustrates the amount, type and distribution of open spaces which are protected under the City Development Plan.
Each space has been given a typology based on the advice set out in the Scottish Government's Planning Advice Note 65. The "splash screen" that opens when you click on the map link provides further information.
The Council will review the accuracy of the Open Space Map on an ongoing basis.
Monitoring of Open Space and Public Realm Projects
The Council's Development Plan Team is responsible for monitoring open space and public realm projects funded by financial contributions received from new residential developments and certain types of commercial development within the City Centre in accordance with Interim Planning Guidance IPG12 - Delivering Development (which replaces Policy ENV2 in the previous plan).
The report below summarises the sums committed or requested from each contribution received to date within each Area Committee area, and sets out the remaining balances. A regular update of this report will be provided, along with and other relevant Committee reports or briefing notes that would be considered useful.
- Briefing Note: ENV2/IPG12 Developer Contributions for Open Space provides further information on the background to IPG12, current open space requirements, the open space assessment process and the fund allocation process.
- ENV2/IPG12 Monitoring Reports are regularly updated and published. These Monitoring Reports detail total contributions received, summarise project funds allocated or requested and set out the remaining available balance, by category of open space for each individual Ward.
- ENV2/IPG12 Summary Reports detail contributions received and project funding allocated/requested over the last five years and current available funds by category of open space (including deadline for spend, where applicable) for each individual Ward.
The Council has an established procedure in place for allocating and spending funds. Any potential projects brought forward to secure ENV2/IPG12 funding must comply with the following:
- It should be on Council owned land.
- It should comprise the creation or enhancement of a recreational open space, or a building that supports this use.
- It should be available for community use.
Proposals being brought forward should be supported by as much information as possible and be discussed with the appropriate Service contact.
The Council has five years from the completion of a development to allocate and spend associated ENV2/IPG12 funds. Whilst this does not preclude the allocation of recent funds, the preferred approach is to allocate oldest funds first. This can impact the distribution of ENV2/IPG12 allocation/spend patterns across the City.
Related Content
Related Articles
Documents
- ENV2/IPG12 Briefing Note (PDF, 174 KB)(opens new window)
- IPG Summary Report (PDF, 1 MB)(opens new window)
- ENV2 Summary Report (PDF, 1 MB)(opens new window)
- ENV2 Monitoring Report (PDF, 2 MB)(opens new window)
- IPG Monitoring Report (PDF, 3 MB)(opens new window)
- Glasgow Open Space Strategy 2020 (PDF, 6 MB)(opens new window)
- City Development Plan 29 March 2017 (PDF, 17 MB)(opens new window)
- OSS Determination Letter (PDF, 497 KB)(opens new window)
- OSS Screening Report (PDF, 294 KB)(opens new window)
- OSS EQIA Screening Form November 2019 (PDF, 232 KB)(opens new window)
- Monitoring by Ward for Committee 5th July 2019 (PDF, 3 MB)(opens new window)
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