KET10 Biodiversity & Green Infrastructure

Policy Intent

Green and Blue Infrastructure is a term that covers a wide range of natural, ecological and recreational features, including parks, woodlands, water bodies, hedgerows, mature trees, lines of street trees, allotments etc that combine to create habitat networks. In urban areas like Kettering, they enable those networks to extend from the surrounding countryside into quite densely built-up areas, where open spaces and ecological value is more difficult to come by. All those features need to be mapped to show not just where they are but also to point to where the network may be improved to be better connected if land is developed or redeveloped.

The policy idea is to protect the existing green and blue infrastructure from harmful development and to encourage its improvement and better connectivity and habitat corridors.

Potential Improvement opportunities:

• New Pocket Parks, which can introduce more accessible green spaces into the urban environment enhancing the streetscape, could include a new green space at Bakehouse Hill (near Clock) and a pocket park to access Slade Brook ( at Meadow Road Park)
• Prescribing the levels of tree canopy cover in new developments in both the town centre and in the remainder of the KNP area as well as other landscaping features
• Promoting the incorporation of habitat enhancement features in new developments, such as the inclusion of hedgehog highways, wildlife corridors, swift bricks and bird boxes.
• Encouraging the use of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDs) where possible, and incorporated into the design of the green network to mitigate any flooding issues.
• Supporting in channel restoration of Slade Brook at Meadow Road to improve ecological status and a reduction in erosion and/or introduction of a SuDS. Also help support the reduction of upstream nutrient loads, increased channel morphology and increased numbers of ecological niches, important floristically and especially for invertebrates.

The policy can also seek to ensure that when planning new green infrastructure that proposed landscaping schemes are appropriate for their surroundings, e.g drought resistant, impact on potential active travel routes, ensuring community safety objectives are considered, such as installing low-growing shrubs near entrances or pathways to allow for clear lines of sight to aid natural surveillance and reduce anti-social behaviour with taller trees placed further away to avoid obstructing views. Using fruit and nut trees which provide food for wildlife ( appropriately positioned, not by footways). Other considerations include later root damage to pavements, buildings, etc, eventual height/spread of tree. Some trees simply get too big for their location, but other species are ideal for pollarding. A replacement scheme for trees that have to come down for legitimate reasons has also been suggested.

 The policy should also seek to work with the Local Nature Recovery Strategy. and potentially the Nene Rivers Trust

Local Nature Recovery Strategy