Councils' Green Credentials Assessed In New Report
The Horticultural Trades Association's (HTA) Greening the UK campaign will today
alert Councils in England of the need to improve the control mechanism to ensure
that the level of green planting outlined in planning agreements is installed and
maintained.
The campaign also calls for an increase in the amount of planting that takes place
in the face of a 50% reduction in recent years, so that communities can reap the
social, aesthetic and environmental benefits provided by plants.
In its report, 'Greening the UK: Local Authorities' Commitment to Urban Planting',
which is published today, the campaign warns that a significant number of councils
are allowing developers to scale down or remove completely the planting outlined
in approved planning agreements. This is due to a lack of onsite inspections by
planning officers and by the failure to bring action against developers that violate
planning agreements. Astonishing, considering that 71% of councillors noted occasions
during the past year when developers had failed to deliver on their planting obligations.
The report includes a foreword by the Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP, Secretary of State
for Communities and Local Government, who says:
"To me, urban planting and green space are essential to the sustainable development
of our towns and cities as we move into a period of increasing environmental uncertainty.
I know from my own City of Salford how urban planting can transform a neighbourhood,
bring people together, and help to brighten up the environment."
The Greening the UK campaign has been highlighting the 50% reduction in soft landscaped
areas on new developments over the past decade. It has also demonstrated that only
50% of the green planting outlined in approved planning documents is ever delivered.
Despite this known decline, a surprising finding from the survey was that 53% of
councillors believed green spaces and urban planting had increased over recent years.
Plants installed in gardens and in public planting schemes benefit the environment
by absorbing carbon dioxide and absorbing rainfall through their leaves and roots
– helping to prevent and mitigate the effects of climate change and flooding. Trees
also provide shade and shelter in public spaces, reduce temperatures in "hot spots"
and protect against strong wind flows in urban areas. Research also shows that plants
help improve social behaviour, reduce crime, increase recovery rates in hospitals
and workplace productivity and are a healthy addition to the social, environmental,
physical and mental wellbeing of people.
David Gwyther, Director General of the Horticultural Trades Association, said, "This
is a call to action. Local authorities need to increase the frequency of their inspections
on new private and public developments to ensure promised planting and landscaping
actually takes place. Fundamentally, they should also increase the levels of planting
on new, private and public developments and they should review their planning departments
to ensure they have access to high quality horticultural advice."