‘Will councillors honour their promise to protect Bristol’s green spaces?’

In March 2019, draft local plan proposals for reallocating open spaces in Bristol were published.

These proposals, still under review, say that open spaces should be designated either as a Local Green Space (LGS) or a Reserved Open Space (ROS).

Bristol Tree Forum has mapped 871 green spaces in the city, covering nearly 2,800 hectares. However, under these plans for safeguarding open spaces, only around 1,800 hectares will be designated. We’re wondering what will happen to the other 1,000 hectares.

Yew Tree Farm in south Bristol has been designated a Site of Nature Conservation Interest but many other green spaces in Bristol are under threat

The 2019 proposals define LGS as an open space that is: “Demonstrably special to a local community having unique characteristics that require safeguarding… Development that results in harm to the Local Green Space’s characteristics, appearance or role will not be permitted.”

The definition of an ROS is more complex:

“…The city contains numerous open spaces of importance that are considered appropriate for proportionate policy protection in the local plan… Reserved Open Spaces will be reassessed during future reviews of the local plan and may be reviewed through any new neighbourhood plans.”

This means that an ROS site has less protection than an LGS site and may be lost if it’s no longer required for its ‘open space function’; or if a deficiency of open space provision would not be created through its loss, when measured against the local plan’s standards for open space provision.

While an LGS may never be set aside for development, ROS open space can be.

This table sets out the sites we’ve identified which will be protected and those which will not (because of the way sites are categorised, there is some overlap):

While some of these sites may have separate protection, many do not.

In addition, the current protection given to Important Open Space under council policy DM17 will be removed. There are 521 such sites across the city (covering over 3,000 hectares), not all of which – we estimate around 127 sites – will be redesignated as either LGS or ROS.

Another potential problem is that some sites currently designated as a Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI) will also be given multiple LGS/ROS designations.

For example, Brislington Meadows SNCI in East Brislington will be divided into five separate designations – one LGS (Victory Park) and four ROS (the surrounding fields). In Ashley ward, the Narroways Junction SNCI is divided into six designations – two LGS and four ROS.

While the designation of SNCIs is independent of the Local Plan designation process, they are still protected under council policy DM19 (which will be retained). This states that:

“Development which would have a harmful impact on the nature conservation value of a Site of Nature Conservation Interest will not be permitted.”

We hope that there will be proposals for resolving the conflicts resulting from these proposed LGS/ROS designations when the next stage of the consultation process starts.

Parts of Brislington Meadows are under threat from development as they are mislabelled on the Local Plan map

As it is, the Local Plan Policies Map shows the boundaries of seven SNCIs incorrectly. The council has rejected our petition asking for this map to be corrected, so we’ve sent a statement and asked a question instead.

This will be presented at the next full council meeting on July 11. We hope that councillors will be prepared to correct this long-standing mistake before yet more SNCIs are destroyed.

In September 2021 the council unanimously resolved to protect the green belt and Bristol’s green spaces. Will this be honoured when the next iteration of the Local Plan is published later this summer?

Mark Ashdown is chair of the Bristol Tree Forum (BTF), recently instrumental in achieving Site of Nature Conservation Interest designation for Yew Tree Farm – the first new such site in Bristol in over a decade.

All photos: Mark Ashdown.

Read next:

• Short film showcasing life on threatened farm goes viral
• Decision day for decades-long row over fence around playing fields
• Knowle West’s green spaces are some of the best in the city

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: