Dudley Council

Dudley Local Plan Part One

15. Recreation and Community Uses

Introduction

15.1Recreation and Community uses provide an important part of people’s health and wellbeing, as well as improving their quality of life. They also help to build inclusive communities, promote healthy lifestyles and provide green spaces for reflection and relaxation. Community facilities play a significant role in developing the social wellbeing of individuals and communities by allowing activities and interests to grow outside of the home and the workplace. They also bring people together and help to establish new communities.

Policy DLP59 Public Open Space within New Large Housing Developments

  1. Development proposals of 80 residential dwellings or more will be required to provide new on-site recreational green space if the site is isolated from and poorly served by existing nearby publicly accessible open space areas within a 1-kilometre straight line distance.
  2. Where new recreational green space provision is being provided on-site, developers will be expected to provide for its future maintenance and management.
  3. If it can be demonstrated that it is not practical or viable to provide new on-site recreational green space, then a financial contribution will be required towards new or improving nearby off-site public open space areas or play equipment which are well linked by means of cycling and walking.
  4. New on-site recreational green space should be provided to the following quantity standard: At least 0.81 hectares of amenity green space per 1,000 population.
Justification

15.2New large residential developments generate a requirement for outdoor playing space. This ranges from small areas of amenity green space that sometimes have seating and play equipment, through to larger areas of green space for informal recreation and outdoor sports space. Evidence from the Council’s Dudley Open Space Review (2019) shows that coverage levels of publicly accessible green space vary across the borough with some areas being well-served and some areas having less provision.

15.3 Access to open space plays an essential role in providing a high-quality environment, as well as positively contributing to biodiversity and the character of the area. In addition, to help facilitate and promote healthy and active lifestyles, as well as sustainable development, it is important to ensure that there are good levels of access to recreation amenity green space close to existing and new residential communities.

15.4 Public open space as part of new developments should be well-designed and functional to meet the needs of the community and should not be left over land and space around a development. The function, location and design of any open space should be considered and included during the initial stages of an application to ensure a well-designed scheme, with useable public open space delivered in accordance with standards set out in the Council’s latest Planning Obligations SPD.

Children’s Play Areas

Policy DLP60 Children’s Play Areas

  1. Children’s play areas will be retained and, where necessary, improved.
  2. Where a development proposal results in the loss of existing children’s play space, or results in an increased deficiency in the availability of such play space, then planning permission will only be granted if a replacement facility of equivalent or better quantity and quality is provided. Such a replacement facility should be in an agreed suitable location well linked by means of cycling and walking and operational before the new development is occupied.
  3. In residential development proposals over the 80 units threshold, equipped children’s play areas will be explored within the on-site recreational green space area in consultation with the Council to assess the type of play equipment needed to meet need. It is expected that play equipment will be provided on site.
Justification

15.5This policy seeks to maintain and, where possible, improve the quality and provision of children’s play areas and should be provided in accordance with standards set out in the Council’s latest Planning Obligations SPD. The provision and accessibility of safe children’s play areas is important to the positive contribution to social development and health and wellbeing of children and promoting a child friendly borough. Particularly in promoting activity in young children and the provision and accessibility of play areas helps to counter the increasing childhood obesity levels in the borough.

Allotments and Community Gardens

15.6 There is high demand for allotments in the borough with greater numbers of people seeking space to grow their own food produce and an increase in the use of community gardens. This is important as it provides a sustainable source of local produce and encourages healthier eating as well as physical activity.

Policy DLP61 Allotments and Community Gardens

  1. The redevelopment of allotment sites and community gardens for other uses will not be allowed:
    1. if a substantial part of the site is in use
    2. there is proven demand for allotments or community gardens in the area or
    3. alternative allotment provision of the same or better quality and quantity is not provided in the locality before the use of the existing site ceases
  2. Redevelopment of an allotment or community garden site will not be permitted on the basis that the site has been allowed to fall out of use and become derelict.
  3. Proposals for the provision of new allotment sites and community gardens will be permitted provided that they:
    1. are accessible by a variety of transport means, including walking and cycling as well as providing adequate parking.
    2. do not result in the loss of, or harm to a designated nature conservation site.
    3. do not harm the visual amenity, landscape setting and appearance of the area.
    4. do not result in the loss of an area of importance and value for informal or formal recreation.
    5. do not detrimentally harm the amenity of adjacent residents and/or highway safety.
    6. safeguard and enhance any biodiversity features where possible to help support wildlife.
  4. On all allotment and community garden sites, the Council will encourage sustainable methods of power, the storage and re-use of water and on-site composting where appropriate.
Justification

15.7Allotments and community gardens help encourage community engagement, provide educational benefits, and help support local biodiversity. By providing regular outdoor activity food growing can help to improve both physical and mental health and reduce health inequalities. It is therefore important for the Council to help protect existing allotment and community garden sites and encourage the provision of new sites where appropriate and in line with the policy requirements.

Burial Land including Cemetries and Crematoriums

15.8Land available for burials is limited within the borough. In order to ensure that burial sites are available for local communities borough-wide it will be necessary to identify suitable sites. The Council will also consider favourably proposals for green burial sites as a sustainable form of burial.

Policy DLP62 Burial Land including Cemeteries and Crematoriums

  1. Wherever new burial grounds or cemeteries are proposed, preference will be given to the safeguarding and extension of existing capacity and built facilities. Proposals should not:
    1. adversely harm the amenity of adjacent residential areas
    2. result in the loss of an area of importance and value for informal or formal recreation.
    3. result in the loss of agricultural land.
    4. result in the loss of or harm a high-quality nature conservation site.
  2. Proposals for new cemeteries and crematoria should:
    1. be capable of being accessible
    2. have adequate parking facilities.
    3. take into account the needs of different faiths
    4. where feasible, retain and include existing landscape, nature conservation and biodiversity features within their design.
    5. if appropriate, make use of existing buildings and infrastructure.
Justification

15.9 Proposals for new burial sites must take into consideration the Environment Agency (EA) guidelines for the location and layout of burial grounds especially in terms of minimum distances between burial sites and how to deal with watercourses, wells, boreholes, and springs amongst other considerations.

15.10 There is evidence of the pollution potential from cemeteries and that some form of control is often needed. The burial of human remains results in the release of a variety of substances and organisms into the subsurface. These may, in time, find their way into the groundwater. Therefore, groundwater can be at risk of pollution from human burials where the numbers are sufficient, and the protection afforded by the subsurface geology is poor.

15.11 The EA must be consulted in the preparation of proposals for any new burial site.

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