About us

The Strategic Planning and Environmental Policy Team at Worcestershire County Council is a lead member of the Worcestershire Green Infrastructure (GI Partnership) and provides its secretariat. The GI Partnership includes the statutory agencies such as the Environment Agency, Natural England, Forestry Commission and English Heritage, local authorities, and voluntary sector organisations such as Worcestershire Wildlife Trust.

A focus for the GI Partnership has been development of the Worcestershire Green Infrastructure Strategy and supporting evidence to guide the delivery of green infrastructure in the county through development, regeneration and environmental projects. The Strategy is now complete and can be accessed in the section below.

The GI Partnership is currently developing an Implementation Plan which will identify a number of projects to deliver the priorities outlined in the GI Strategy and will establish a spatial focus for collective action on green infrastructure in Worcestershire.

The GI Partnership also works at the site level to influence development and ensure the successful delivery of ecosystem services. It prepares GI Plans and Statements for strategic development sites which identify the GI principles to be followed in the sites' master planning. The GI Partnership collaborates with developers to ensure that site design incorporates sufficient good quality, accessible green infrastructure to protect and enhance the natural environment, as well as to support the health and well-being of future residents.

Green Infrastructure Evidence Base

Green Infrastructure Framework documents provide the evidence base to inform and support production of the Worcestershire Green Infrastructure Strategy and future delivery of green infrastructure in Worcestershire.

The GI Framework papers published to date include:

• Green Infrastructure Framework document 1

  This paper introduces the concept of GI and the policy context for delivering GI in Worcestershire. It also signposts stakeholders to baseline information available for each GI theme.
   

• Green Infrastructure Framework document 2

  This paper includes a review of the baseline data for biodiversity, landscape and the historic environment and develops a combined approach to existing green infrastructure within the county, through the GI Environmental Character Areas. The GI Environmental Character Areas are classified according to the strategic intervention required, based on the existing GI assets and strategic analysis. A series of high-level objectives are set out for each of the character areas, based on the key green infrastructure themes.

• Green Infrastructure Framework document 3

  This paper assesses informal recreation provision in the county and its contribution to green infrastructure. It identifies the location, extent, and functionality of strategic recreational assets in Worcestershire. It also explores the potential need for new recreational assets and identifies areas of search and potential funding mechanisms for new facilities.

• Green Infrastructure Framework document 4

  This paper explores how multifunctional green infrastructure solutions can provide economic and health benefits, as well as contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Download the Green Infrastructure Framework documents

• Worcestershire Green Infrastructure Framework 1 (PDF)
• Worcestershire Green Infrastructure Framework 2 (PDF)
• Worcestershire Green Infrastructure Framework 3 (PDF)
• Worcestershire Green Infrastructure Framework 4 (PDF)

Valuing, costing and viability of green infrastructure

The GI Partnership has prepared guidance on the financial considerations of green infrastructure including the value, viability, funding and costing of green infrastructure assets and their future management. This guidance comprises:

• Valuing and funding green infrastructure: non-planning related projects

  This document provides guidance on valuing and costing of green infrastructure to support implementation and delivery of non-planning GI projects, such as the creation of parks, flood management, sustainable transport, etc.
   

• Viability, valuation and funding of green infrastructure on new development sites

  This document provides guidance on the viability, valuing and costing of green infrastructure to support its implementation and delivery on new development sites delivered through the planning process.
   

• Indicative costs of Green Infrastructure

  This spreadsheet includes the costs of various green infrastructure solutions collated through a literature review and from real-world information provided by stakeholders. These costs are only indicative and the actual green infrastructure costs of various developments should be considered and valued on a site-by-site basis.

Download the Green Infrastructure guidance documents

• Green Infrastructure Viability Guidance Note - Non-Planning (PDF)
• Green Infrastructure Viability Guidance Note - New Development Sites (PDF)
• Indicative Green Infrastructure Costs (Excel)