A Green Arc: The need for larger than local planning

Today’s blog is written by Charlie Nixon, Policy Officer for the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, on the importance of a larger than local planning approach for a green Oxford-Cambridge Arc...

In 2015, to support economic growth and connectivity in South-East England, the Government proposed substantial new infrastructure, business and residential development between Oxford and Cambridge, centred around a new railway line and road improvements. Together, these proposals are known as the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Arc, or Oxford-Cambridge Arc for short. But will there be a plan in place to ensure that not only does this activity create opportunities for the economy but also for our amazing wildlife too in this critical decade for its recovery? 

The Oxford-Cambridge Arc itself holds lots of valuable natural assets which need to be protected alongside large-scale growth, including the rare black hairstreak butterfly half of the UK’s population of the rare native black poplar trees. However, despite these examples or rare wildlife clinging on, the Arc is one of the most nature depleted parts of the country with only 2% of the area designated for nature conservation.

The need for larger-than-local planning

Since the start of the year speculation has been growing that the UK Government will reduce its profile in the Arc project, and pass it over to local councils and the private sector to somehow deliver. The danger in doing this is that we are subjected to an ‘Arc by stealth’ situation, whereby growth in the Arc happens at an unsustainable and unmanageable rate, and ultimately at a cost to nature.

Ecological systems work on scales which cross Local Authority borders. If the UK Government is going to take a step back from the Arc, it needs to be clear on its intentions for ensuring a mechanism and strategic vision to provide a cross-boundary, structured approach to development and infrastructure investment alongside protecting and enhancing nature, and the wider environment.

To date the Government’s solution to ensuring joined-up policy development and delivery across the Arc has been the proposal of a Spatial Framework.  However, there has been radio silence since the public consultation on the Spatial Framework closed last year, and the Government is currently understood to be reviewing its support for the Spatial Framework. In the absence of a Spatial Framework, we need to consider whether something is needed to sit above local plans, to provide a guiding framework for both their coordination and infrastructure delivery, as well as a set of well-connected Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

What’s next for the Arc and what we want to see

We want to see a ‘Green Arc’, achieved by ensuring that nature is at the heart of any plans or proposals.

Harm to nature can be avoided by adopting a larger-than-local planning approach, ensuring the right development, of the right quality, in the right places. There needs to be a well thought out Spatial Framework which ensures that the mitigation hierarchy is adhered to, as well as the adoption of the Arc Environment Principles agreed by local leaders by relevant stakeholders and actors in the Arc.

This means maximising the use of sustainable transport corridors within the Arc, and minimising a reliance on polluting forms of private transport. It also means committing to zero carbon housing and development, setting a leading example and to an ambitious timetable within the next two to five years with good quality, well insulated, energy efficient housing to reduce the output of carbon emissions to heat homes. Similarly, stakeholders should also commit to reduce carbon within development supply chains.

Developed and delivered through cross-sector partnership, a strategic vision for minerals extraction and site restoration for nature is needed, ultimately enabling access for local communities to access restored nature-rich green and blue spaces.

Critically, the Arc must lead in nature-friendly design and implementation. In part this can be achieved through maximising the potential for biodiversity net gain in all areas of development, but we must go further by ensuring that mainstream good quality, affordable, new housing is designed and delivered to be nature-friendly, as has been demonstrated successfully at our benchmark Kingsbrook community at Aylesbury developed in partnership with Barratt Homes.

Fundamentally though, all this won’t happen by accident. It needs good planning and leadership. The Government must therefore urgently clarify its intentions for the Arc as well as the promised Spatial Framework. If this has indeed been abandoned, then the UK Government must clarify what it is proposing in its place to secure a nature positive outcome - and a genuinely green Arc.

Finally, whatever happens to the Arc and the specific approach, it is important that stakeholders, communities and actors in the Arc continue to work together, across boundaries, to achieve the best outcomes for people and nature.

Only then is there to be any prospect of development across the Arc being green and not grey.

Image: Vale of Aylesbury from Chilterns (credit Robert Page, rspb-images.com)