Open space provision in new residential and commercial developments

The council's policy supports the provision of new and improved open space to serve the current and future needs of the city's residents and visitors. In addition to supporting new proposals for open space and sports/recreation facilities, where they are the primary use, new development should also make appropriate provision for open space to serve growing needs and preserve amenity and environmental quality. In this case, the open space is ancillary to another primary use. This is particularly the case with large commercial developments and all new residential development, where occupiers should have convenient access to good quality open space that meets likely need and demand. Therefore, the policy seeks to ensure that the provision of open space is integrated into the design for new residential and large commercial developments and is provided on-site. In this regard, it is important that any open space is safe and accessible (including consideration of opportunities for linkages to nearby facilities), whilst not resulting in any noise or nuisance for local occupiers and residents. It is also important that open space areas are robust and free from encroachment from unplanned or undesirable uses, including for parking, tipping and anti-social behaviour. It is recommended that, in preparing development proposals, early consideration is given to the likely open space needs of occupiers, including through public engagement.