WHY GREENSPACE MATTERS

Why Greenspace Matters

What is Greenspace and Green Infrastructure?

Green infrastructure is the green spaces and corridors that form a vital network for people and wildlife throughout our communities. 
SAGP is looking broadly at all local greenspace and the connections between them, and not just the designated Public Open Space required to meet planning standards.

Rivers and other water bodies are included in this definition, and rivers are particularly important to the special character and qualities of the Salisbury area where the Avon and its tributaries form the most diverse chalk river system in the UK.

There are the obvious types of greenspace including parks and gardens, sports pitches and play areas, school grounds, allotments, woodlands and hedgerows, farmland, country parks and wildlife reserves. 

The less obvious greenspaces are equally important. These include cemeteries and churchyards, street trees, railway embankments, river banks and road verges, as well as the greenspace that usually accompanies footpaths, cycle ways and bridleways. Some are quite formal spaces and others are more natural in character.

Why is green infrastructure important?

Green infrastructure has many functions which are often not appreciated. Our greenspaces are vitally important because:
  • They provide a range of ecosystem services which make our locality more resilient and sustainable going forward - balancing the effects of climate change through environmental regulation and helping to maintain good air and water quality, soil fertility, reducing the potential for flooding by absorbing water run-off, providing water filtration, carbon capture, pollination services, wildlife habitat and biodiversity, food and fuel 
  • They enhance our daily lives in all sorts of ways and contribute to our health and wellbeing – providing places for recreation - inspiring places, which if well managed, can be rich in wildlife and where it is possible to play, relax, exercise, and enjoy and learn about the natural world
  • They help create attractive and distinctive places in which to live - creating unique landscape settings for local communities, adding value to property and attracting businesses to invest in the area. Here in the Salisbury area the character of the landscape derives from the chalk downs and the internationally important wildlife rich chalk streams that converge and flow through this area. Together with the rich built heritage and very significant archaeology and history, this special setting means that people not only want to visit the area but want to live and work in this area. 
  • They provide valuable connectivity within our communities – linking homes with local services, and the city centre with the surrounding suburbs and the countryside beyond. There is potential for improving the linear greenspace network to provide more and safer, off-road connections especially as part of the planning gain from new development 
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