SCREENING
Green Infrastructure Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)
Last updated 14 September 2024
Contents
The assessment
New or existing service or policy?
New
Directorate
Strategic Growth
Officer(s) responsible for:
- Service/policy/project: Sally Horne, Senior Planning Policy Officer
- Completing equality impact assessment: Sally Horne, Senior Planning Policy Officer
Date
14 March 2025
What is the purpose and expected outcomes?
The SPD provides detail and guidance to the green infrastructure policies contained within the Wyre Forest District Council adopted Local Plan. The aim is to assist applicant and colleagues in understanding how policies are applied during the planning application process.
Will there be any affect on other Council procedures or strategies e.g. Corporate Plan or the council’s workforce?
The SPD provides more detail to policies contained within the WFDC adopted Local Plan 2016-2036, particularly policies:
SP.23 Protecting and Enhancing Biodiversity
SP.28 Green Infrastructure
DM.7 Open Space
DM.24 Quality Design and Local Distinctiveness
It will assist officers, particularly within Development Management, when assessing applications.
Are there any statutory requirements or implications?
Chapter 8 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) revised in 2024, sets out the Government’s planning policies around promoting healthy and safe communities through the provision of safe and accessible green infrastructure, chapter 9 states that new development should incorporate green infrastructure to tackle climate change/flooding and chapter 15 states the role of green infrastructure in conserving and enhancing the natural environment.
Are there any other organisations/bodies involved?
A public consultation was undertaken on the SPD scoping paper in February 2025. This was publicised on our website and specifically sent to organisations such as Worcestershire County Council and the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust.
Who are the main customer groups/stakeholders affected?
The document is aimed at local authority planning officers, applicants, developers, relevant organisations and the wider community involved with delivering developments.
What information, statistics or evidence are you using?
Information has been taken from documents including the Green Infrastructure Concept Statements (Wyre Forest District Council Local Plan background documents), the Worcestershire State of Nature report 2023, the Worcestershire Biodiversity Action Plan and the Worcestershire Landscape Character Assessment. National documents including the National Design Code, Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework and the Building with Nature Standards have also been used.
What impact does the service/policy/project have on the following equality strands?
Protected characteristics: definitions
Prior to the Equality Act 2010, there were 3 separate public sector equality duties covering race, disability and gender. The Equality Act 2010 replaced these with a new single equality duty covering the following protected characteristics.
| Characteristic and definition | Impact and evidence |
|---|---|
|
1. Age |
Positive Evidence: The SPD promotes equality of access to well designed public realms that are beneficial to people who may have additional needs due to age.
|
|
2. Disability |
Positive Evidence: The SPD promotes equality of access to well designed public realms that are beneficial to people who may have additional needs due to disability.
|
|
3. Gender Reassignment |
Positive/Negative Evidence: Not applicable
|
|
4. Marriage and Civil Partnership |
Positive/Negative Evidence: Not applicable
|
|
5. Pregnancy and Maternity |
Positive/Negative Evidence: Not applicable |
|
6. Race |
Positive/Negative Evidence: No impact
|
|
7. Religion of belief |
Positive/Negative Evidence: No impact
|
|
8. Sex |
Positive/Negative Evidence: No impact
|
|
9. Sexual Orientation |
Positive/Negative Evidence: No impact
|
|
Other e.g. deprivation, health inequalities, urban/rural divide, community safety |
Positive: the SPD is aimed at providing well designed green infrastructure in new development across the district that will have a beneficial impact for all of the district’s population. This will be as a result of encouraging the provision of environmental initiatives that will help improve air quality, resilience to flooding, improvements to nature and access for the districts population to well designed green and blue infrastructure (e.g. parks, canal side, nature reserves). |
Conclusion
Is a full assessment required?
No
Note: A full EqIA is required if the initial screening has identified the service/policy/project is going to have the potential to cause adverse impact or discriminate against different groups in the community or the Council’s workforce.
Signed: Sally Horne, Senior Planning Policy Officer
Date: 14 March 2025