Nature Conservation

Introduction

The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) is an independent professional body representing over 12,000 environmental professionals. CIWEM's agreed purpose is to develop and promote better and integrated management of the environment; to foster a deeper understanding of water and environmental issues and to enhance the quality of people's lives. This is achieved through CIWEM's Royal Charter, education, training and professional development; dissemination of information; conferences and events; research and publications; contact with Government agencies and other bodies, partnerships with other organisations and the publication of Policy Position Statements (PPS).

Purpose

To advocate the importance of nature conservation in urban areas and to encourage the integration of its purpose and practice into the management of urban green space.

Context

As a professional body with a Royal Charter remit for recreation, amenity and conservation activities, CIWEM is keen to encourage and promote high standards of urban greenspace management. This is to provide wide-ranging opportunities for outdoor recreation, and uphold the valuable contribution made by urban green spaces to the health, prosperity and diversity of places and people. To this end the Institution endorses the broad vision contained in the statement of the Council of Europe Recommendation No R(86) 11 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on Urban Open Space:

"Open space is an essential part of the urban heritage, a strong element in the architectural and aesthetic form of a city, plays an important educational role, is ecologically significant, is important for social interaction and in fostering community development and is supportive of economic objectives and activities. In particular, it helps reduce the inherent tension and conflict in deprived parts of urban areas in Europe; it has an important role in providing for the recreational and leisure needs of a community and has an economic value in that environmental enhancement, in which the improvement of open space plays a major part, assists the economic revival of cities, not just through creating jobs but in increasing the attractiveness of a city as a place for business investment and sought-after residential areas".

Key issues

This Policy Position Statement concerns itself with the opportunities which public open space in towns and cities can provide to sustain a healthy human environment, water resources and wildlife, and the role of environment and recreation managers in conserving and promoting nature conservation within urban environments. In doing so CIWEM recognises:

• The generally large amount of open space within Britain's urban areas. Urban green spaces generally comprise 14% of the developed area.
• The significant loss of wildlife habitats from the countryside, particularly meadows and hedgerows.
• The aims of the Biodiversity Action Group in pursuing Britain's commitment to the Biodiversity Treaty agreed at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development 1992, commonly known as the 'Earth Summit'.
• The value which many urban dwellers place on living and working close to the natural environment.
• The need to stimulate an interest in, and knowledge of, the natural world amongst urban populations, particularly children, if they are to protect its future.

Policy

CIWEM wishes to encourage greater diversity and better quality of green space within urban areas and to involve communities in its protection, providing opportunities for community development and education, as well as promoting the environment as a recreation activity in its own right. The Institution believes that the creation and protection of wildlife habitats within urban spaces is an excellent means of achieving such aims.

CIWEM is encouraged by the growth of wildlife trusts and conservation and environmental groups, particularly for their accumulation of knowledge about urban sites and for facilitating voluntary action. The Institution believes that strong partnerships between bodies and organisations such as the water companies, environment agencies, local authorities, and other bodies with responsibility for managing public open spaces, is highly desirable. Promoting such partnerships should be a feature of environmental and leisure strategies. The employment of ecologist / wildlife officers to implement such strategies is not only recommended but considered essential.

CIWEM supports the development of nature conservation strategies and believes they should be a key feature of recreation, environmental and land use (development plan) strategies of the local authority. However, they should complement rather than be a substitute for more broadly based landscape or greenspace strategies. Such strategies should encourage the designation of Local Nature Reserves (LNRs), Sites of Nature Conservation (SiNCs) and the protection of wildlife corridors.

CIWEM believes that many urban green spaces are visually dull and that better management would encourage their use for other purposes. Recreation and environmental strategies should embrace the concept of providing, at least, more sensible planting on such areas which provide visual interest, support forest tree species, encourage wildlife, and improve air quality. People would generally appreciate such improvements in the green space environment.

In some cases, it may be possible to reduce the number of grass sports pitches in favour of synthetic all-weather pitches, thus releasing land for other forms of management and recreational activity. We urge this to be considered in future recreation and environmental strategies, and for this to be supported by Government in revisions to current Planning Policy Guidance.

Appropriately managed and maintained landscapes within cemeteries and churchyard can offer ideal opportunities for nature conservation. These opportunities for environmental enhancement should complement the ambience sought by visitors and the bereaved, and respect the historic nature of many older burial grounds.

CIWEM believes that open water, in the form of lakes, reservoirs, canals, streams and ponds, should be protected as a major landscape asset, and wildlife habitats should be developed as a result of their management. Many of the water companies have a good track record in this respect and local authorities are urged to harness the experience of these companies.

CIWEM urges better training in the arena of wildlife habitat preservation and creation and also in ecological interpretation using simple terms to improve the knowledge, appreciation and skills of those involved in maintaining the improving the quality of urban landscapes. For its part, the Institution will support Continuing Professional Development activity in this area and welcomes specialists in nature conservation, and its interpretation in publicly accessible landscapes, as members of the Institution.

CIWEM welcomes the development of local authorities Urban Park Warden and Ranger Services and urges that their remit includes an educational role, proactive with local schools, to foster a better understanding and appreciation of the natural world contained within the developed land area of towns and cities.

CIWEM does not accept the premise that maintenance regimes, more favourable to wildlife, should be introduced purely for reasons of cost saving. This is to confuse cost with value. The latter can only be determined by reference to the benefit to places and people. In any case, sustainable wildflower meadows are not created simply by the cessation of mowing and are likely to require the dedication of similar or greater resources in their establishment and conservation. CIWEM deplores the budget cuts imposed upon urban greenspace management, development and maintenance in recent years and proposes that clearly identified savings which may eventually be achieved through the adoption of lower cost maintenance regimes should be dedicated to their interpretation as wildlife havens, or put towards raising standards.

CIWEM does not see the management of parkland areas for wildlife as necessarily being in conflict with conservation of traditional Victorian parks which may, in many cases, enhance their appeal to a broad range of park visitors. However, the history, character and design of such urban parks should be respected, and a balance of interests sought and maintained. A phased approach to new works should be adopted, and properly interpreted for park visitors.

CIWEM notes that intensive agriculture typified by constant use of pesticides and often accompanied by habitat loss and hedgerow removal has led to an impoverishment of biodiversity in farmland which has in the past been regarded as the main "reservoir" for wildlife and biodiversity. Urban green spaces frequently bring remnants of old wildlife habitats and are increasingly being acknowledged as a key resource for wildlife and some threatened species which no longer can depend upon farmland for respite.

CIWEM acknowledges that 'native' plant species are generally more amenable to sustaining other forms of wildlife such as insects and birds and that areas dedicated to their cultivation can achieve worthwhile wildlife, environmental and educational objectives. However, CIWEM does not regard 'native species only' policies necessarily appropriate to public parks and gardens wishing to maintain their broad public appeal. The Institution welcomes the introduction of mixed planting of perennials and other plant types which seek to enrich our horticulture as well as achieving ecologically-sound plant and animal communities. The ability of British soils and climate to support a variety of indigenous and introduced 'exotic' plant material is reflected in our garden history and should be celebrated in the urban landscape.

CIWEM supports the work of English Nature, the Environment Agencies and the Water Companies in encouraging the protection and establishment of wildlife habitats in urban areas and urges an increase in their resources dedicated to assisting local authorities. CIWEM also supports the National Urban Forestry Unit in promoting a form of landscape improvement which has greater visual interest and habitat potential than close mown grass, particularly in areas where the latter is not required for specific recreational activities.

CIWEM urges Scottish National Heritage and the Countryside Council for Wales to increase their involvement in urban areas. The Institution continues to argue for the Countryside Commission for England to be given an urban remit, noting their pioneering role in 'Countryside Stewardship', and 'Community Forests', linked by 'Greenways' to the urban conurbations they seek to serve. This change to their terms of reference should be part of the UK's Strategy for Sustainable Development.

Conclusions

Introducing nature conservation into the management of urban green spaces should aim to encourage a more diverse landscape and help to stimulate wider interest and knowledge of the natural world. The Institution calls on Government, national agencies and local authorities to recognise nature conservation as an important component of strategies for the better management of the urban landscape, and to support organisations and partnerships dedicated

Note:- CIWEM Policy Position Statements (PPS) represents the Institution's views on issues at a particular point in time. It is accepted that situations change as research provides new evidence. It should be understood, therefore, that CIWEM PPS's are under constant review, that previously held views may alter and lead to revised PPS's

January 2001