Enhancing the environment

Creating Sustainable Spaces

Securing the future: delivering the UK’s sustainable development strategy outlines the Government’s sustainable development strategy in the wider context of enabling individuals worldwide to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life without compromising the quality of life of future generations.

One of the five principles of the strategy is the need for natural resource protection and environmental enhancement by living within our environmental limits

Green space provides several environmental functions which should be considered when planning, designing and managing individual spaces and the wider green space network.

Environmental functions include: water management and urban drainage, accessible wildlife and habitat; improved air quality, shelter and shade, renewable energy sources, and helping to adapt to climate change.

Managing litter, other environmental crimes, dogs and other animal fouling

Litter

There is a danger that unless a green space is clean and maintained to a high level it can quickly descend into neglect and misuse, devaluing the site and deterring users.

The main culprits

Flattened chewing gum is the most common form of staining with heavy accumulations in locations where people congregate. It is also very costly to remove.

‘Food on the go litter includes disposable containers branded by an outlet’s name or logo such as pizza boxes, burger packaging, sandwich packets, plastic cutlery and drinks cups.

Smoking-related litter such as cigarette butts is unsightly and difficult to clean up, particularly the small filters which avoid detection by regular cleansing processes.

Drugs-related litter includes needles, syringes, foils, swabs, spoons, plastic bottles and cans. Drugs-related litter has a higher impact on a community than any other type of litter and the cleansing response differs accordingly.

However, there are close links between drug and sex markets and therefore it is likely that sex-related litter would be found in the same locations as drugs-related litter.

Other environmental crimes

Graffiti and fly-posting

Graffiti and fly-posting are not viewed as major problems in parks and open spaces. Such acts of vandalism tend to occur mainly in built up areas and predominantly in urban areas. Where they do occur in parks and open spaces they can cause considerable detriment to the character and environment.

Abandoned vehicles and fly-tipping

These are not major problems in parks, but can be in open spaces, particularly those that are some distance from built up areas. In the case of hazardous fly-tipped waste there is legislation to help local authorities and other enforcement authorities e.g. the Environment Agency, to deal with these problems and those responsible for them.

Control of dogs

Green spaces are particularly popular for dog walkers although conversely, this deters others from using them. Concerns regarding dog mess and the spread of disease (toxocariasis) especially to children, alongside certain religious groups’ sensitivities about contact with dogs, need to be considered when planning open park spaces.

Other kinds of animal fouling

Fouling by birds, horses, cows and cats, whatever impact it makes on environmental quality, does not constitute an offence. It does, however, fall within the definition of refuse and therefore local authorities have a duty to clear it under section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.