Our policies, plans and strategies - Local Green Space designation

Local Green Space designation is a way to provide special protection against development for green areas of particular importance to local communities.

Local Green Space designation is for use in Local Plans or Neighbourhood Plans. These plans can identify on a map (‘designate’) green areas for special protection. We have already undertaken 2 rounds of consultation with communities asking for suitable sites. Communities that wish to designate sites can also do this through their Neighbourhood Plan.

Designating any Local Green Space will need to be consistent with local planning for sustainable development in the area. In particular, plans must identify sufficient land in suitable locations to meet identified development needs and the Local Green Space designation should not be used in a way that undermines this aim of plan making.

The green area will need to meet the criteria set out in paragraph 77 of the National Planning Policy Framework. Whether to designate land is a matter for local discretion. For example, green areas could include land where sports pavilions, boating lakes or structures such as war memorials are located, allotments, or urban spaces that provide a tranquil oasis. The community should be able to show why the area is demonstrably special to be designated as Local Green Space.

Consultation with communities

In 2012 and again in 2013 Harborough District Council asked communities to submit sites that they would like to nominate as Local Green Space. Officers then contacted land owners to ask for representations concerning the nomination.

All the feedback was assessed and officers submitted comments to the Local Advisory Task Panel in September 2014. Read the Local Green Space submissions report - November 2014 (PDF, 1.6MB) with all sites, information from the nominating body, landowner representations and officer recommendations.

There will be a further round of consultation concerning Local Green Space during the Options Consultation for the Local Plan. This is expected to be in mid 2015.

View maps of Local Green Spaces