Natural England - A Natural Development

A Natural Development

Natural England wants to ensure green infrastructure is delivered as an integral component in all development and regeneration. Across England we are working in partnership with housing developers, planning authorities and regeneration partnerships to plan, design and deliver green infrastructure that provides multiple benefits for people and wildlife.

Natural Development Project

The Natural Development Project launched on 3 November 2009 to demonstrate how both large and small scale development can incorporate green infrastructure in practice.
Press release and Natural England Chair's speech at the 2009 Thames Gateway Forum.

About the Project

Cambourne pond

Cambourne pond

Natural England and key players in the development sector are forming a vital partnership to understand how to value, design and create quality green infrastructure. The partnership aims to demonstrate how – at different scales and locations – the contribution of the natural environment in regeneration can move from that of traditional landscaping to one of providing vital spaces for people, wildlife, health, wellbeing, and climate change adaptation.

The Natural Development project will provide a focus for our engagement with real sites and enable us to practically demonstrate positive planning with developers. It will work to highlight opportunities and overcome barriers to success and enable sharing of best practice to support the mainstreaming of green infrastructure in development and regeneration.

Over the coming months and years the project will collect and share:

  • Case Studies, focusing on a range of sites – initially in the Thames Gateway, and widening out as the project progresses.
  • Commentary on problems, opportunities, and issues for large and small scale developments. To share a comment, email Brian.McDonald@naturalengland.org.uk
  • Technical information relating to our work with developers across the country.

We will facilitate dialogue through a variety of seminars, demonstration projects and interactions.

Peter Head, Director at Arup’s and Innovation Champion for the Thames Gateway has agreed to champion the project . Peter says ... "I am very supportive of developing understanding of how important green infrastructure is for economic vitality, good health and happiness.We can bring these benefits to existing communities as part of improved low carbon place making and enable people to live in harmony with and enjoy the natural world.This should be central to all low carbon housing retrofit." Peter is the Project Champion for the Natural Development Project.

The natural development partnership has the potential to combine knowledge and resources to deliver new standards of design in development and regeneration.

Natural Development - interview with Peter Head pdf document, ARUP 13 November 2009

To register interest in the partnership email Brian.McDonald@naturalengland.org.uk

Working to Achieve ‘a Natural Development’ in practice

Stephen Neal, Senior Development Manager at Land Securities says: “Land Securities supports Natural England's initiative promoting green infrastructure and sees the provision of green infrastructure as a key driver towards the realisation of successful new places and communities.”

Case studies

Land Securities Lodge Hill: Website and Slides pdf document

Barking Riverside: Website and Slides pdf document

Case studies from elsewhere in the country

To register interest in the partnership or for further information, email Brian.McDonald@naturalengland.org.uk

Integrated Habitats Design Competition

Natural England are supporting the Integrated Habitats Design Competition by sponsoring the Climate Change Adaptation category. Find out more and enter this competition.

  • Why is ‘Natural Development’ important?

    In 2008, the world reached an invisible but momentous milestone: For the first time in history, more than half its human population, 3.3 billion people, will be living in urban areas (1).

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  • What is Green Infrastructure and what are the benefits?

    Green infrastructure is the network of green spaces, places and features that thread through and surround urban areas and connect town to country. This includes public and private spaces, such as parks, gardens, allotments, cemeteries, trees, green roofs and natural habitats such as woodlands, grasslands and wetlands.

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