Green Spaces Strategy

The Maidstone Green Spaces Strategy

This is a planned method of improving parks and open spaces in the borough during 2005-09, and beyond. The Strategy Action Plan shows how this is to be achieved.

The objectives are to improve the infrastructure and biodiversity of green spaces, to involve the users in their management, to make the green spaces better known in order to increase their use.

As well as quality, the strategy also addresses the question of quantity of green spaces in the borough. The council has collected statistical information on the amount of existing green spaces and, in consultation with various bodies, has set the minimum standards of provision.

The standards show how many hectares of various types of green space there should be in the borough for every 1,000 residents. This analysis has shown shortages in certain areas. The council will address these shortages through the planning process.

The Green Spaces Strategy document explains the local and national context of the project and assesses the existing provision in a ward-by-ward basis. It contains a detailed Action Plan for the first two years and a Full Action Plan for medium and long term.

Quantity Provision Tables (2007) illustrate the current areas of surplus and deficiency of the various types of green space, compared to the minimum standards.

The following documents explain the background to the Strategy:

Appendix A Market Research

Appendix B Types of Green Space

Appendix C