Setting local area agreement targets

Local area agreement (LAA) targets on green space can help secure government funding for projects.

© scenicireland.com / Christopher Hill Photographic / Alamy

Local authorities can also seek funding from local area agreements and developer contributions by providing evidence of the need for green space from a green space strategy. Guidance produced by CLG includes an annex of funding streams that can be negotiated into the LAA .

Benefits such as improved community health need to be linked to the attainment of national indicator targets. Investment in accessible natural green space can directly contribute to the achievement of NI 197 (improved local biodiversity) but can indirectly contribute to a range of other national indicators. This potential needs to be highlighted.

Recent research for Natural England revealed considerable variation in authorities’ use of agreements to secure green space provision:

• Walsall Borough Council aims to have a member of the council green space department elected on to the local strategic partnership and recognises the need for suitable targets to be set in the local area agreement to support delivery of the green space strategy objectives
• the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) rejected the idea of using local area agreements because there were too many different local authorities in the sub-region. It plans to deliver the strategy through a multi-area agreement - a cross-boundary version of a local agreement. This should support the allocation of funding for green space improvements.
   

Priority: integrate green infrastructure into urban areas
Tags: green infrastructure, cities and towns