Launching “Building with Nature”

For the past year, Gemma Jerome, GI Consultant with Wild Service has been leading on the Building with Nature project with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. This new, voluntary standard for the design and maintenance of green spaces in housing and commercial development is set to be launched in the Gloucestershire and Avon area in September 2017, with plans for a national rollout to follow. Building with Nature has been designed to help developers, planners and communities understand what good is when it comes to the green space and other natural features in new development.

All developments now need to demonstrate that they have included green infrastructure in their plans. The English National Planning Policy Framework asks all developers to outline how they will do this. However, there is still uncertainty amongst local authority planners and developers about how to provide good quality green infrastructure. This is where Wild Service can help.

Wild Service is developing bespoke packages for clients, advising on the design, implementation, management and maintenance of green infrastructure. This can help to smooth the passage of a development proposal through the planning system, as well as adding certainty to a scheme’s implementation, management and maintenance of green infrastructure, which includes parks, play areas, nature reserves and street trees, as well as rivers, ponds and other water features.

To find out more about Building with Nature and how Wild Service can support you, contact Gemma Jerome, GI Consultant for Wild Service, gemma.jerome@gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk