Green Infrastructure Plan

A Landscape Strategy focuses on the design and aesthetic treatment of external spaces within a development. A Green Infrastructure Plan takes a broader strategic view, addressing how green and blue spaces deliver multiple ecosystem services including biodiversity, drainage, climate adaptation, health, and recreation. In practice, there is significant overlap, and on smaller sites the two documents may be combined into a single submission.

Green infrastructure provides the physical framework for delivering biodiversity net gain. Habitat creation areas, species-rich planting, green roofs, wildlife corridors, and water features within the green infrastructure network all contribute to the biodiversity metric calculation. The GI Plan should demonstrate how the proposed green infrastructure delivers at least 10 percent biodiversity net gain as required by the Environment Act 2021 and how habitats will be managed for a minimum of 30 years.

Green roofs are vegetated roof systems that provide habitat, reduce surface water runoff, improve insulation, and contribute to urban cooling. Green walls are vertical planting systems attached to building facades that provide similar benefits. Both are increasingly valued by planning authorities as components of green infrastructure, particularly in dense urban areas where ground-level space is limited. The GI Plan should identify where these features are proposed and explain their contribution to the overall strategy.

Yes. One of the key principles of green infrastructure planning is connectivity. The GI Plan should demonstrate how the development connects to the wider green network including existing parks, nature reserves, river corridors, footpaths, and bridleways. Isolated pockets of green space are less valuable than connected networks that allow wildlife movement and provide continuous routes for walking and cycling. Natural England's Green Infrastructure Framework provides guidance on mapping and enhancing green networks.

Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are a core component of green infrastructure. Features such as rain gardens, swales, attenuation ponds, and permeable surfaces manage surface water runoff while providing habitat, amenity, and aesthetic value. The GI Plan should integrate drainage and landscape design so that SuDS features form an attractive and functional part of the green infrastructure network rather than being treated as utilitarian engineering elements.

Long-term management is critical to the success of green infrastructure. The GI Plan should include an outline management strategy covering maintenance operations, monitoring, and funding arrangements. For biodiversity net gain habitats, a 30-year management plan secured by a legal agreement is mandatory. Common management models include management companies funded by service charges, transfer to local authority adoption with commuted sum payments, or management by conservation bodies through endowment funding.

Green infrastructure is one of the most effective tools for climate adaptation in the built environment. Trees and vegetation provide urban cooling through shade and evapotranspiration, reducing the urban heat island effect. SuDS manage increased rainfall from climate change. Green corridors allow species to migrate in response to changing conditions. The GI Plan should explicitly address climate resilience, including species selection that is tolerant of future climate conditions.

Natural England published the Green Infrastructure Framework in 2023 to support the planning and delivery of green infrastructure across England. It includes the Green Infrastructure Standards, which set benchmarks for the quantity, quality, and accessibility of green infrastructure that new developments and existing places should aim to achieve. The framework provides mapping tools, design guidance, and process standards that can inform Green Infrastructure Plans for development proposals.

A formal Green Infrastructure Plan is not usually required for minor developments, though small sites still need to address biodiversity net gain requirements. For developments of 10 dwellings or more, or where the local plan includes green infrastructure policies, a GI Plan or equivalent document is increasingly expected. On smaller sites, green infrastructure principles can be addressed within the landscape proposals and ecology reports without a standalone document.

Research consistently shows that high-quality green infrastructure increases property values, improves sales rates, and enhances resident satisfaction. Studies by CABE Space and the Land Trust found that well-maintained green spaces can add 5 to 10 percent to nearby property values. Green infrastructure also reduces long-term management costs by providing natural drainage, cooling, and air quality benefits that would otherwise require engineered solutions.