Despite some gains, overall biodiversity loss has been accelerating in recent years in England. Habitats are becoming more fragmented and many individual species are in decline. Soil loss and degradation through agriculture, damage to sites with important fossil records and mineral extraction are causing an overall loss to geodiversity. There is a recognition from government and across the environmental sector that action at both broad landscape and local scales is required. This means that implementation needs to go beyond protected sites to increase biodiversity and geodiversity wherever it can be helped to flourish. There is also a recognition that biodiverse environments are the foundation for the flow of other GI benefits and cannot be planned or managed in isolation from other GI benefits. Therefore, the design and implementation of GI should achieve a measurable increase in biodiversity and geodiversity through the creation, enhancement and connectivity of new and existing habitats and sites.

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) - a requirement for new development to deliver a minimum 10% increase in biodiversity after development, compared to the level before, can provide an investment mechanism for both on-site and off-site GI. This can be achieved by either enhancing existing habitats or creating new ones. BNG can therefore be used to both raise the quality of existing greenspace and provide new GI. Local Nature Recovery Strategies can also be used to identify how habitat for nature can deliver wider environmental benefits and, improve people’s access to greenspace particularly in urban areas.

Urban landscapes can be rich in wildlife and help support nature’s recovery. Significant amounts of wildlife-rich habitat exist in local nature reserves, that are often within or close to urban settings. These areas provide important green infrastructure for local communities and can support rare as well as common species. Urban areas are particularly important for pollinators and relatively small areas of habitat such as green roofs can be important especially in combination with public parks and private gardens which are managed for wildlife.

GI can create the opportunity to strengthen a communities’ connection with its surroundings regardless of background or experience. There can be strong cultural associations with nature whether they are based on common insects in an area noted by long standing residents, or the comparative reflections of newcomers to a location which has plants familiar from somewhere else. These historical and cultural links can be used as an alternative/additional hook for creating connections, including with traditionally hard to reach communities. Welcoming nature rich spaces can also be crucial in raising awareness and appreciation of what other benefits GI can offer. Nature on the doorstep can enable children to connect with nature in the everyday journey to school or in their leisure activities.

In order to achieve nature rich and beautiful places, at a strategic level GI should:

• Aim to strengthen ecological networks and reduce fragmentation of habitats
• Help deliver Biodiversity Net Gain requirements
• Contribute to cross species objectives such as pollinator strategies
• Integrate with the Nature Recovery Network and Local Nature Recovery Strategies
• Help achieve targeted individual species recovery
• Maintain and enhance geodiversity assets
• Reduce soil degradation and loss
• Be designed to deliver multiple benefits including landscapes that have a distinct sense of place

England is suffering a health crisis with diabetes, obesity, dementia and mental health issues rising unevenly across the population. Faced with these challenges, as well as those from Covid-19, there is an increasing focus not just on treating conditions, but also on prevention. Changing lifestyles and increasing healthy behaviours particularly physical activity, is seen as critical in helping people live more independent lives for longer.

There is recognition across the health sector that outdoor activity in nature rich spaces can be an alternative or positive complement to other treatments. This applies to mental as well as physical health conditions and can be supported by green social prescribing, which involves referring patients to take part in environment and naturebased activities, such as, walking and cycling, community gardening, food-growing projects and practical conservation tasks such as tree planting. In a number of studies access to greenspace has been associated with improved relaxation, increased functioning of the immune system and better sleep patterns.

Evidence that people in more affluent social groups generally visit the natural environment much more often than less affluent groups including some black and minority ethnic groups, those with a disability or long term illness is well established. Often economically disadvantaged communities who have poorer health and educational outcomes do not have access to good quality natural green or blue spaces close to where they live or work.

Health inequalities are also often compounded by poor housing, higher rates of crime, a lack of places for play and higher risks due to traffic. Due to population density, people on lower incomes can also have to share greenspaces with high numbers of people, making restorative or contemplative experiences more difficult. People on lower incomes may also not have the resources to visit greenspaces that are not close to home. Therefore, to be effective in addressing health needs, green and blue spaces need to be close to where people live and work, be good quality, safe, welcoming, provide the necessary facilities and be well-maintained.

Overall green and blue spaces can have a positive impact on preventing health issues through providing opportunities for more active and healthy lives. GI can also supply other health benefits by helping to address some of the environmental causes of poor health, such as poor air quality, by filtering particulates, and reducing urban summer temperatures by cooling the air.

In order to achieve active and healthy places, at a strategic level GI should:

• Reflect public health authority, health leads, health and wellbeing boards, or clinical commissioning group strategic priorities
• Help achieve area wide specific health targeting for particular illnesses and goals such an increase in social prescribing.
• Align with health funding and support which can also deliver GI.
• Align with active travel plans.

At a local level GI should:

• Maximise health and wellbeing outcomes particularly in deprived areas and for disadvantaged groups.
• Address issues of inequality in access to quality natural greenspace and routes.
• Be manged to deliver indirect benefits such as urban cooling, noise reduction, flood risk management and air quality improvements which can improve health outcomes.

To create opportunities for healthy active lifestyles close to where people live and work, GI policies and implementation plans should aim to use evidence on access to greenspace and the need for active travel routes.

This should include mapped sources of information which can allow application of appropriate standards to help quantify deficits and identify priority locations for health related GI investment. Partnership working between greenspace managers, transport and health professionals should then form part of successful GI planning and delivery.

In the context of growing urbanisation, people have grown distant from nature despite the fact that our economies, livelihoods and well-being all depend on it. Our unsustainable engagement with nature is endangering the prosperity of current and future generations. The solutions start with understanding and accepting that our economies are embedded within nature, not external to it and investing in nature will ultimately repay society with dividends.

Placing accurate economic values on green infrastructure is therefore vital and will help to support the case for sustained investment. For local authorities and statutory bodies high quality environments with natural green spaces and attractive settings can encourage inward investment. This in turn can support retail and high streets, incorporate green forms of transport, create inviting and distinctive workplaces, reduce flood risk and the impact of climate change and provide space for renewable energy generation.

For residents, workers and businesses high quality environments can be a catalyst for regeneration and community ownership, a focus for education, training and volunteering and stimulate job opportunities by attracting investment and tourism. There is evidence that spending time in greenspace can also benefit employees and students as it is associated with improved motor skills, better academic performance and increased concentration.

GI can also provide additional ‘green’ jobs. The range can be from highly specialised experts in ecology, practical implementation such as green roofs, and employment from the products of land including food production and forestry. Although often dispersed compared to manufacturing or retail, jobs from GI can amount to a significant pool of skills and income.

Quality greenspace can have a positive impact on creating settings for investment and acting as a catalyst for wider regeneration. Property owners and businesses place a higher value on properties close to greenspace. Developers have used green infrastructure to add value to projects and differentiate their brand in the marketplace. Selling points have focused on operational savings associated with lower building heating and cooling costs for businesses; more appealing landscape elements; opportunities for recreation; climate resilience and strengthened sense of community.

Creating connectivity and spreading the benefits through networks rather than high investment in individual sites can be an important in ensuring the economic benefits of GI are more evenly available particularly for those in densely populated areas.

In order to achieve thriving and prospering communities, at a strategic level GI should:

• Be an objective within plans and policies for new development and regeneration
• Be placed in a framework which identifies gaps or pinch points where GI demand is not being met and development can contribute to the supply
• Provide opportunities for investment from a broad range of businesses and investors
• Enable opportunities for collaboration between Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), and other strategic economic bodies on integrating GI into economic plans and proposals
• Maximise economies of scale for projects through funding mechanisms which can pool resources for landscape or large-scale projects

At a local level GI should:

• Integrate services such as air quality regulation, flood risk management, noise mitigation, recreation, urban cooling and pollination into development based on local needs
• Use early collaboration with adjacent local authorities, other developers, landowners or infrastructure providers to create opportunities for jointly funded GI

Returns on green infrastructure investment can be high, and in turn increase the scope for levering in private sector investment.

Using planning powers, innovative payments and joint funding streams are key elements which can enable GI to bring regeneration and prosperity.

Green infrastructure can have a strategic and local role in positive water management. Planned and delivered correctly GI can greatly reduce the speed and volume of water reaching drains, sewers and water courses and put that water to beneficial use.

GI can also play a vital role in improving water quality, for example by introducing vegetation which can help trap, filter out or reduce contaminants released to the environment. The recreational benefits of blue infrastructure are also important aspects of GI. These can range from simple waterside access for walking to active sports such as sailing and canoeing and their associated facilities.

Likewise, biodiversity, water and GI link together to provide not only habitat for aquatic creatures but also strategic stopping points for migratory birds navigating between continents. At all scales proactive water management can be integrated into multifunctional corridors and networks of green infrastructure.

Sustainable Drainage Systems or SuDS are a way of managing water using natural processes. SuDS mimic nature in urban environments by holding back rainwater where it falls or letting it soak into the ground, instead of letting it run off hard surfaces like pavements and car parks straight into sewers.

This approach can enable developments to include green roofs and walls, rain gardens, soakaways, permeable pavements and various other water retention features. These measures are capable of slowing the water flow, bringing rain and greywater into use, creating new habitats, reducing water pollution and enhancing and creating recreational opportunities. This can be planned in and integrated as part of a GI from the outset within new developments.

This can help strengthen local and wider GI networks allowing small water based or SuDS assets within sites to be linked to larger landscape scale features beyond. Introducing a SuDS based approach within existing developments is far more challenging and integrated systems can be harder to achieve. This means a long-term vision with a view to identifying opportunities and achieving benefits over time is needed.

In order to achieve positive water management, at a strategic level correct water management within GI should:

• Work as part of drainage and waste water management plans
• Aim to reduce flooding at catchment and local scales, working with natural processes
• Protect groundwater from over exploitation, improve water supply and quality
• Provide water to create new or enhance existing wetland habitats and water courses
• Minimise water pollution and improve water quality
• Reduce coastal erosion
• Improve Climate Change Resilience of freshwater habitats and species

At a local level GI should:

• Help connect recreational, natural green and blue spaces
• Prioritise native species and ensure biosecurity principles are adhered to avoid spreading nonnative invasive species and diseases
• Use water to enhance public open space for a variety of appropriate recreational uses, ensuring potential conflicts are managed
• Provide positive water management through Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS)

To lock in benefits, responsibility for long term maintenance of SuDS must be secured at the outset.

As the climate changes, more extreme weather events are expected. Flash flooding, heat waves, high winds, sea level rise and disruption to transport and communication networks are likely to be more frequent and severe. Green infrastructure can be designed, implemented and managed to help mitigate and adapt to these climate challenges. These interventions can reduce the impact on both wildlife and human populations, fostering resilience and low carbon behaviours.

In the built environment GI can have a strong role in carbon sequestration and reducing CO2 emissions through low carbon approaches to design, construction and long-term maintenance. Renewable energy generation (e.g. ground-source heat pumps) can be incorporated into green and blue space. Gardens, green roofs and rain gardens can contribute to flood water management. Many GI interventions can support more than one climate change objective.

There is a strong interrelationship between GI and managing water. Tree planting, street trees, green roofs and other permeable vegetated surfaces such as open spaces, all play a role in water management, therefore considering how water interacts with GI is crucial. GI also has a strong relationship with travel. Attractive cycling and walking networks as part of GI corridors can contribute to CO2 reduction by providing active travel options.

Strategic tree planting can provide carbon storage and flood water management. GI particularly through trees providing shade and evapotranspiration can help reduce day time temperatures in urban areas and provide health benefits by cooling during heat waves. Trees which give shade to buildings can also reduce need for air conditioning, saving carbon. Trees can also play a vital role in improving air quality by reducing pollution through absorbing harmful gases and particles in the air.

Local communities can get directly involved in climate related GI projects, including tree planting and maintenance, with local engagement a vital element of many successful approaches to GI and climate change.

In order to achieve resilient and climate positive places, at a strategic level GI should:

• Be developed in collaboration with key stakeholders to meet national climate change objectives
• Take account of and be planned to respond to the long term climate change projections in the area
• Contribute to water and transport strategies, policies and plans

At a local level GI should:

• Be audited using local information to improve the climate resilience of existing GI
• Incorporate adaptive management to ensure GI is planned to provide multi-functional benefits and continues to do so as the climate changes

In urban areas where GI maybe more limited, policies and implementation plans for new private and public development should be informed by using local audits. This information can then be used to set local standards to achieve climate change adaption and mitigation through increased GI.

The role of GI in helping to deliver zero carbon targets, managing flood risk and urban cooling makes it a very attractive long-term policy and delivery option. Policy and decision makers should make sure they use GI as a key tool across the board when addressing climate change.