Green Infrastructure

What the Land Trust believes

We believe that Green Infrastructure is a critical element of sustainable development and must not be overlooked within the planning system.

Green Infrastructure is the network of natural elements, green spaces, rivers, canals and lakes that are in and around our urban environments, connecting them together.  Well maintained Green Infrastructure provides many benefits to society, including:

• Helping communities to adapt to and manage with changing climates
• Making our environments more resilient and healthy, such as improving air soil and water quality, helping to reduce flood risk, acting as natural drainage systems (SuDS) and supporting and enhancing biodiversity
• Improving health and wellbeing, creating spaces for people to use for exercise, socialising, relaxing, unwinding and enjoying wildlife
• Reducing pressures on health services and reducing public sector costs.

What we want to achieve

We want to ensure that decision makers recognise Green Infrastructure as an essential element of any urban environment and acknowledge how it can help tackle existing and future economic, environmental and social challenges.

We want to see explicit and strong support from Government on the value of Green Infrastructure within the built environment and for this to be reflected in guidance and best practice, as well as a commitment to support investment mechanisms for managing it long term.

What we are doing

We are showcasing the value of Green Infrastructure by building relationships with key decision makers and contributing to and publishing research, such as reports and guidance documents to secure a clear commitment to Green Infrastructure.

Langdon Lake and Meadow

Upton

View across River Mersey from Port Sunlight River Park

SUDS at Upton