This assignment included delivering an open space assessment and standards paper, an indoor/built facilities assessment and strategy and a playing pitch strategy. A key challenge was accommodating Kettering and Corby council shared service arrangement for the management, maintenance and enhancement of existing open spaces and the creation of new provision. This required detailed consultation with relevant officers to fully interrogate existing processes and evaluate what to set in place and related to the objective to improve resident health and wellbeing.
The unique geography and historic development of Kettering provided a legacy of green and blue infrastructure that hosts places and open spaces for people and wildlife to benefit from. We provided detailed information with regard to the condition, distribution, and quality of provision and quantified demand based on population distribution, planned growth and consultation. All typologies are assets within GIN and so the quality improvements recommended and exploring ways to better connect open spaces all supported the aims set out in the Green Infrastructure Development Plan.
We determined which open space to protect and/or enhance, which was surplus to requirement and strengthened development of the Borough’s green infrastructure. In developing draft planning policy for the Ketttering Local Plan we aligned this to the North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy, prioritising specific authority capital and revenue investment and the justification to secure S106 agreements.
I can’t thank KKP enough for your unerring patience and overall commitment for getting this project to the finishing line. You have all been amazing and I am grateful for the due diligence you have all shown in meeting our client needs. All three studies have been well used already and are proving to be valuable tools in our decision making.