The Landscape Strategy for Glasgow (City Plan Technical Note: Natural Environment) recognises the importance of the City’s green network and the close relationship between environmental quality and economic regeneration. The green network is a rich resource for people to enjoy and helps to fulfil the Council’s commitment to Agenda 21.

The green network comprises greenspace and Green Belt, together with other green features such as street trees, boulevards, institutional and educational grounds, gardens and local amenity spaces.

Landscape treatment in any new development can extend or enhance the green network by providing links to the existing adjacent green network, and/or by providing a linked series of greenspaces throughout the development or by improving the quality of part of the existing green network within the site. It is therefore important that in all new developments, including residential, industrial/business, commercial, educational, health and transport developments, opportunities are taken to extend or enhance the green network.

1. CONTEXT

To achieve a good design a new development must be integrated with its surroundings. It is important that its context, including the local green network, is recognised. Links should be made, wherever possible, to:

2. SITE ANALYSIS 

Landscape components should be surveyed and analysed in order to help achieve an integrated development. This should include:

3. LAYOUT

(a) General Principles

A good layout for a development will consider the location of external spaces from the outset. Developers are encouraged to employ a landscape architect early in the development process.

The following guidance should be taken into account:

(i) good layouts will make provision for a hierarchy of external spaces ranging from secure private spaces to open overlooked spaces where passive surveillance should help to discourage anti-social behaviour. Maintenance operations and the delegation of responsibilities for ensuring their satisfactory implementation, should be made clear to all interested parties. Safety and accessibility should be considered;

(ii) a good layout will give consideration to drainage, including the possibility of opening culverted watercourses in accordance with Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s (SEPA) policy and the possibility of using sustainable urban drainage as encouraged by SEPA (see policy ENV 3: Flood Prevention and Land Drainage);

(iii) appropriate boundary treatments will take cognisance of the adjacent land uses and longer views into the site. For example, developments abutting Green Belt will require the incorporation of an adequate zone for buffer planting (see policy RES 2: Residential Site Layouts);

(iv) where the development abuts a landscape and wildlife corridor which may, or may not, include part of the footpath/cycle network, buildings and hard surfaces shall be kept a minimum of 15m from the site boundary;

(v) areas of car parking shall generally be broken-up with tree and shrub planting and, where appropriate, screened with shrub or hedge planting; and

(vi) developments on hillsides should be sympathetically designed to enhance views into and out of the site and, wherever possible, protect the local skyline.

(b) Residential Development

The following guidance should be taken into account:

(i) where existing trees are to be retained, they should be incorporated within common open spaces rather than in individual gardens;

(ii) landscape buffer planting should be located within common open spaces;

 

(iii) appropriate open space and play areas should be overlooked by, and located on, a safe footpath route accessible from as many houses as possible;

(iv) open space should be located with houses fronting, rather than backing, on to it. If any open space or footpath passes between houses, adequate space for buffer planting between the footpath and the adjacent houses shall be incorporated;

(v) while appropriate tree planting within individual gardens will be welcomed, the landscape of a new development should not rely solely on such tree planting; and

 

(vi) hedge planting of various species shall be encouraged for boundary demarcation, but Leylandii will not be permitted.

(c) Industrial Development

The following guidance should be taken into account:

(i) landscape treatment will enhance the visual amenity, including quality screen planting between industrial sites/buildings and public roads; and

 

(ii) a standard condition will be attached to any planning consent for new industrial/business developments. Landscape for new business (Class 4) developments should provide a minimum of 30% of the proposed area for soft landscaping outwith the Principal Office Area. Exceptions to this will only be considered in the inner urban area where these can be justified for townscape reasons. Suitable provision will be made for landscape maintenance.

(d) Other Developments

The following guidance should be taken into account:

(i) landscape treatment will be designed to provide an attractive setting for buildings taking cognisance of the surrounding land uses, townscape, etc. Suitable provision shall be made for landscape maintenance.

4. QUALITY OF DESIGN 

(a) a good design will make use of a range of hard and soft landscape materials appropriate for the proposed use and be supported by appropriate maintenance. The incorporation of art and decorative lighting will be encouraged (see policies DES 6: Public Art and DES 7: Lighting).

(b) landscape design details should give specifications and construction details for hard and soft elements. For areas of soft landscape, topsoil preparation and depth, plant species, size at planting and planting densities should be detailed.

(c) the recommendations provided in the relevant British Standards on topsoil, drainage, paving, plants and planting and fencing and many other landscape elements should be adopted.

5. MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT 

(a) details of the annual maintenance regime and a statement of, and commitment to, longer term management arrangements are both required.