Green Infrastructure Standards for England (Summary)

Launched in January 2023, Natural England invites you to explore the new Green Infrastructure Framework.

Green Flag Award via Keep Britain Tidy were involved in the formation of the standards and the programme forms an integral part of quality evaluation within the standards.

*The Resource provided is a summary document of the Green Infrastructure Framework. For the full suite of documents and guidance visit: Natural England - Green Infrastructure Framework website

About the framework:

Good quality Green Infrastructure (GI) has an important role to play in our urban and rural environments for improving health and wellbeing, air quality, nature recovery and resilience to and mitigation of climate change, along with addressing issues of social inequality and environmental decline.

The Green Infrastructure Framework is a commitment in the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan. It supports the greening of our towns and cities and connections with the surrounding landscape as part of the Nature Recovery Network. Networks of green and blue spaces and other natural features can bring big benefits for nature and climate, health and prosperity. At present access to green and blue spaces varies considerably across the country, and there are opportunities for these important assets to be better managed for the environment and to deliver a wider range of multifunctional benefits.

The framework comprises:

• Green Infrastructure Principles: the why, what and how of good green infrastructure.
  
  
• Green Infrastructure Standards: guidance on national standards for green infrastructure quantity and quality.
  
  
• Green Infrastructure Maps: mapped environmental, socio-economic datasets to support the standards.
  
  
• Green Infrastructure Planning and Design Guide: practical, evidence-based advice on how to design good quality green infrastructure.
  
  
• Green Infrastructure Process Journeys: guides on how to apply all the products in the Green Infrastructure Framework.

About Natural England:

Natural England helps to protect and restore our natural world. Natural England is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the UK Government Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.

Visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england