South Ayrshire
Open Space Strategy
3rd August 2011
An Open Space Strategy for South
Ayrshire

South Ayrshire Council’s Open Space Strategy was prompted by:
o
o
The requirements set out in Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) and PAN65 “Planning & Open
Space” by carrying out a study and analysis of South Ayrshire’s Open Spaces.
Heightened issues surrounding open space management.

Open Space Strategy is a means of co-ordinating the aims and objectives of
different Council departments with responsibilities for open space.

Open Space Working Group has been established and is being led by Lorna Jarvie
(Sustainability Officer). Working Group consists of representatives from the
Council’s:
o
o
o
o
Sustainability Team
Neighbourhood Services
Planning Service
Education
How the Strategy will be produced?
Overarching Aims/ specific objectives
Open Space Strategy working group
consultation
Quantitative Audit
Scoping and undertaking spatial mapping
Qualitative Assessment
Assessing open space quality/ on-site assessment
Open Space Strategy Development
Adoption and implementaiton of Strategy
Overarching Aims of the Strategy

3 draft overarching aims have been identified which
link to South Ayrshire Council’s Single Outcome
Agreement: o
o
o
To assist in creating attractive, safe and sustainable
environments;
To support outdoor leisure and recreation, which make a
significant contribution to the quality of life in South
Ayrshire; and
To generate a positive image for South Ayrshire’s towns
and villages.
Specific Strategy Objectives

From the draft overarching aims of the Strategy, the following draft objectives have
been identified:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
To provide quality, attractive and accessible open spaces which are functional and meet the
current and future needs of the community;
To encourage and facilitate healthy lifestyles and wellbeing for all;
To contribute to the economic prosperity of South Ayrshire by assisting in attracting tourism
and inward investment;
To provide and encourage the use of facilities and open space for educational and cultural
purposes;
To conserve, manage and enhance opportunities for biodiversity and wildlife;
To ensure that the aims, objectives and actions of the Open Space Strategy contribute to the
vision and goals of key PPP’s and facilitates partnership working e.g. Central Scotland Green
Network, Ayrshire & Arran Woodland Strategy;
To encourage and facilitate greater community engagement & participation in all aspects of
Open Space management;
To provide a framework for Best Value and improvement in the quality and delivery of South
Ayrshire’s public open spaces;
To inform the preparation of the forthcoming and subsequent Local development Plan(s) and
to assist in the determination of planning applications; and
To assist in the mitigation of Climate Change and to incorporate adaptation measures where
appropriate e.g. SUDS
SEA and the Open Space Strategy


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
Working group has determined that the Open Space
Strategy has the potential to significantly affect the
environment. Therefore a Strategic Environment
Assessment (SEA), as dictated by the Environmental
Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005, requires to be
undertaken while developing this strategy.
SEA scoping report has been drafted and has been/ is
ready to be sent to consultation authorities.
SEA Environmental Report to be developed in tandem
with the development of the Open Space Strategy.
Scoping report and a consultation questionnaire will
form initial community consultation.
Open Space audit

SPP & PAN65 requires local authorities to undertake an audit of open spaces within their area.

Audit should cover all types of open space, public and privately owned.

SPP & PAN65 do not, however, detail audit parameters and priorities. Audit parameters yet to be
decided and have been incorporated into the consultation questionnaire.
o
Access standards – should we have one in South Ayrshire? Greenspace Scotland suggest that everyone
should be within a 300m walking distance of open space.
o
Sizes of Open space – what size of open space should we measure down to?
o
Landownership – 3 categories (Private, public and previously maintained council sites)
o
Depth of urban fringe – areas beyond settlement boundaries – what distance should we measure?
o
Should open space be categorised into public useable open space and functional open space?
Open Space Audit

Types of Open Space – what do the public consider to be
open space? Is the PAN65 typology sufficient? Should beaches
be included?
Types of Open Space
Public parks and gardens
Private gardens or grounds
Amenity green space
Play space for children and
teenagers
Sports areas
Green corridors
Natural/ semi-natural
greenspaces
Allotments and community
growing spaces
Civic space
Burial grounds
Other functional greenspace
Quantitative audit

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Greenspace Scotland has produced a greenspace mapping dataset
which provides South Ayrshire with a quantitative record of open
spaces that exist within settlements of 3000+ population.
Mapping dataset is consistent with the typology set out in both SPP
& PAN65.
However, rural parts of district include a number of settlements
with population of <3000. Therefore, mapping dataset does not
provide quantitative records for the majority of rural areas.
Working group considered it unreasonable to exclude populations
of <3000 from audit. So all settlements, as identified by the SALP, to
be subject to quantitative audit.
Web based application to be developed, which will be consistent
with the methodology set out in the greenspace mapping dataset
Therefore, the quantitative audit will be more reflective of the
needs of the community.
Qualitative Assessment


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Qualitative assessment is probably the most complex
area to secure consistent evaluation.
A scoring system will be developed and used to
undertake the qualitative assessment.
The suggestion, at this stage, is that the Council’s
Ground Maintenance Area foremen/ forewoman will be
trained to undertake assessments of the various open
spaces as: o
o
o
Council will save money by using own employees;
Foremen/ forewoman know the area better than anyone;
and
More likely to get consistent assessment and less variance.
Open Space Strategy Development

Using the information from the audit, an Open Space
Strategy will be developed which sets out the vision for
new and improved open spaces and seeks to address any
deficiencies identified.

The open space strategy will have a number of advantages:
o
o
o
o
Heightened public awareness of the resource and the issues
surrounding its protection and management;
Improved rationale for policy, land disposal and spending
decisions;
Stronger basis for accessing funds for improvements; and
Basis for greater partnership working with other organisations
and bodies interested in the development, management and use
of open space.
Implementation
The Open Space Strategy is not an end in
itself.
 A Post Adoption Statement, within or
additional to the strategy, will set out the
detail of delivery and implementation,
informed by the priorities and outcomes set
out within the main strategy.

Anticipated Timescales
South Ayrshire Open Space Strategy Proposed Timescale
Preparation of overarching outcomes,
specific objectives and SEA Scoping
Report
June/ July 2011 {COMPLETED}
Consult on the above
Early August 2011 – mid September 2011
Completion of the audit
Mid September 2011
Develop Open Space Strategy taking into
consideration comments from initial
consultation and findings from the audit
Early August 2011 – mid October 2011
Period of formal consultation
Mid October – mid December 2011
Consider comments and finalise Open
Space Strategy
Mid December – January 2012
Adoption of Plan
January 2012