Transcript Natural England Presentation

ERDF style Green Infrastructure.
Martin Moss. Senior Advisor, Green
Infrastructure Operations England.
What is ERDF looking for?
• Specific Objective 6.1 sets the
scene.
• “Investments in Green and
Blue Infrastructure and actions
to support the provision of
ecosystem services on which
businesses and communities
depend to increase local
natural capital and support
economic growth”.
• But there is a context;
• “Outside of the farmed
landscape”;
• “Targeted improvements in the
urban environment through an
increase in the area of Green
Infrastructure”.
• ERDF intended to compliment
EAFRD (Countryside
Stewardship) but spatially to
be mutually exclusive – The
Demarcation Issue..
So ERDF is looking for;
• Green AND Blue infrastructure
(Land and water) in the “nonfarmed landscape”.
• That delivers Ecosystem
Services.
• That benefit Businesses and
communities
• Builds Natural Capital.
• And Supports economic
objectives.
So what are Green Infrastructure, Ecosystem
Services and Natural Capital?
• Need to understand;
• What GI is about.
• What Ecosystem Services are
about.
• What Natural Capital is about.
• A complex cloud of competing
conceptuality?
• How do these things relate to
each other?
• ERDF uses the GI definition
from the National Planning
Policy Framework.
• “A network of multi-functional
green space, urban and rural,
which is capable of delivering
a wide range of environmental
and quality of life benefits for
local communities”.
• But is that very helpful?
Need people to see GI as an
infrastructure in its own right.
Green Infrastructure is about working with
nature to provide services and benefits for
people and the economy.
GI is a critical infrastructure just like
transport. It consists of series of individual
components that together deliver multiple
services and benefits for humans, and
homes for wildlife.
Key elements of GI – Nature doing a job.
• Green = something to do with
nature - GI is about working
with nature.
• Infrastructure – provides a
service - There to do a job.
• Therefore need to know;
• What GI is needed.
• What job it is needed for.
• Where it needs to be to deliver
the benefits.
Not The National Grid …………The Natural Grid
This is not Grey …………… It’s Green (and blue!).
Relating GI, Ecosystem Services and Natural
Capital Type.
From biodiversity to value.
GI TYPE / Feature
Biodiversity
The thing
EVAPOTRANSPIRATION
CLIMATE CHANGE
ADAPTATION URBAN COOLING
£ REDUCED
AIRCONDITIONING
COSTS/HEALTH
CARBON
SEQUESTRATION
CLIMATE CHANGE
MITIGATION
£ MARKET VALUE
OF CO2 STORED
PARTICULATE
FILTERING
IMPROVED AIR
QUALITY
£ REDUCED
HEALTH COSTS
GI FUNCTION
GI BENEFIT
Ecosystem Services
The “So what factor”.
GI VALUE (£)
Natural Capital
The bottom line.
Focus of investment for PA6d.
• All PA6 GI projects need to
contribute towards biodiversity
priorities with a particular focus
on water, grassland and
woodland habitats.
• In addition projects need to
deliver at least one socioeconomic benefit from a list.
• This list is effectively a high
level options list for required GI
Ecosystem Services / Benefits.
• Flood and water management.
• Water and air pollution
management.
• Economic growth and
investment.
• Health and well-being
(Recreation if linked to growth
benefit).
• Provision of products from the
land.
• Climate Change adaptation
and mitigation.
• In other words – Biodiversity
doing a job.
GI contribution to economic objectives - The
evidence base – Micro Economic Benefits of
Investing in the Environment.
• Extensive, increasing, multidisciplinary – but still early
days.
• Many research questions are
being identified as gaps in
understanding become
apparent.
• BUT …
• Natural England have
compiled a broad literature
review.
• First published in 2012 –
MEBIE 2 published 2014.
• Thorough review of literature
on the benefits of investment in
the natural environment.
•
http://publications.naturalengland.org.u
k/publication/32031
•
PA6 does not oblige you to prove the
economic outputs of a project.
Output indicator relates to Ha of land
brought into “higher conservation
status”.
However, PA6 calls may ask for
projects to demonstrate their
relationship with local growth
objectives.
•
•
GI supporting Growth.
• Defra / Natural England report
by Eftec – 2013
• Green Infrastructure’s
contribution to economic
growth – a review.
• Found that GI can support
economic growth in range of
ways, including;
•
http://sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk/Defa
ult.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=More&
Location=None&Completed=0&Project
ID=19056
• Attracting inward investment.
• Increasing visitor spending
(increased footfall).
• Providing environmental cost
savings (pollution filtration,
flood risk management etc).
• Health improvements leading
to increased productivity.
• Market sales (products from
the land).
• Employment generation
(Green Space sector accounts
for 5% of jobs in England).
GI as an employment sector - A recent study in
Greater Manchester.
• A study in Greater Manchester
is 2013 estimated that the GI
sector involved;
• 15,000 jobs linked to, or
dependant upon Green
Infrastructure.
• A sector generating £470
million GVA for the local
economy.
• Averaging £31,000 GVA/Full
time equivalent jobs.
• The new EU Green Growth
Opportunity.
• Greater Manchester Briefing.
• Natural Economy Northwest
Investment Forum.
• August 2013.
•
http://www.greeninfrastructurenw.co.uk/reso
urces/The_new_EU_green_growth_opportu
nity_Greater_Manchester.pdf
Challenges with accessing PA6d.
• Minimum grant threshold of
£500 K.
• ERDF is new to many
organisations and PA6 is new
to ERDF / DCLG.
• Demarcation with EAFRD –
you need to be looking at the
right sort of land.
• Short 6 week call durations.
• Probable need for partnership
“warm up period” – being
ready for the call before its
issued.
• “Oven ready” projects – no
project development grant.
So what might be involved in an ERDF GI
Proposal? Experience so far …
• Partnership – probably need
to work as a consortium.
• Supporting evidence to
provide clarity on outcomes
sought – What GI and where –
but also WHY.
• A spatial proposition – how
will the proposed investment
relate to local strategic
objectives (planning and
economic).
• A programme of strategic
interventions – a collection of
interventions linked to the
spatial proposition.
Don’t forget to use your local GI strategy !
It’s there to help you.
• GI Strategy can;
• Provide evidence.
• Show strategic fit – policy and
spatial plans.
• Enable partner support – GI
strategies have wide
stakeholder buy in.
• Strategic bids can be
developed on the basis of local
GI Strategy – set out what the
investment would do to
contribute toward its delivery.
• Help to put your case.
Some other examples of strategic approaches
being taken elsewhere:
Example project 1 – PA6 within Sustainable
Urban Development Strategies.
• Liverpool City Region.
• The Liverpool City Region GI
Framework (Nature at Work)
was used to provide the
backing evidence for
developing ERDF related GI
proposals (Prospectus of
investable projects) in the
context of priorities set out in
the Strategic Economic Plan
(SEP).
• SEP + GI Framework =
Strategic projects programme.
Defined the key benefits sought from ERDF GI
investment in Liverpool City Region.
Core ecosystem
services / GI
Benefits sought.
Nature + job
Reviewed the spatial strategic economic
investment interests in the SEP.
Developed a GI projects Prospectus for ESIF
delivery – assessment process.
• A long list of 90 sites and their issues – investment risk such as
poor image, flood risk, contamination and climate change impacts.
• Can GI help? What GI interventions could help address the issues?
• What GI benefits might be delivered (economic growth, health and
climate change adaptation and mitigation).
• Criteria used to create a ‘short list’ of Strategic Investment Areas
(SIA) where GI projects might help secure investment.
• The delivery costs identified.
• Estimated economic value of GI interventions in terms of new jobs
and Gross Value Added (GVA) was then calculated.
Developed the short list – most promising places.
• Criteria based assessment –
• There are issues in the SIA that green infrastructure
can help resolve.
• Partners are willing to engage in a Strategic Alliance to
implement GI.
• Partners are willing to use their investment as match
funding.
• The sites are ready to progress and they can deliver
significant outputs for ESIF.
Proposed outputs.
• Total number of jobs attributable to GI – 227.
• Total investment made by investors in buildings and infrastructures £163 million.
• Total cost of GI interventions - £10.8 million.
• Area of GI created – 91 Ha.
• GVA from GI interventions - £17.9 million.
• Impact of local property value - £207.7 million uplift.
• Wider economic (non-GVA) benefits £176 million.
• Cost per job - £47,651
• Cost per Ha - £118,894
Example project 2 – Strategic programme
proposal in current programme.
• Black Country Blue Network.
• Partnership proposition
involving.
• Seeking to;
• “Improve habitat quality and
ecological networks by
investment in GI along the
area’s waterways and linked
green space”.
• Black Country Local
Authorities.
• Environment Agency.
• Canal and Rivers Trust.
• Birmingham and Black Country
Wildlife Trust.
• Source of match funding.
Strategic context leading to strategic programme
of delivery.
• Based on previous strategic
initiatives including;
• Black Country Urban Park.
• Black Country Nature
Improvement Area.
• These provided the strategic
context.
• Partnership developed a
programme of specific
proposals within the strategic
context.
• 13 specific projects.
• Total programme value - £3.88
million.
• Total ERDF requested - £1.73
million.
Key outcomes – A multi-functional product –
nature doing a job.
• Nature - Improved habitats
and connectivity.
• Doing a job – broad benefits;
• Outputs –
• Encouraging healthy
lifestyles.
• Access to nature.
• Attracting investment
improved quality of urban
landscape and area image.
• Improved quality of life.
• Climate change – flood and
water management, urban
heat island.
• 11 Ha rehabilitated land.
• 191 Ha of land in “better
conservation status”.
• Due to deliver by 31st Dec
2018
GI as Natural Capital – Beam Parklands example
Here’s one we made earlier – GI as Natural
Capital.
• Beam Parklands.
• Owned by The Land Trust.
• Located in East London.
• A previous ERDF investment.
• A 53 Ha site.
• Previous flood protection asset
protecting local businesses,
homes and power station.
• But a problem site.
Something had to be done … Investment mix.
• Inputs –
• Outputs –
• ERDF - £1.5 million.
• Environment Agency - £1
million
• DCLG funds (Parklands) - £1.9
million.
• Landfill tax credits - £0.25
million
• Barking and Dagenham
Council £50,000
• A brownfield site transformed
by taking a Green
Infrastructure approach.
• 12 Ha of Priority Habitat
created.
• 2 km River Beam restoration.
• 30,000 cubic metres of
additional flood storage
capacity.
•
Key Functions delivered by the site.
• Nature - Connecting and
enhancing biodiversity
habitats.
• Doing a job;
• Creating opportunity for access
to nature.
• Promoting opportunity for
recreation and play.
• Remediating previous land fill
sites.
• Improved flood water
management.
• Adaptation to climate change.
The balance Sheet – Beam Parklands Natural
Capital Account (Eftec for GLA Nov 2015)
• Net Present Values over 99
years.
• Flood damage costs avoided £19 million.
• Local community benefits - £26
million.
• Total £42 million (adjusted for
costs) and lots of biodiversity
too.
• Change due to investment –
• Net Natural Capital Asset
value 2009 - £21 m
• Gain due to investment =
£10 m
• Gain due to local population
growth - £12 m
• Gross NCAV - £43 m
• Liabilities - £1 m
• Net NCAV - £42 m
ERDF investment can;
• Increase and improve local Green Infrastructure.
• Boost its ability to deliver local ecosystem services.
• Help build local Natural Capital.
• Benefit local communities and businesses.
• Improve the local Natural Capital Balance sheet – its worth it !
• Its also worth working together to make it happen - good luck !
Where to start? We don’t have to start from
scratch – D2N2 previous work.
Strategy Coverage in D2N2 Area:
6Cs strategic network and funded schemes:
Erewash Valley:
A 30 mile circular walking and
cycling route that is:
Helping promote regeneration of
former industrial landscapes
Creating a brand identity which local
communities and businesses
recognise and value
Working with NHS partners to
engage local communities and
deliver health and wellbeing benefits
Delivering on Lawton Principles of
bigger, better and more joined up
Thank you and questions.