NEW COMMONS What, where and why INSPIRING NEW CULTURAL

TRADITIONS FOR NEW GENERATIONS

Presentation to the Newcastle Common Land Conference 5 July 2013,

Duncan Mackay, Principal Advisor, (Reconnecting People and Nature Team), Natural England

NEW COMMONS: WHAT, WHERE & WHY

Presentation content • The good things about commons as an idea • Natural England and ecosystem services • Natural Environment White Paper: reconnecting people • Urban-fringe history: common origins of the National Trust • Hunter and Hill saving urban-fringe commons • MENE evidence and spatial intelligence • Why might new commons be needed: Health & well-being? • What might new commons be like? • Where could new commons be most effective? • Conclusions: space for human and economic growth?

Commons: the good things

• Sharing • Caring • Co-ownership • Getting close to

nature • Empowerment • Giving inspiration • Democratic • ...Fun

Natural England’s aim is to secure a healthy natural environment for people to enjoy, where wildlife is protected and England’s traditional landscapes are safeguarded for future generations by: • promoting nature conservation and protecting biodiversity • conserving and enhancing the landscape • securing the provision and improvement of facilities for the study, understanding and enjoyment of the natural environment

• promoting access to the countryside and open spaces and encouraging open‐air recreation, and

• contributing in other ways to social and economic well‐being through management of the natural environment

Delivering nature’s ecosystem services •A more holistic approach to considering what we all want our natural environment to provide

•To demonstrate that an ecosystem services approach based investment in the natural environment can result in multiple benefits (carbon, water, biodiversity, recreational and health benefits...)

•In partnership, work to deliver a range of ecosystem services in a cost effective way and link to those who benefit from them.

“The natural world is vital to our existence, providing us with essentials such as food, water

and clean air – but also cultural and health benefits not always fully appreciated because

we get them for free. The UK National Ecosystem Assessment is a vital step forward in our ability to understand the true value of nature

and how to sustain the benefits it gives us”

Caroline Spelman Secretary of State for Environment, June 2011

Natural Environment White Paper (NEWP) policy

• ‘We want urban green spaces to be recognised as an essential asset and factored into the development of all communities. They will be managed to provide diverse functions for the benefit of people and wildlife. They will cool urban areas and reduce flood risk, helping communities adapt to a changing climate.’

• ‘They will...play a key role in regeneration projects throughout England supporting local economic growth. Greener neighbourhoods and improved access to nature will improve public health and quality of life and reduce environmental inequalities. Urban green spaces will provide varied ecosystem services and will contribute to coherent and resilient ecological networks’

NEWP Reconnecting people and nature

• “Our ambition is to strengthen the connections between people and nature. We want to help more people enjoy the benefits of nature by giving them more freedom to connect with it”

• “Everyone should have fair access to a good quality natural environment...We want to help people take more responsibility... putting people and local communities in control and making it easier for people to take positive action”

COMMONS WERE AT THE HEART OF THE ORIGINS OF THE NATIONAL TRUST (AND NATIONAL PARKS, LONDON’S GREEN LUNGS & THE OPEN SPACE MOVEMENT)

HISTORY

ROBERT HUNTER’S BATTLE FOR EPPING FOREST 1866-1882

‘A SUGGESTION FOR THE BETTER PRESERVATION OF OPEN SPACES’ 1884

HISTORY

A SUGGESTION FOR THE BETTER PRESERVATION OF OPEN SPACES “Some new agency must be called into existence...The remedy which I suggest for these defects in the existing means of protecting open spaces will have occurred to those who have followed me so far. I advocate the formation of a Corporate Company...”

A SUGGESTION FOR THE BETTER PRESERVATION OF OPEN SPACES “...the main functions of the Company would consist in: (1) the acquisition and holding of properties to which common rights are attached; (2) the acquisition of manors, manorial rights, commons and other wastes of manors, downs, moors and other open spaces...”

A SUGGESTION FOR THE BETTER PRESERVATION OF OPEN SPACES “...the central idea is that of a Land Company, formed not for the promotion of thrift or the spread of political principles, and not primarily for profit, but with a view to the public interests in the open spaces of the country”

A SUGGESTION FOR THE BETTER PRESERVATION OF OPEN SPACES “An experience of nearly twenty years in defending open spaces of the country has convinced me that an organisation such as I have suggested would cure a radical defect in the existing machinery for the purpose, and would supply a most valuable means by which to give effect to public opinion on the subject of open spaces”

“We all need space; unless we have it, we cannot reach that sense of quiet in which whispers of better things come to us gently” Octavia Hill 1888

NEW COMMONS, A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE USING AN ECOSYSTEM APPROACH

WHY?

Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) Distance of visit

MENE Reasons for visits

MENE visits c.42% of ‘countryside’ visits are in the urban fringe within 5 miles from home

In a town or city 3.14 billion visits

(39%)

Seaside resort or town 536.2 million visits

(7%)

Other seaside coastline 305.1 million visits

(4%)

Over 5 miles 19%

3 to 5 miles 17%

Up to 2 miles 64%

Countryside 4.1 billion visits

(51%)

General places visited in the natural environment: MENE 2009 - 12

PROVISIONING: FOOD, WATER, WASTE CULTURAL: HEALTH, ART, SPIRIT, RECREATION

BIODIVERSITY: SPACE FOR URBAN NATURE

WHY NEW COMMONS? URBAN ECOSYSTEM SERVICES & FUTURE CLIMATE CHANGE

THE LAND TRUST AND NEW COMMONS

• Sir Robert Hunter’s 1884 ‘suggestion’ led to the creation of the National Trust in 1895

• In today’s situation the recently created Land Trust is supplying the new model in creating open spaces close to where people live. These supply the fullest range of ecosystem services and the land is held for public access benefit ‘in perpetuity’

• The Land Trust has agreed to test the concept of new commons by granting novel rights of common over land in its ownership

• Selection of suitable places has commenced with initial consideration focused on the North East and South Yorkshire

• Further details will be announced later in 2013

• First new common could be created in 2014

The LAND TRUST

• Work with local partners to acquire and manage land – where possible in perpetuity

• Promote the value of sustainable and high quality green space for public benefit

• Work with partners and

investors to make a major contribution to wider regeneration and socio-economic development

• Communities

• Health

• Education

• Economy

• Environment

NEW MULTI-PURPOSE GREEN SPACES IN AND AROUND SETTLEMENTS

WHAT MIGHT LAND TRUST NEW COMMONS BE LIKE?

NEW COMMONS CO-CREATED BY LAND TRUST & LOCAL PEOPLE FOR MUTUAL LONG TERM BENEFITS: LOCALISM

ENGAGING NEW COMMONS: MANY IDEAS, MANY FUNCTIONS

NEW COMMONS FOR CHILDREN: GROWING SPACE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

Community Orchards and Common Rights to take fruit FOR HEALTH & WELL-BEING

Common Rights to fallen wood FOR THE CLIMATE CHANGE GENERATIONS

Common Rights to forage AND SPACE FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY FOOD GROWING

Potential grazing rights for geese and other livestock FOR GREEN ECONOMY URBAN FARMING

WITHIN 2 MILES OF ‘HOME’ & WHERE NATURE DEFICIT IS MOST ACUTE

WHERE COULD NEW COMMONS BE MOST EFFECTIVE?

In a town or city 3.14 billion visits

(39%)

Seaside resort or town 536.2 million visits

(7%)

Other seaside coastline 305.1 million visits

(4%)

Over 5 miles 19%

3 to 5 miles 17%

Up to 2 miles 64%

Countryside 4.1 billion visits

(51%)

General places visited in the natural environment: MENE 2009 - 12

ECOSYSTEM COMMONS? SPACE FOR HUMAN GROWTH UNINCLOSURE MOVEMENT?

LAND TRUST NEW COMMONS: CONCLUSIONS

NEW SKILLS & NEW ENTERPRISE

OLD WISDOM

Sir Robert Hunter 1910 “The [Open Space] movement...is animated by two ideas –one, that the people of this country should have some interest in the land of the country, the other, that the amenities of everyday life should be placed within reach of rich and poor alike .”

NEW DRIVER: EUAN HALL, CEO, THE LAND TRUST “Public open space is more than just a ‘nice thing’, a good view or something created as an add on with whatever is left of the budget - it has real economic and social value, attracting investment, improving health and creating social cohesion “

CONTACT Duncan Mackay: duncan.mackay@naturalengland.org.uk

Reconnecting People and Nature Team Telephone (mobile) 0777 155 0801

www.naturalengland.org.uk