Last updated: October 2021
Lodge Hill is a nature area allocated to become a settlement capable of delivering approximately 5000 dwellings by 2028 (original plans). Green infrastructure is a key component of the current plans and specific GI implementation will be based on the existing GI assets. Specifically, the plans include green corridors, sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDs), various parks and street greenery, community allotments, buffer zones around sites of special scientific importance (SSSIs) and woodland (Ref 1). The plans for Lodge Hill have been controversial, as Chattenden Woods and Lodge Hill Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is a nationally important area of ancient woodland and rare grassland that supports one of the largest populations of nightingales in the UK (Ref. 7, 8, 9). In 2018 Kent Wildlife Trust started a campaign (#SaveLodgeHill) to ask Medway Council to not to allocate Lodge Hill development, which has resulted in a scaled-back version of the original plans for Lodge Hill from the construction of 2,000 to 500 houses, avoiding any direct loss of the Site of Special Scientific Interest - which will still have an impact on the nightingale's population (Reg. 7).
Aerial View of the Lodge Hill Settlement (2007)
Murdoch Wickham, retrieved 08/15/2018
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green roofs
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
- Railroad bank and track greens
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
- Green corridors and green belts
- Community gardens and allotments
- Allotments
- Green areas for water management
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
Key challenges
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Regulation of built environment
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Real estate development
- Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
- Preservation of natural heritage
- Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Maintenance and management of urban nature
Project objectives
The original goals of the project included:
1. To create a sense of place and ownership to a community and thereby reduce anti-social behaviour;
2. To promote physical activities for improved health and lifestyle;
3. Protect historic sites and damaged habitats;
4. Improve drainage and flood mitigation with Sustainable Urban Drainage systems;
5. Attract business and investment;
6. Improve access to green open spaces (Ref 1).
Implementation activities
Planned implementation activities included: 1. To incorporate SUDs into the network of open spaces and existing hydrology, 2. form a green grid with new plantings to connect the existing open green spaces (e.g. walkways, buildings, railways, green roofs), 3. Create a wildlife corridor, 4. Create community allotments, 5. Maintain buffer zones around existing woodland and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), 6. create outdoor sports facilities (Ref 1).
Since 2018 the project plans have been changed, as the project was considered controversial since Chattenden Woods and Lodge Hill Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) are important areas of ancient woodland and rare grassland that supports one of the largest populations of nightingales in the UK (Ref. 7, 8, 9). The project has been scaled-back from the original plans for Lodge Hill from the construction of 5000 to 500 houses, avoiding any direct loss of the Site of Special Scientific Interest - which will still have an impact on the nightingale's population (Reg. 7).
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The planning of Lodge Hill is lead by the local government (Ref 2), with several private companies involved in the developed and construction of the infrastructural development.
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Yes
(A number of surveys of the site have been conducted to inform the development plans, one of which specifically in response to EU legislation regarding protected species (Ref 3). )
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(Lodge Hill contains Sites of Special Scientific Interest, a national conservation designation denoting a protected area, which entails specific legislation (Ref 3). )
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(1. The plans and development briefs are to expand the Medway Core Strategy until 2028 (Ref 2), 2. The Medway Wildlife, countryside and open space strategy 2008-2016 encourages equal opportunity for citizens to access quality green spaces and yield their benefits. Of the latter, particularly important are strategies for SSSIs, Woodland, Accessible Natural Greenspace Standards, Meway Open Space Network, Play Policy, Formal Sports Pitch Provision, Urban Parks and Amenity Provision and Allotments (Ref 1). )
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Unknown
Type of funding
- Unknown
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, No impacts reported
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
Ref 1: Land Securities and the Defense Infrastructure Organisation. (2011). Lodge Hill evidence base: Green infrastructure and delivery. Available at: Source link (Accessed 01/12/2020)
Ref 2-3 : Medway Council. (2011). Lodge Hill development brief. Available at: Source link (Accessed 01/12/2020)
Ref 4: Medway Council. (n.d.). Lodge Hill. (Website not available in 2020)
Ref. 5: Medway Council. (2018). Lodge Hill Masterplan. Available at: Source link (Accessed 01/12/2020)
Ref. 6: Environment Bank (2012) Biodiversity Offsetting to compensate for nightingale habitat loss at Lodge Hill, Kent. Available at: Source link (Accessed 01/12/2020)
Ref. 7: Kent Wildlife Trust (2018)Lodge Hill. Available at: Source link (Accessed 01/12/2020)
Ref. 8: The Guardian (2014) Nightingales v 5,000 new homes: the battle over the woods of Lodge Hill. Available at: Source link. (Accessed 01/12/2020)
Ref. 9: KentLive (2019)These garden towns and cities will change the face of Kent as you know it by 2050. Available at: Source link (Accessed 01/12/2020)
Ref 2-3 : Medway Council. (2011). Lodge Hill development brief. Available at: Source link (Accessed 01/12/2020)
Ref 4: Medway Council. (n.d.). Lodge Hill. (Website not available in 2020)
Ref. 5: Medway Council. (2018). Lodge Hill Masterplan. Available at: Source link (Accessed 01/12/2020)
Ref. 6: Environment Bank (2012) Biodiversity Offsetting to compensate for nightingale habitat loss at Lodge Hill, Kent. Available at: Source link (Accessed 01/12/2020)
Ref. 7: Kent Wildlife Trust (2018)Lodge Hill. Available at: Source link (Accessed 01/12/2020)
Ref. 8: The Guardian (2014) Nightingales v 5,000 new homes: the battle over the woods of Lodge Hill. Available at: Source link. (Accessed 01/12/2020)
Ref. 9: KentLive (2019)These garden towns and cities will change the face of Kent as you know it by 2050. Available at: Source link (Accessed 01/12/2020)