PPG17 specialists, Knight, Kavanagh & Page (KKP) is pleased to have the opportunity to work with Newark and Sherwood District Council, the district famed worldwide for its connections with Robin Hood and the home to Sherwood Forest, to deliver its community green space improvement plans.

Improvement plans to protect green space provision

This assignment involves stepping in at a slightly different stage of a PPG17 assessment and is, thus, of particular interest to us.

The Council is working to improve and protect the district's open spaces and outdoor recreational facilities and has commissioned KKP to apply previously developed local standards and identify deficiencies in provision. The results of this work will inform the delivery of its area improvement plans. The study will examine the quality, distribution and use of open spaces and outdoor recreational facilities as well as identifying how current provision can be improved.

Through spending time talking to people from the various communities of Newark and Sherwood, KKP will unearth key issues and requirements and explore the specific concerns of key district communities. Analysed alongside our quality fieldwork this will lead to production of accurate and robust improvement plans. These will take account of forecasted social and demographic change, housing development and other regeneration and intervention based projects.

A track record in PPG17 studies

An unmatched balance of strategic and operational management and understanding and contemporary expertise, places KKP at the forefront of open spaces, outdoor recreation, play and playing pitch strategy work in the UK.

Our open space team brings specific, practical knowledge and an integrated balance of professional skills, experience and qualifications. We have strong background in community engagament and in dealing with issues associated with provision in market towns and related hinterlands.

Contemporary experience includes recently completed PPG17 related studies in neighbouring Bassetlaw as well as the Peak Region, Teesdale, Carrick and the Lake District.

Claire Fallon, Principal Consultant and one of the industry's leading experts in this field manages all Company open space studies. She said,

"Our capacity and expertise in this area of work has grown steadily since the late 1990s absorbing PPG17 and equivalent government policy in Scotland and Wales together with other guidance such as Towards a Level Playing Field. Our work will provide Newark and Sherwood with clear, relevant, in-depth guidance on how to protect and enhance its provision for the future planning and protection of open space, sport and recreation facilities."