Adoption, Ownership and Long-Term Stewardship and Delivery of Public Open

ace. Policy ID.16 Adoption, Ownership and Long-Term Stewardship and Delivery of Public Open Space A. Management Public open space delivered through development will be offered to either the relevant town or parish council or the Local Planning Authority. Adoption by either the town or parish council or the Local Authority is the preferred and expected management approach. Together with a 30-year commuted maintenance sum. The provision of Open Space must be accompanied by a Management and Maintenance Plan which will: • define a maintenance standards, inspection regimes and performance outcomes; • set clear responsibilities for maintenance, funding, and access and include mechanisms for addressing under performance. It must also contain a provision for a yearly joint inspection with the Council. B. Requirements The following criteria will apply: 1. Open space must remain permanently accessible to the public without restriction and protected for public use in perpetuity. 2. Quality will be confirmed by the issuing of a completion certificate/s 3. Open space will not be adopted where approved landscaping or open space has not been delivered in line with the approved plans, unless appropriate financial provision is secured to ensure these elements will be provided by the Local Planning Authority in default. The failure to provide these elements onsite, does not remove the obligation to pay for these elements when measured off from the approved plans. 4. Transfer to a private management company will only be supported in exceptional circumstances, where the town or parish council or Local Planning Authority has formally declined the offer. In such circumstances, the establishment of a resident’s association to manage the open space will then be explored. Only where a resident’s association also declines the offer, will private third party management companies be permitted.