Ryelands Park. Photo: John Freeman

Lancaster City Council is asking local residents to nominate areas of green and open space within the district which are most important to them.

Green spaces could be valuable to the community because of the wildlife they are home to, their beauty, their cultural or heritage significance, the tranquility they provide or their recreational value.

Those spaces which prove to be demonstrably valuable or significant to an area would form part of the council’s Land Allocations document and be protected from inappropriate development.

Andrew Dobson, Chief Officer (Regeneration and Planning), said:  “Whilst areas of open space or environmental value have always been identified by the council, designation as a Local Green Space is something different. It aims to identify those extra special areas of green and open space and focusses on the fundamental value and importance of these spaces to the local community.

“This is a great opportunity for local residents to protect those green spaces which are important to them.”

This call for sites follows a recent consultation on the way that local green spaces are assessed. The council’s Local Green Spaces Assessment Methodology and nomination form is available to view at www.lancaster.gov.uk/planning/planning-policy and in person at customer service centres at Lancaster and Morecambe Town Hall.

• The deadline for nominations is Friday 24 April 2015 at 5.00pm