Urban Greening Factor for England – Development and Technical Analysis (NERR132)

Natural England has developed an Urban Greening Factor for England, as one of a suite of five Headline Green Infrastructure Standards within the Green Infrastructure Framework – Principles and Standards for England. The Urban Greening Factor (UGF) is a planning tool to improve the provision of Green Infrastructure (GI) particularly in urban areas. It is voluntary and can be used to increase urban greening and contribute to Biodiversity Net Gain. This report on Developing a Model Urban Greening Factor for England introduces the Urban Greening Factor (UGF) and provides an analysis of current applications of the UGF in the UK and abroad. It provides a concise set of UGF Target Scores and UGF Surface Cover Types for the Model UGF for England, and the rationale behind them. The Weighted Scores for Surface Cover Types comprise a familiar set of green infrastructure elements used in development including – vegetation and tree planting; green roofs and walls; sustainable drainage systems and water features; and paved surfaces. The report concludes with a schedule of UGF policies that are currently used in UK planning practice.