4.36.1 Many people do not belong to formal sporting clubs or organisations, preferring to take their recreation in a casual manner, utilising attractive countryside and open green spaces within settlements such as parks, river banks, common land, woodland and similar undeveloped land. These spaces are particularly important for young children and the elderly, who require access to open space close to where they live.

4.36.2 Government policies are aimed at securing maximum use of vacant land in urban areas in order to sustain the vitality of towns and cities, encourage urban regeneration and reduce development pressures on the countryside. It is the Council's intention to seek to achieve a reasonable balance between the need to make adequate provision for development in urban areas and the need to protect open land from development. Areas of open space which the Council considers should be particularly protected from development are shown on Proposals Map Insets.