Object

Representation ID: 19832

Received: 01/04/2021

Respondent: Natural England

Natural England advise that item B3 of Policy SP1 could be strengthened as follows:

"It will meet the environmental objectives by the inclusion of a suite of policies designed to protect, conserve, restore and enhance the District’s environmental assets, by focusing development within its main urban areas and by investing in public transport infrastructure in the process, reducing the need to travel by car and reducing climate change emissions;"

We welcome the commitment to ensuring that a sequential approach is taken to site selection and allocation as set out within item B5 of Policy SP1, and advise that item e) could be fortified by expanding the areas for consideration within the context of adverse environmental impacts, and by referring to the mitigation hierarchy, as follows:

"Ensures that wherever possible development enables the enhancement of the built and natural environment and minimises the adverse environmental impacts of growth, in particular with regards to climate change, air quality, biodiversity, geodiversity, ancient woodlands, soils, priority habitats, ecological networks and protected species."