Object

Representation ID: 19833

Received: 01/04/2021

Respondent: Natural England

Natural England welcome the acknowledgement throughout the Draft Local Plan of the internationally important status of the South Pennine Moors as a Special Protection Area (SPA), and the inclusion of item 7 within Policy SP2, and advise that the wording could be made more robust, as follows:

"Protect, restore and enhance the District’s environmental resources for all including areas of international and national importance, such as the South Pennine Moors, the character and qualities of the Districts heritage, landscape and countryside and maximise the contribution they can make to the delivery of wider economic and social objectives."

We also welcome the inclusion of items 8 and 9 of Policy SP2, in that they relate to minimising and mitigating environmental threats, building resilience to climate change, and to enhancing biodiversity in the Metropolitan District.