Policy information sourced from Barking and Dagenham Borough Wide Development Policies DPD
POLICY BR3: GREENING THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT
The Council will expect, where appropriate, all development proposals to demonstrate that the sequential approach set-out below to preserving and enhancing the natural environment has been followed:
- Retain, enhance or create features of nature conservation value and avoid harm.
- Mitigate for impacts to features of nature conservation value.
- Where there is no viable alternative, compensate for the loss of features of nature conservation value.
Where there are no existing features of nature conservation on a site, development should seek to create nature conservation enhancements to help ‘green the urban environment’.
Examples of nature conservation enhancements include the provision of green walls, bio-diverse green roofs, wildlife gardens, allotments, buffer strips, nesting, and roosting boxes and commitment to the implementation of a Habitat Management Plan.
Wildlife corridors will be promoted and encouraged in all new development, particularly through the linking of Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs).
When planting new greenery close to strategic nature conservation features or sites such as wildlife corridors or sites of nature conservation importance, native species should be used unless it can be proven that an alternative is just as, or more beneficial to, biodiversity.
Wildlife habitat creation which contributes towards targets in the London and borough Biodiversity Action Plans will also be sought. Development should not result in excessive hard standing and parking areas. Where a proposal would result in the hard surfacing of a front garden, the choice of materials will need to be agreed with the Council.
For more information please see the Borough Wide Development Policies DPD