Policy information sourced from the Maulden Neighbourhood Plan
M6: Protecting flora and fauna
- Development proposals should maintain and where practicable enhance the natural environment, landscape features including heathland, woodland edges and the rural character and setting of the Neighbourhood area. Development proposals must achieve a net gain in biodiversity as set out under the Environment Act 2021 – all planning permissions granted in England (with a few exceptions) and except for small sites, will have to deliver at least 10% biodiversity net gain from an as yet unconfirmed date within November 2023. Biodiversity net gain will be required for small sites from April 2024. Development proposals providing for wildlife needs on-site will be particularly supported. Where necessary, the local planning authority will require the submission of an appropriate landscape and management plan in order to ensure that these objectives are met.
- Development proposals should demonstrate that they have addressed the following matters, as they are appropriate to their scale, nature and location:
- The guidance and advice contained in the CBC Design Guide and the CBC Landscape Character Assessment (6B – Mid Greensand Ridge and 7A – Flit Greensand Valley);
- Protect designated sites, protected species and ancient or species-rich hedgerows, grassland and woodlands;
- Protect ancient trees or trees of arboricultural value;
- Include new landscape buffers where a development abuts open countryside. These must be of an appropriate scale an in keeping with local landscape character to ensure effective mitigation and sympathetic integration of any development;
- Protect dark, rural landscapes from light intrusion/pollution.
- If significant harm resulting from a development cannot be avoided (for instance by locating to an alternative site with less harmful impacts), adequately mitigated, or, as a last resort, compensated for, then planning permission will be refused.
For more information, please visit the Maulden Neighbourhood Plan