Policy information sourced from Core Strategy for Chiltern District

CS24: Biodiversity

The Council will aim to conserve and enhance biodiversity within the District. In particular

  • the Council will work with its partners to protect and enhance legally protected species and all sites and networks of habitats of international, national, regional or local importance for wildlife or geology.
  • development proposals should protect biodiversity and provide for the long-term management, enhancement, restoration and, if possible, expansion of biodiversity, by aiming to restore or create suitable semi-natural habitats and ecological networks to sustain wildlife. This will be in accordance with the Buckinghamshire Biodiversity Action Plan as well as the aims of the Biodiversity Opportunity Areas and the Chiltern AONB Management Plan.
  • where development proposals are permitted, provision will be made to safeguard and where possible enhance any ecological interest.
  • where, in exceptional circumstances, development outweighs any adverse effect upon the biodiversity of the site and there are no reasonable alternative sites available, replacement habitat of higher quality will be provided through mitigation and/or compensation to achieve a net gain in biodiversity.

The Delivery DPD will indicate on maps the location of the various sites mentioned above as required by PPS9.

We will measure success with the assistance of the following indicators:

  • a net gain in biodiversity by meeting the targets of the national and local Biodiversity Action Plans
  • Quality of the chalk rivers
  • National Indicator NI197 – improved biodiversity – proportion of local sites where positive conservation management has been, or is being, implemented
  • Biodiversity indicators within the Annual Monitoring Report, such as changes in Priority Habitats and Species and changes to areas of designated sites
  • Trends in condition of SSSIs

Delivery will be achieved via:

  • Working closely with national and local conservation organisations such as the Chilterns Conservation Board, local wildlife groups, Bucks and Milton Keynes Environmental Records Centre and the Bucks and Milton Keynes Biodiversity Partnership
  • More detailed policies outlined in the Delivery DPD

For more information please see the Core Strategy for Chiltern District