Policy information sourced from Dacorum Local Plan 2004 Alteration

102 Sites of Importance to Nature Conservation

Sites of importance to nature conservation will be protected from development in accordance with their designation, value and scarcity.

Proposals for development which may have an adverse effect, directly or indirectly, on a Site of Special Scientific Interest will not be permitted unless there is an overriding need for the development which clearly outweighs the nature conservation value of the site itself and its role within the national network of such sites, and there are no suitable alternative sites for the development.

English Nature will be consulted on all applications affecting SSSIs.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest are listed below and shown on the Proposals Maps:

  1. Aldbury Nowers
  2. Alpine Meadow, near Brick Kiln Cottage, Berkhamsted
  3. Ashridge Common and Woods
  4. Little Heath Pit (Geological)
  5. Oddy Hill and Tring Park
  6. Roughdown Common
  7. Tring Reservoirs
  8. Tring Woodlands

Proposals for development likely to have an adverse effect on a Local Nature Reserve or a Regionally Important Geological/ Geomorphological Site will not be approved unless it can be clearly demonstrated that there are reasons for the development which outweigh the need to safeguard the nature conservation value of the site.

In the long term the Council will develop a programme of designations to reach a standard of 1 hectare of local nature reserves per 1,000 population.

Nature Reserves and Regionally Important Geological/ Geomorphological Sites are listed below and shown on the Proposals Maps:

Nature Reserves

  1. Alpine Meadow (Wildlife Trust)
  2. Long Deans, Hemel Hempstead (Wildlife Trust)
  3. Wilstone Reservoir (Wildlife Trust)
  4. Shrub Hill Common Local Nature Reserve
  5. Aldbury Nowers, Duchies Piece (Wildlife Trust)
  6. Howe Grove Local Nature Reserve

Regionally Important Geological or Geomorphological Sites

  1. Pingo, Boxmoor
  2. Puddingstone Boulders, Castle Hill, Berkhamsted

The impact of development proposals on Wildlife Sites and other sites of biological, geological and physiographical interest will be an important planning consideration, according to their rarity and value. The Wildlife Sites are identified in the Habitat Survey for Dacorum which constitutes Supplementary Planning Guidance for the purposes of this Plan.

In considering proposals that would have an effect on a species of acknowledged importance, account will be taken of the level of protection afforded to that species and the sensitivity of the species and its habitat to any potential adverse effects caused by the proposals.

In urban areas existing local wildspaces will be protected. The nature conservation interest of selected local wildspaces and leisure spaces will be enhanced to ensure that all residential areas are within 280 metres of an area of local wildspace of 2 hectares.

The following green corridors will be protected and the nature conservation interest of open areas along their length enhanced:

Berkhamsted

  • Grand Union Canal (The Moor, Canal Fields, River Bulbourne)

Hemel Hempstead

  • Canal Corridor (Bulbourne Valley, Grand Union Canal, Boxmoor and Durrants Hill cress beds)
  • Gade River Corridor (River Gade, Water Gardens, Gadebridge Park, Warners End and Home Woods)
  • Gade Valley West Corridor (Gravel Hill Spring, Lockers Park, Cemetery, Warners End Playing Field)
  • Hemel Hempstead Greenway (Nicky Line, Yew Tree Wood, Woodhall Lane, Keens Field, Turners Hill, Paradise, St Albans Road/Jennings Way Link, Lime Walk Open Space, Coronation Field, Georgewood Open Space, Little Wood)

Tring

  • Streamside Walk, Pond Close, Churchyard, Memorial Garden

These areas are also part of the Open Land Strategy (see Policy 116).

The sites and species to which this policy applies include High Biodiversity Areas identified in local Biodiversity Action Plans and those supporting species protected by law or identified in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan as in need of particular conservation action. Definition will be by reference to English Nature, Hertfordshire Biological Records Centre and the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust.

See also Supplementary Planning Guidance Environmental Guidelines: Landscape and Nature Conservation.

For more information please see the Local Plan