Policy information sourced from Hammersmith & Fulham Planning Guidance

BD8 Biodiversity - landscaping and planting

Developers should incorporate existing natural features that enhance biodiversity such as trees, hedges, scrub, tall grass and ponds into the landscape scheme for the site. The council will discourage landscaping schemes utilising extensive areas of impermeable surfaces, lawn and formal garden areas or plant species that do not enhance biodiversity - this includes the use of artificial grass. Landscaping schemes should seek to include ecological features of natural woodlands such as over-storey tree canopies, middle storey shrubs and under-storey ground covering plants to maximise the capacity of the landscaped area to support diverse biodiversity. Some species provide higher quantities of nectar and these should be chosen where they can be demonstrated not to become invasive non-native species.

Development sites adjacent to, or in the vicinity of a designated nature conservation area, green corridor or green / blue infrastructure, should use native plant species, preferably of local provenance in landscape schemes. Where appropriate a green buffer should be planted between the River Thames and any development site.

For other development sites, aim for at least 50 per cent of plants used for landscaping to be native (both species and planted area) and preferably of local provenance.

Where non-native plants, grasses, shrubs and trees are used in landscape schemes, they should be valuable for wildlife and non-invasive.

The council will encourage the planting of biodiversity friendly hedges and/or planted fences or walls as an alternative to fencing to create wildlife friendly boundaries to development sites.

For more information please see the Hammersmith & Fulham Planning Guidance