Policy information sourced from the Reigate & Banstead Local Plan - Development Management Plan

NHE3: Protecting trees, woodland areas and natural habitats

The policy applies across the borough; although, the following features and spatial designations are particularly relevant:

  • Ancient woodland areas
  • Trees, either individually or in groups/areas, protected by Preservation Orders
  • Conservation Areas
  • Mole Gap to Reigate Escarpment SAC Core Sustenance Zone of Bechstein’s Bat (Myotis bechsteinii)
  1. Where relevant, new development proposals will be required to include an assessment of existing trees and landscape features on site, including their suitability for retention. This assessment should also include consideration of the impact on habitats beyond the site boundary.
  2. Development resulting in the loss of or the deterioration in the quality of a protected tree or hedgerow (including trees covered by protection orders, protected hedgerows, trees in Conservation Areas, Ancient Woodlands, aged and veteran trees outside Ancient Woodland and trees classified as being of categories A or B in value), will be refused unless the need for, and benefits of, development in that location clearly outweigh the loss. This will be assessed on a case by case basis commensurate with the value of the feature.
  3. Unprotected but important trees, woodland or hedgerows with ecological, amenity or other value should be retained as an integral part of the design of development except where their long-term survival would be compromised by their age or physical condition or there are overriding benefits of their removal.
  4. Where loss of features described in 2 and 3 above are permitted, this will be subject to adequate compensatory provision commensurate to that which is lost. This should be provided on site where possible, but off site provision will also be considered in exceptional circumstances.
  5. Where replacement tree and hedge planting is required, appropriate species of trees should be used and sufficient space must be provided at the design stage for tree provision, including space to allow trees to reach their optimum size.
  6. A buffer zone will be required between ancient woodland sites and the boundary of adjacent new developments. Back gardens will not be considered part of these buffer zones.

For more information please see the Reigate & Banstead Development Management Plan