Policy information sourced from the Richmond Upon Thames Local Plan

Policy 39 Biodiversity and Geodiversity

A. In accordance with London Plan Policy G6 (Biodiversity and access to nature), the Council will protect and enhance the borough’s biodiversity and geodiversity, in particular, but not exclusively, the sites designated for their biodiversity and nature conservation value, including the connectivity between habitats and stepping-stone sites that connect wildlife or ecological corridors. This will be achieved by:

  1. protecting biodiversity in, and adjacent to, the borough’s designated sites for biodiversity and nature conservation importance (including buffer zones) against inappropriate development; this includes sites of international or national nature conservation importance, such as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) or National Nature Reserves (NNRs) as well as those of London- and boroughwide importance, including Local Nature Reserve (LNRs) and Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs);
  2. protecting and conserving priority species and habitats that sit outside the nature conservation network of designated sites, including protecting other existing habitats and features of biodiversity value on non-designated sites as well as dark spaces that are important for some species, and promoting opportunities for their enhancement by using the Richmond Biodiversity Action Plan’s aim and actions;
  3. protecting ecological or wildlife corridors from development which may destroy, impair or harm the integrity of the corridor;
  4. requiring development to deliver robust and measurable net gains for biodiversity in accordance with good practice principles for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) by incorporating and/or creating new habitats or biodiversity features, such as expansion and improvement of habitats, green and blue links or habitat restoration, incorporation of green roofs and walls, tree planting as well as micro-habitat features such as bird and bat bricks and boxes, hedgehog gates or wildlife ponds in line with other policies of this Plan;
  5. requiring the following development proposals to provide a minimum measurable 10% net gain for biodiversity, in line with the latest available version of the DEFRA metric:
    • all development proposals, including conversions or changes of use, that result in 1 dwelling unit or more;
    • non-residential development proposals which increase the footprint and/or floorspace;
  6. ensuring development positively contributes and enhances the wildlife value of green and blue infrastructure, particularly of ecological corridors (see Policy 34 ‘Green and Blue Infrastructure (Strategic Policy) ‘); the width of new ecological or wildlife corridors will be dependent on-site specific circumstances – the larger the development / application site, the wider the corridor;
  7. protecting back gardens from development which may destroy, impair, or harm their integrity, where possible, to ensure new developments, including conversions and changes of use to protect rear and front residential garden spaces as a cumulative key wildlife habitat resource.

B. Where development would impact on species or a habitat, especially where identified in the Richmond Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) at London or local level, or the Biodiversity Strategy for England, development proposals shall demonstrate that the mitigation hierarchy has been followed sequentially in accordance with the principles of:

  1. avoid (i.e. the applicant has to demonstrate that there is no alternative proposal with less harmful impacts);
  2. reduce, moderate, minimise;
  3. rescue (e.g. translocation);
  4. as a last resort, to appropriately compensate for any damage (e.g. deliver off-site compensation or better biodiversity value).

C. In accordance with the London Plan Policy G6 (Biodiversity and access to nature), in addition to the need to follow the above hierarchy approach, the following mitigation hierarchy will also be applied to SINC’s:

  1. avoid damaging the significant ecological features of the SINC site.
  2. minimise the overall spatial impact and mitigate it by improving the quality or management of the rest of the site.
  3. deliver off-site compensation of better biodiversity value.

Adequate and sufficiently robust information must be submitted with planning applications for proposals which may affect any designated site or any important habitats, species or geological feature to ensure that the likely impacts of the proposal can be fully assessed.

D. In accordance with the London Plan Policy G6 (Biodiversity and access to nature), development proposals which seek to reduce deficiencies in access to nature and therefore help deliver robust, credible and measurable Net Gains for Biodiversity (by reducing natural green space deficiency) will be considered positively by the local planning authority.

E. Development proposals which would cause harm to a designated site with geodiversity value will not be permitted unless any damaging impacts can be prevented by appropriate mitigation measures. Development proposals which would affect a designated site with geodiversity value should seek to retain, restore and enhance the geological interest where possible.

For more information please see the Richmond Upon Thames Local Plan