Revised Deposit Plan - Wychavon District Council

POLICY ENV7 PROTECTION OF WIDER BIODIVERSITY
Development proposals will be required to retain important ecological
features, including natural habitat and features of nature conservation
value in situ. Proposals which would have an adverse impact on the
integrity of other habitats, species and features will only be permitted
where:
a) the reasons for the proposal outweigh the impact on the intrinsic
nature conservation value of the habitat, species or feature;
b) the Council is satisfied that there are no reasonable alternative sites
or solutions to accommodate the development proposed; and
c) compensatory habitat provision or management is provided in
appropriate circumstances.
Developers will be required to prepare an ecological assessment on all
proposals likely to effect important ecological sites.
4.2.39. The District contains a wealth of biodiversity or “variety of life”. It is reflected
not only in the presence of rare, threatened or important habitat and species
but also in a wealth of more common habitat and species. Habitats range
from, for example, woodland, unimproved and semi improved grassland,
wetlands and rivers to smaller features such as individual trees, hedgerows,
verges and walls. Such habitats have their own intrinsic value and are often
valued because they do support a range of more common species the sight of
which, to many people, can be as important as the protection of “scientifically”
important sites. Additionally however, many act as wildlife corridors or
“stepping stones” which are essential for the migration, dispersal and genetic
exchange of species which is vital to the “health” of sites of designated
importance.
4.2.40. This Policy seeks to manage the protection of levels of biodiversity by
recognising the importance of habitats and features which fall outside
designated sites and their value as wildlife corridors. In all cases, proposals
will need to be accompanied by an ecological assessment which will be used
to justify the approach taken.
4.2.41. In the majority of cases development will be able to be sited in order to retain
wildlife habitat and features. Indeed, their continued presence can help to
enhance a scheme. Where this cannot be achieved and a proposal would
result in destruction of a habitat or feature, the importance of the site or feature
will be assessed against the reason for the proposal.
4.2.42. The Policy should not be interpreted as offering protection to all habitat types
which is equal to that applied to designated sites. It offers flexible levels of
protection to be applied by assessing the local social and economic reasons
for a development against the impact it would have on the importance of these
“other” sites and features which can vary in terms of their scientific
significance, recreatability, quantity and distribution. Habitat survey data and
the District’s emerging Biodiversity Action Plan will help to inform the
implementation of this Policy.
4.2.43. Policy SUR4 (Landscapeing Design) will also be used to ensure that the
opportunity to increase levels of biodiversity is taken through landscaping
Wychavon District Local Plan Revised Deposit (July 2003) Page 70
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