SECTION 3.0 - Durham County Council

Public authorities have a Duty to have regard to the conservation of biodiversity
in
exercising their functions. This Duty was introduced by the Natural Environment
and Rural Communities
Act
and came into force on 1 October 2006. The Duty aims to raise the profile and
visibility
of biodiversity, clarify existing commitments with regard to biodiversity, and
to make it a natural and integral part of policy and decision making. The Duty
applies
to all public authorities including local authorities, central government
departments, executive agencies, non departmental public bodies, regional
government offices, non-ministerial departments, NHS Trusts, regional assemblies,
utilities and all other bodies carrying out functions of a public character under a
statutory power. Public authorities can make a significant contribution towards the
2010 target
to halt biodiversity loss.
• Planning Policy Guidance 17: Planning for Open space, Sport and
Recreation (PPG17)
Link with
This guidance has been a key driver to encourage local authorities to Open Space,
write green space strategies. It states that local authorities should Recreation,
‘undertake robust assessments of the existing and future
needs of their Leisure and
communities for open space, sports and recreational facilities’. The Play Technical
Paper (No.5)
companion guide to PPG17 suggests
ways in which such
assessments
can be made and defines a need to establish the extent
to which open spaces meet clearly identified local needs and the wider
benefits they generate for people, wildlife, biodiversity and the wider environment.
• Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable Development ( PPS1)
This document sets out the governments national
policies on different aspects of
land use planning in England. It sets out the overarching planning policies on the
delivery
of sustainable development through the planning system.
PPS1 states that: ‘Planning should facilitate and promote sustainable and inclusive
patterns
of urban and rural development by:
- protecting and enhancing the natural and historic environment,
the quality
and character of the countryside….A high level of protection should be
given to most valued townscapes and landscapes, wildlife
habitats and
natural resources. Those with national and international designations should
receive the highest level of protection.’
There are a number of similarities with PPS9 as paragraph 19 states that:
Planning policies and planning decisions should be based on:
- up-to-date information on the environmental characteristics of the area;
- the potential impacts, positive and negative, on the environment of the
development proposals (whether direct, indirect, cumulative, long-term or
short-term); and
- recognition of the limits of the environment to accept further development
without irreversible damage.
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