Carlisle District Local Plan.indd - Carlisle City Council

Carlisle District Local Plan 2001 - 2016 Revised Redeposit draft6.5 There are certain areas on the fringes of these settlements where the intrinsic landscapequality has been damaged by insensitive development or dereliction. In other areas, thelandscape quality is intrinsically lower and may have been degraded further by removal ofnatural features such as trees and hedgerows. Other areas are open areas of land in thevicinity of unsightly or large scale built development and provide scope for landscapingto either integrate such developments with the landscape, or provide effective screening.The nature of the landscape in these areas indicates the need for landscape improvementprojects. Such improvement work could include additional tree planting and whereappropriate reinstatement of hedgerows and ponds, together with the creation of newwildlife habitats.POLICY LE2 Sites of International ImportanceDevelopment which would affect an existing or proposed Special Protection Area (SPA),Special Area of Conservation (SAC) or Ramsar site will be subject to the most rigorousexamination. Development or land use change not directly connected with or necessaryto the management of the site and which is likely to adversely affect the integrity of thesite will not be permitted unless:1. there is no alternative solution; and2. there are imperative reasons of overriding public interest for the development.Where the site concerned hosts a priority natural habitat type and/ or a priority species,development will not be permitted unless the Authority is satisfied that it is necessaryfor reasons of human health or public safety or for beneficial consequences of primaryimportance for nature conservation.6.6 PPG 9 Nature Conservation states that Local Plan Policies should place particular emphasison the strength of protection afforded to international nature conservation designations.6.7 The Upper Solway is designated under the Ramsar Convention as a Wetland of InternationalImportance, and under the terms of the European Community Directive on the Conservationof Wild Birds as a Special Protection Area (SPA) and under the European Habitats Directiveas a candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC). These latter two designations are ofEuropean importance and together will form part of a network of internationally importantwildlife sites within the European Union which will be known as Natura 2000. Other SACswithin the District are Butterburn Flow, Caudbeck Flow, Christianbury Craggs, SpadeadamMires, Gowk Bank and Walton Moss. Gowk Bank is also designated as a National NatureReserve. Candidate SACs include Bolton Fell Moss, Geltsdale and Glendhu Fells, (part ofthe North Pennines Moors), and the River Eden and its tributaries.POLICY LE3 Sites of Special Scientific InterestDevelopment proposals within or likely to affect the nature conservation or geologicalinterest of Sites of Special Scientific Interest will be subject to special scrutiny and will notbe permitted unless:1. the reasons for the development clearly outweigh the nature conservation value ofthe site as part of the national series of SSSIs; or2. the nature conservation interest of the site can be fully protected and enhanced bythe appropriate use of planning conditions or obligations.98 September 2006