5.78

Good to have information open space. Allow some to be off-lead dog walking areas.

Open spaces proposed for development are too local and won't meet resident's needs for larger open spaces or achieve biodiversity gains. Sites like Wandlebury CP and NT estates (Anglesey Abbey/Wicken Fen) will have increased visitor pressures and are already struggling with capacity and impact on the biodiversity.

This is not factored into the SPD or the suggested mitigation. The AAP concept plan on page 10 shows a new country park highlights the need for this space. Concerned that piecemeal developments will fail to contribute financially towards new large public spaces or offsetting on existing sites. Address directly in the SPD.

Thank you for your consultation on the above dated 7 August 2017, which was received by Natural England on 2 August 2017.

Natural England is a non-departmental public body. Our statutory purpose is to ensure that the natural environment is conserved, enhanced, and managed for the benefit of present and future generations, thereby contributing to sustainable development.

Our remit includes protected sites and landscapes, biodiversity, geodiversity, soils, protected species, landscape character, green infrastructure and access to and enjoyment of nature.

Natural England's comments:
This site lies within an area where Natural England believes development should contribute towards delivery of landscape scale biodiversity net gain, in particular enhancement of chalk grassland and woodland and farmland bird habitat. We support the inclusion of green infrastructure within the SPD, including an uninterrupted linear park that potentially links with wildlife sites in the wider countryside. Natural England supports the proposal to preserve the adjacent wildlife sites and on-site habitats and to create additional grassland habitats. Ecological impacts, including on farmland species, should be appropriately mitigated and enhancements incorporated to demonstrate delivery of net biodiversity gain, to meet NPPF requirements and the needs of people and wildlife. The development should provide sufficient informal open space to meet the additional and growing recreational demands of new (and existing) residents and to deliver biodiversity net gain. Natural England advises that additional off-site green infrastructure provision is likely to be required to meet these needs.

Should the plan be amended in a way which significantly affects its impact on the natural environment, then, please consult Natural England again.

Strategic Environmental Assessment/Habitats Regulations Assessment
A SPD requires a Strategic Environmental Assessment only in exceptional circumstances as set out in the Planning Practice Guidance here. While SPDs are unlikely to give rise to likely significant effects on European Sites, they should be considered as a plan under the Habitats Regulations in the same way as any other plan or project. If your SPD requires a Strategic Environmental Assessment or Habitats Regulation Assessment, you are required to consult us at certain stages as set out in the Planning Practice Guidance.


Please send all planning consultations electronically to the consultation hub at consultations@naturalengland.org.uk.

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