Draft North East Cambridge Area Action Plan

Mostly yes

We are in broad agreement with the content of Section ‘4.4 Biodiversity’ and the ‘Policy 5: Biodiversity Net Gain’. However, we have strong concerns that with the inevitable focus on the metric for biodiversity net gain, which applies to green habitats only, that other important aspects for gains in biodiversity such as integral bird bricks in all dwellings (MKA Biodiversity Assessment Recommendation 21 page 38) will be lost. On page 70 of the Draft NE Cambridge AAP it is noted that existing habitats support a number of species including Common Swift and House Sparrow and on page 71 there is a brief reference to National Planning Policy Guidance, which also notes that ‘relatively small features such as swift bricks and bat boxes can achieve important benefits for specific species’ This is an important part of bringing nature closer to people together with green roofs and green infrastructure such as native hedges and shrubs close to buildings. This can provide shelter and food for birds and other creatures and a pleasant green environment adjacent to homes rather than these being surrounded with largely hard landscaping. We urge that the wording in Policy 5 should be strengthened to specifically include reference to integral swift bricks in all buildings at a ratio of at least 1:1 per dwelling with adjusted provision for blocks of flats, schools, community buildings and commercial premises, together with bat boxes, green roofs and adjacent green infrastructure. Please see more detailed comments in response to Policy 5. Submitted by a community action team including Action for Swifts (established 1995) Fulbourn Swifts Group (established 2011) and The Over and Swavesey Swift Conservation Project 2020 working for the conservation of swifts and other threatened species in the Greater Cambridge area. We are actively involved in practical swift conservation, nest brick and nest box design, planning processes, monitoring of nest brick and nest box installations in new developments, advising commercial swift nest box designers, house designers and developers both locally and nationally.