Protecting Dorset’s Wildlife for the Future

Planning & Nature MapPlanning & Nature Map

Imogen DavenportHead of Conservation, Dorset Wildlife Trust

Protecting Dorset’s Wildlife for the Future

Nature Map as a Spatial Planning Nature Map as a Spatial Planning ToolTool

• Nature Map is shown in the draft Regional Spatial Strategy - Policy ENV4

Local Authorities should use the Nature Map to help map local opportunities for biodiversity enhancement in LDDs, …

Priority will be given to meeting targets for maintenance, restoration and recreation on priority habitats … focusing on the Nature Map areas.

Proposals which provide for the beneficial management of these areas … should be supported, including linking habitats to create … units which are more resilient to climate change.

Protecting Dorset’s Wildlife for the Future

• Produced by Mike Oxford for BSW

Protecting Dorset’s Wildlife for the Future

What is covered by the guideWhat is covered by the guide

• Context and how Nature Map links with other designations

• Links to other objectives:– Green Infrastructure– Other land management & biodiversity

objectives• Suggested mechanisms for introducing

Nature Map into LDFs• Examples of potential delivery mechanisms

Protecting Dorset’s Wildlife for the Future

Green InfrastructureGreen Infrastructure

• RSS (Policy GI1) requires Green Infrastructure to be an integral part of new development, LAs to set out broad location of GI and develop a GI Plan & delivery programme

• Nature Map should be used to inform the GI Plan by:– Guiding where land use change is implemented– Setting biodiversity objectives for GI

• GI can help deliver Nature Map by:– Ensuring connectivity between biodiversity

restoration and social/economic factors– Providing links between rural SNAs and urban

areas– Providing the local detail of where and how

Protecting Dorset’s Wildlife for the Future

LDF mechanismsLDF mechanisms

• Evidence Base• Core Strategy• Site-specific allocations• Area Action Plans• Proposals Maps• Annual Monitoring Reports• Supplementary Planning Documents• Strategic Environmental Assessment &

Sustainability Appraisal

Protecting Dorset’s Wildlife for the Future

Core StrategyCore Strategy

• Important that the strategic position for SNAs is set out in the Core Strategy

• Identified spatially on key diagram or map• Objective &/or policy tying in with RSS

Policy ENV 4• Should include protection from impacts

that compromise potential – LDF process should reconcile potential conflicts with objectives for SNAs

• Recognise that other mechanisms as well as the planning system will deliver

Protecting Dorset’s Wildlife for the Future

Site-specific allocationsSite-specific allocations

• Should ensure ‘key principles’ from PPS9 are met in identifying the location, scale and form of development

• Allocations identified within/adjacent to SNAs should :– Identify how proposed development can

contribute to biodiversity targets– Not compromise the potential of the SNA to

meet its objectives– Not reduce overall resilience to climate

change (eg by fragmentation)

Protecting Dorset’s Wildlife for the Future

Area Action PlansArea Action Plans

• AAPs particularly suited to spatial planning for SNAs

• AAPs should set out policies/proposals to preserve/enhance, including where specific conservation measures are proposed

• AAPs benefit from having development plan status

• Use the process to identify key areas within the SNA where biodiversity gain is priority

• Set up a detailed plan with specific local objectives

Protecting Dorset’s Wildlife for the Future

Protecting Dorset’s Wildlife for the Future

Protecting Dorset’s Wildlife for the Future

Nature Map & Planning Nature Map & Planning ApplicationsApplications

• LDFs should guide how LAs deal with individual applications

• Local circumstances will guide• PPS9

– Key principles – planning decisions should aim to maintain, enhance, restore or add to biodiversity

– Para 12 –LAs should aim to maintain networks of natural habitats & avoid/repair fragmentation

– Para 14 - LPAs should maximise opportunities for beneficial biodiversity features, using planning obligations where appropriate

Protecting Dorset’s Wildlife for the Future

Weymouth Weymouth & Portland& Portland

Protecting Dorset’s Wildlife for the Future

PurbeckPurbeck