The Council undertook a 6-week period of public consultation between 21 March and 7 February 2022 on the draft Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).
The consultation enabled residents and stakeholders to tell us what they thought about the draft SPD.
A total of 19 responses were received.
Overall, there was broad support for most aspects of the guidance. In particular, the biodiversity resource and biodiversity matters sections were considered accurate, the good practice examples were considered helpful, and the step-by-step guide for applicants was considered clear. There was also support for the Biodiversity Checklist to be a validation requirement for relevant applications.
A full summary of the comments and officer response can be found in the Consultation Statement.
The representations have been considered and various changes have been made to the SPD. The SPD and its Annexes were approved by Tourism, Equalities, Communities and Culture Committee on 16 June 2022. The SPD is now a material consideration in determining planning applications.
Biodiversity and Nature Conservation SPD
Supplementary planning documents (SPD) are formal documents used by the council to provide guidance and information to planning applicants about how to deliver local planning policy as part of their development proposals.
The council is currently updating its Nature Conservation and Development SPD (SPD11, 2010). The new Biodiversity and Nature Conservation SPD will help ensure that development meets updated national and local planning policy requirements for nature conservation and biodiversity.
The SPD will explain how nature conservation and biodiversity need to be considered through the development process and sets out examples and best practice for how development can provide biodiversity improvements to ensure the city's biodiversity is protected, conserved and enhanced.
The Council is inviting comments on this draft version of the SPD. Responses received will be taken into consideration when preparing the final document.
Tell us what you think of the Draft Biodiversity and Nature Conservation SPD that, once adopted, will guide decisions on planning applications.
The consultation has now closed.
All representations submitted on the draft SPD will be reviewed and any necessary changes made prior to taking the final SPD to commitee for adoption later this year.
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