Object
Solihull Local Plan (Draft Submission) 2020
Representation ID: 10706
Received: 08/12/2020
Respondent: Mr Nick Martin
Legally compliant? Yes
Sound? Yes
Duty to co-operate? Yes
I am disappointed that this plan whilst providing required housing and education provision has not taken the opportunity to adequately compensate or mitigate lost wildlife habitats in the area. This large area would have been home to a wide range of wildlife and would have been a refuge for some species in an area of housing and arable farming. The loss of this area from the green belt could have been compensated by utilising some of the land or adjacent farmland to create habitats of high wildlife value and provide at least biodiversity parity or even gain.
I would like to see the loss of this area compensated locally with much more ambitious habitat creation. Just retaining some existing features doesn't go far enough and I would like to see the developers and planners exercise some real ambition within the planning. Some of the current intensive arable land in the area could be allowed to develop into rough grassland succeeding into scrub and woodland. This would help compensate nature for the loss to these developments.
I am disappointed that this plan whilst providing required housing and education provision has not taken the opportunity to adequately compensate or mitigate lost wildlife habitats in the area. This large area would have been home to a wide range of wildlife and would have been a refuge for some species in an area of housing and arable farming. The loss of this area from the green belt could have been compensated by utilising some of the land or adjacent farmland to create habitats of high wildlife value and provide at least biodiversity parity or even gain.