Draft Local Plan Review

Yes

Representation ID: 1734

Received: 17/02/2017

Respondent: Natural England

Natural England broadly agrees with the challenges your authority has identified as facing Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.

No

Representation ID: 1744

Received: 17/02/2017

Respondent: Natural England

The spatial strategy should take a strategic approach, identifying all natural environment objectives as well as opportunities and areas for enhancement or strategic projects. Ideally there should be linkages with BAPS, NIAs, LNPs, NCAs, and Green infrastructure strategies The strategy should be additional to positive policies on, landscape, biodiversity (including geodiversity), green infrastructure and access to nature.
Growth opportunities should avoid:
 designated sites/priority habitats
 protected landscapes
 Best and Most Versatile (BMV) Agricultural Land
 areas at risk of flooding
 brownfield sites of high environmental value
Plans should allocate land with the least environmental or amenity value.

Yes

Representation ID: 1745

Received: 17/02/2017

Respondent: Natural England

Natural England broadly supports Policy P3, in particularly when considering the criteria that there is no significant harm to the local environment, including landscape quality and character.
Your authority should consider policy wording to add that where possible enhancement of the local environment should be taken into consideration.

Yes

Representation ID: 1746

Received: 17/02/2017

Respondent: Natural England

In considering the location of development your authority should utilise our SSSI Impact Risk Zones which are a GIS dataset designed to be used during the planning application validation process to help local planning authorities decide when to consult Natural England on developments likely to affect a SSSI. The dataset and user guidance can be accessed from the data.gov.uk website.
Other considerations include environmental constraints such as:
Do they avoid:
 designated sites/priority habitats
 protected landscapes
 Best and Most Versatile (BMV) Agricultural Land
 areas at risk of flooding
 brownfield sites of high environmental value

Yes

Representation ID: 1747

Received: 17/02/2017

Respondent: Natural England

Natural England broadly agrees with Policy P1.

Yes

Representation ID: 1748

Received: 17/02/2017

Respondent: Natural England

Natural England broadly agrees with the key objectives which relates to the protecting and enhancing of natural assets and takes climate change into consideration.

Yes

Representation ID: 1749

Received: 17/02/2017

Respondent: Natural England

Natural England broadly supports Policy P2,in particularly where green infrastructure is a key consideration.

No

Representation ID: 1752

Received: 17/02/2017

Respondent: Natural England

The plan allocations should set out criteria for selecting sites with the least environmental value e.g. avoid designated sites/landscapes, BMV land, areas at risk of flooding.

The policy does not identify land where development would be inappropriate, this should be addressed and clear criteria should be set out for development allocations.

Your authority should utilise the SSSI Impact Risk Zones which has been designed to be used during the planning application validation process to help decide when to consult Natural England on developments likely to affect a SSSI. The dataset and user guidance can be accessed from the data.gov.uk website

No

Representation ID: 1754

Received: 17/02/2017

Respondent: Natural England

Natural England recommends that
"Any unacceptable adverse impact on landscape or local nature conservation designations, ecology, biodiversity or the historic environment can be mitigated" also notes national designations such as SSSIs.

Yes

Representation ID: 4162

Received: 21/02/2017

Respondent: Natural England

Support policy P9
Object to Policy P10. Amendments are recommended so that the Mitigation Hierarchy heading comes ahead of the Site headings, to show that SSSIs have significantly increased levels of protection than LNRs and sites outside statutory designations.
No evidence that an HRA report has been undertaken.
Policy P11 should refer to the river Blythe SSSI, to reflect its status. The Policy should recognise the need to protect habitats from water related impacts and seek enhancement, especially SSSIs, but also local sites.
Recommends changes to Policy P13 and separate policies on Soils and Agricultural Land Quality and Ancient Woodland.