The Wildlife Trusts screen more than 80,000 planning applications every year
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Planning is an important issue. It shapes the places where we live and work, and plays a vital role in determining the type and quality of landscape we pass on to future generations.
While inappropriate development can significantly impact our natural heritage; well-considered planning can help protect and enhance important plants, animals and natural spaces and secure nature’s recovery through the restoration and creation of well-connected wildlife habitats.
What we do
With ever increasing development pressures threatening our natural environment, coupled with severe reforms to our planning system, The Wildlife Trusts are working at a number of levels to provide a strong voice for wildlife within the planning system. Activities across the Trusts include:
- Influencing planning policy to ensure that it protects and enhances the natural environment and the natural processes on which we depend.
- Providing advice, support and training for key decision-makers on their responsibilities and statutory duties regarding wildlife and green space.
- Working with local and neighbouring organisations, groups and people to identify and map opportunities for connecting and restoring habitats.
- Working with planners, developers and landowners to encourage: sensitive design; appropriate habitat creation; and good management of green space within development.
- Screening planning applications and engaging in local planning casework to: safeguard wildlife interests and secure enhancement and connectivity of local landscapes; and where necessary ensure adequate mitigation for any damage.
- Providing guidance to assist and encourage members, volunteers and local residents make their own ‘stand’ against a planning proposal.
Planning for a healthy environment: good practice guidance for green infrastructure and biodiversity
This guidance is intended to help local planning practitioners deliver positive practical solutions when planning for the future – solutions that protect and enhance the natural environment and provide quality of life benefits through the delivery of well-planned Green Infrastructure (GI). It has been designed to offer advice on how GI and wildlife can be protected, enhanced and restored through Local Plan policies and development management decisions, working within the context of the National Planning Policy Framework.
Led by The Wildlife Trusts and TCPA, this guide has been prepared with the support of statutory and non statutory organisations that have expertise in the field of planning GI and biodiversity.
|Green Infrastructure Guide (TCPA & The Wildlife Trusts)||7.02 MB|
|Annex to Green Infrastructure Guide||97.8 KB|