Policy DM6 Natural environmental assets
Development will be expected to take all reasonable opportunities to avoid harm to and protect and enhance the natural environment of Norwich and its setting, including both sites and species, taking particular account of the need to avoid harm to the adjoining Broads Authority area and other identified areas of natural environmental value immediately adjoining the City. Appropriate proposals which deliver significant benefits or enhancements to local biodiversity or geodiversity will be strongly supported and encouraged. Opportunities should be taken to incorporate and integrate biodiversity, green infrastructure and wildlife friendly features in the design of individual schemes.
Where, in exceptional circumstances, development is accepted which is likely to result in substantial and unavoidable harm to or loss of priority habitats and species populations identified through local biodiversity action plans, developers will be required to provide for the re-creation and recovery of such populations through biodiversity offsetting.
Nationally protected sites of special scientific interest (SSSI)
Development having a significant adverse impact on SSSIs not subject to an international designation will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances where the benefits of the development clearly and substantially outweigh the impacts that it is likely to have. Such proposals must be accompanied by an environmental statement, showing clearly how the development would mitigate any effects on the features of the site that make it of special scientific interest and any broader impacts on the national network of SSSIs.
Regional and local sites
Development affecting sites of regional and local importance for nature conservation, biodiversity, geodiversity or geological interest will only be permitted where it would not result in significant and demonstrable harm to the particular interest and value of the site, taking account of:
- The effectiveness of any proposals to mitigate the environmental impact of the development,
- any overriding benefits arising from that development in achieving the wider objectives of the JCS and
- any opportunities for local enhancements to biodiversity, geodiversity or green infrastructure associated with the proposal.
The sites to which this part of the policy applies include local nature reserves, County Wildlife Sites, County Geodiversity Sites, Roadside Nature Reserves (RNRs), and significant areas of woodland identified on the Policies map which are not covered by the above designations. Where development results in some impact the proposal must be accompanied an assessment of that impact and specify the appropriate mitigating measures that will be undertaken.
Yare Valley character area
Within the Yare Valley character area, as defined on the Policies map, development will only be permitted where it would not damage the environmental quality, biodiversity or character of the area and where it is for:
a) agriculture or forestry purposes; or
b) facilities ancillary to outdoor sport and recreation or other uses appropriate to the purpose of this policy; or
c) the limited extension of or alteration to existing buildings.
Supplementary text
6.1 Policy 1 of the JCS is concerned with protecting the wealth of natural environmental assets which Norwich benefits from and creating and enhancing habitat links to, from and within the city to surrounding open countryside and the Broads to benefit biodiversity and to help to address climate change.
6.2 The need for strong protection of nationally and internationally recognised environmental assets, landscapes, habitats and ecological networks is emphasised in Section 11 of the NPPF – Conserving and enhancing the natural environment. It requires local authorities to protect valued landscapes, minimise impacts on biodiversity and provide net gains in biodiversity where possible aiming to halt the overall decline in biodiversity which has occurred over recent years. Clear distinctions are recommended to be made in policy between the hierarchy of international, national, regional and locally designated sites. It also states that plans should identify and map components of local ecological networks, including: international, national and local sites of importance for biodiversity, wildlife corridors and areas identified by local partnerships for habitat restoration or re-creation.
6.3 Key ecological networks and sites are already identified through the evidence studies supporting the JCS. Policy DM6 follows the principles set out in national guidance and supplements Policy 1 of the JCS to ensure the protection, management and enhancement of the city’s valued natural environmental assets.
6.4 The general principle of the policy is that sustainable development promoted through this plan should aim to ensure the protection, management and enhancement of all natural environmental assets and the more significant the asset, the greater the presumption in favour of its protection. It is expected that the majority of cases, priority habitats and species in Norwich will already have been identified on a site specific basis and are protected through national and local designations. In cases where development is likely to have a significant impact on priority habitats and species which are not identified in this way, appropriate provision must be made by the developer to compensate for any unavoidable loss of biodiversity on-site. Mechanisms to ensure adequate compensation for such loss (biodiversity offsetting schemes) are being developed through the Greater Norwich Growth Board (the successor to the Greater Norwich Development Partnership).
6.5 A small section of the River Wensum Special Area of Conservation (SAC), to the north of Hellesdon Mill, as shown on the Policies map, lies within the plan area. This stretch of the river is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). As an internationally protected site, the river is statutorily protected under the Habitats Regulations, so no policy is necessary in this plan. The River Wensum provides a green link through the city; however the navigable, tidal stretch of the Wensum south-east of New Mills is within the Broads Authority area.
6.6 There are an additional four SSSIs in Norwich. These are Eaton Chalk Pit, Catton Grove Chalk Pit, St James’ Pit (Mousehold) and Sweet Briar Road Meadows. The sites are of particular value for their flora, fauna, geological or physical features. There is a strong presumption against development which adversely affects the special interest of these sites.
6.7 Eight sites have been designated as local nature reserves and 29 further areas have been designated as county wildlife sites. In addition a Roadside Nature Reserve (RNR), has been designated in an area alongside Ipswich Road close to Danby Wood. Norwich also has over 200 acres of woodland in public ownership and an abundance of well wooded areas, including areas of ancient woodland. The policy seeks to protect the environmental value of these sites. Consequently, any proposal that potentially affects this will need to be accompanied by an assessment of impact and any losses of biodiversity mitigated.
6.8 Sites may also be identified for their geological or geomorphological importance as County Geodiversity Sites (CGS), equivalent to the established County Wildlife Site designation. At present no sites in Norwich have CGS status, but should any be identified over the plan period they would be covered by this policy. Consequently they would be subject to the same requirements for impact assessment and appropriate mitigation as apply to sites of wildlife interest.
6.9 The Greater Norwich Green infrastructure delivery plan (GIDP) identifies five green infrastructure priority areas, two of which extend into Norwich. These are ‘Norwich to the Broads’ and ‘Water City’ (the rivers Yare and Wensum). Green Infrastructure refers to networks of protected sites, nature reserves, green spaces, waterways and green linkages. The approach to green infrastructure is set out within three policies within this plan. Policy DM3 addresses the issue of the safeguarding and enhancement of green infrastructure within development proposals, DM6 considers those elements of the green infrastructure priority network which are also natural environmental assets and DM8 deals with the recreational and amenity considerations for open space, including allotments.
6.10 The green infrastructure priority areas are safeguarded for the most part either through national protection (Sites of Special Scientific Interest), through regional and local landscape designations of various types and through established policy protection of other areas of community open space which have recreational or amenity value. These green areas are indicated collectively on the Policies map and may overlap.
6.11 The Yare Valley provides a green corridor to the south of Norwich, separating the city from suburbs and employment areas in South Norfolk and providing a green urban edge. However, there are parts of the Yare Valley which are not covered by any national or local landscape designation and some areas which are partially developed. The Yare Valley character area has therefore been defined in recognition of the vulnerability of certain parts of the valley to potentially unsympathetic development which could otherwise compromise the character of this important natural environmental resource.
6.12 For the purpose of this policy the term ‘limited extension or alteration’ refers to development that is not significantly greater than allowed for under permitted development rights and which would not have a significantly detrimental impact on the character of the area. Although such proposals may not be harmful in isolation, it will be necessary to take account of any cumulative impacts resulting from previous extensions and additions on the same site.
References
- NPPF: CLG, 2012: Section 11 – Conserving and enhancing the natural environment: protecting and enhancing valued landscapes, geological conservation interests and soils, minimising impacts on biodiversity and geodiversity.
- National Planning Practice Guidance: CLG 2014: Natural Environment.
- JCS policy 1: Addressing climate change and protecting environmental assets.
- JCS policy 7: Supporting communities.
- JCS policy 9: Strategy for growth in the Norwich policy area.
- JCS policy 11: Norwich city centre.
- JCS policy 12: The remainder of the Norwich urban area, including the fringe parishes.
- JCS policy 18: The Broads.
- Greater Norwich Development Partnership Green Infrastructure Study, Chris Blandford Associates, 2008.
- Greater Norwich Development Partnership Green Infrastructure Delivery Plan; Chris Blandford Associates, 2009.
- Appropriate Assessment screening report for the DM policies plan, The Landscape Partnership, 2010.
