Can an NDP designate a Site of Nature Conservation Importance

Planning Advisory Service (PAS)

Open group | Started - July 2012 | Last activity - April

Former Member, modified 9 Years ago.

Can an NDP designate a Site of Nature Conservation Importance

Bit of a long shot, but just in case we have anyone on here who is a nature conservation expert that also knows about NDPs!

I am working with a Neighbourhood Forum in an area where there is a site that has been identified by the Local Nature Partnership as meeting the criteria for designation as an SNCI (our designation for non-statutory nature conservation sites).

Normally, the designation would be finalised following consultation and adoption as part of the Local Plan. But a new Local Plan is some way off. The prospective SNCI has quite a high profile locally and is being actively managed by a group of local conservation volunteers, so it would make a lot of sense to finalised its designation as part of the NDP, if that was possible.

I can't find anything in the DEFRA guidance for designation for local sites about how they are actually adopted, beyond that the LNP should pass the details to the Local Authority for inclusion in its LDF. Since we don't have LDFs any more, that's not particularly useful!

Jo Witherden, modified 9 Years ago.

RE: Can an NDP designate a Site of Nature Conservation Importance

Enthusiast Posts: 33 Join Date: 21/10/11 Recent Posts

I think it should be possible - para 117 of the NPPF says that, to minimise impacts on biodiversity and geodiversity, planning policies should identify and map components of the local ecological networks, including the hierarchy of international, national and locally designated sites of importance for biodiversity, wildlife corridors and stepping stones that connect them and areas identified by local partnerships for habitat restoration or creation. As you say this is normally the remit of the local planning authority but the NPPF doesn't say that it cannot be considered through a neighbourhood plan - and if you are using the accepted criteria (and this is unlikely to be reviewed) I can't see this being an issue.

However an alternative route to consider would be to designate it as a local green space (the NPPF is quite clear that this is in the remit of neighbourhood plans, and can cover wildlife sites) - the key 'tests' are in para 77 of the NPPF which is that the site should be reasonably close to the community it serves; demonstrably special to a local community and holds a particular local significance, and local in character (not an extensive tract of land). So if it ticks all these boxes then this gives the site more than biodiversity protection in the longer term - if that is what the community might want. Other reasons for designating sites as a local green space can be landscape beauty, historic significance, recreational value or even tranquillity.