NPPF para 180c) development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats (such as ancient woodland and ancient or veteran trees) should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons and a suitable compensation strategy exists;
I am currently dealing with a major road scheme which involves the loss of several veteran trees and some ancient woodland. I have significant concerns of the compensation strategy which lacks detail and was wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of any other examples where a suitable compensation strategy has been agreed as part of a planning application.
The Highway Authority being the applicant want to deal with this at a later date by way of conditions and S106 agreement with owners, but to my mind this needs to be agreed as part of the application and there needs to be certainty around the delivery with landowner agreements bering in place, otherwise I cannot see how a suitable compensation strategy can be deemed to exist if it is still fluid.
