DNP4: Promoting the Natural Environment

Development proposals will be supported provided they comply with other Local and Neighbourhood Plan Policies and the following principles:

1.  They protect and enhance green and blue infrastructure assets containing measures to maintain and improve their functionality in the design of their layouts and landscaping schemes, including delivering a net gain to biodiversity;
2. They protect and where possible enhance footpaths and public rights of way for the purposes of improving the enjoyment, connectivity and safety of active travel;
3. They contain measures that will help to mitigate the impacts of, and adapt to, climate change including but not limited to green roofs, rainwater harvesting, permeable surfacing, and passive design measures;
4. Where proposals require off-site compensation to mitigate for biodiversity loss, it should follow a sequential approach to its delivery. The gain should be delivered within or adjoining existing green or blue infrastructure assets, where the land is suited in principle for delivering the necessary gain. If this is not practicable, the gain should be delivered on other land elsewhere within the neighbourhood area before delivering the necessary gain elsewhere.

This policy sets out some key principles to which proposals affecting the natural environment of the parish must have regard. Further detailed information is available in the DNP Environment and Countryside Report.

Green and Blue Infrastructure Assets

Green and Blue infrastructure assets have multiple roles including carbon sinking, flood alleviation and biodiversity net gain. Green and blue infrastructure assets in Dormansland include Ancient Woodlands, Priority Habitats and National Landscapes as well as the Green Corridor from Policy DNP5. The first key principle requires that development should consider how their proposals may improve it, or at the very least do not undermine its integrity of connecting spaces and habitats. this may mean that development layouts are designed to contribute to the network’s effectiveness.

Land alongside watercourses is particularly valuable for wildlife and it is essential it is protected. Development that encroaches on watercourses has a potentially severe impact on their ecological value. Such development should therefore avoid the impact of disturbance both from increased access and from artificial lighting, which disrupts the natural diurnal rhythms of a range of wildlife using and inhabiting river corridor habitat.

Development proposals should wherever possible provide habitat linkages and permeability for wildlife through effective incorporation of green space and wildlife corridors, use of native plantings, and habitat features such as woodland, ponds, areas of meadow and key areas identified as buffer zones.

Footpaths and Public Rights of Way

Dormansland Parish has a good network of footpaths and bridleways, with opportunities for circular routes within easy reach of both Dormansland Village and Dormans Park which are of particular value and amenity to local residents. Development that would have an adverse impact on views from such routes, or which would suburbanise their surroundings, will therefore normally be resisted.

The second key principle supports proposals which may seek to protect or enhance these routes, e.g. traffic mitigation measures or public realm improvements which would improve the enjoyment of them, creating new routes or links to existing routes which would improve connectivity, and by maintaining their safety and functionality by carrying out or contributing to repairs or resurfacing.

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaption

The third key principle supports climate change mitigation and adaptation measures and finally, the last principle seeks to establish a sequential approach to the delivery of any off-site biodiversity net gain. The Environment Act 2021 now requires many schemes to deliver a minimum of 10% biodiversity net gain. The delivery of this net gain follows a hierarchical approach, and therefore only in the event that the net gain cannot be delivered on site, the principle requires a sequential approach to net gain delivery.