Biodiversity Supplementary Planning Document
(5) Chapter 6: Creating space for nature design principles
This chapter includes creating space for nature design principles. Each principle includes a description of why it is important and has been included in this SPD and core requirements. These principles set out how the Council expects biodiversity to be incorporated into development proposals to create space for nature in accordance with Policy ENV1 (Part C):
(iii) Will conserve or enhance the biodiversity value of greenfield and brownfield sites and minimise fragmentation of habitats; and
(iv) Maximises opportunities for the preservation, restoration, enhancement and connection of natural habitats in accordance with the UK and Essex Biodiversity Action Plans or future replacements; and
(v) Incorporates beneficial biodiversity conservation features, measurable biodiversity net gain of at least 10% in line with the principles outlined in the Natural England Biodiversity Metric, and habitat creation where appropriate.
Creating space for nature design principle |
Core requirements |
Contribute to Colchester's green-blue infrastructure network. Create new green-blue infrastructure that is appropriate and proportionate to the size and location of the development proposal. Create connections to existing green-blue infrastructure. Why? Green-blue infrastructure has multiple benefits including benefits for biodiversity, recreation, climate change resilience and health and wellbeing. The Essex Local Nature Partnership have targets for the current 14% of green infrastructure coverage of Essex to be increased to 25% green infrastructure coverage by 2030; and access to high quality green space for all. |
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Plant new trees across the development site, including street trees. Why? Trees help improve air quality, enhance ecological connectivity, and help reduce the urban heat island effect. Street trees can act as natural traffic management measures. |
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Retain and enhance existing hedges and create new hedges. Hedges should be used in preference to fences as boundaries to properties. New hedges are usually best when they comprise mixed native species. Buffers should be included on either side to retain, encourage, introduce species movement, foraging, nesting. Why? Good quality hedges provide food, shelter, and safe breeding sites for wildlife. |
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Deadwood from veteran trees should be kept in situ where possible or moved to a safe place onsite with no or minimal processing. Why? Deadwood is a valuable habitat and food source for a range of wildlife. |
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Fit integral swift bricks and house martin nest boxes in all new developments. Why? Swifts, house sparrows, starlings and house martins depend on buildings for nesting and roosting and have been significantly affected by changes to buildings. |
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Fit integral bat bricks in appropriate locations in all new developments. Why? A number of species depend on buildings for nesting and roosting. |
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Create solitary bee nests.A bee hotel is designed to provide a home to solitary bees that live naturally in cracks, hollows, and holes instead of hives. Why? To provide habitat for solitary bees. In Britain there are around 250 species of solitary bees. These bees are effective pollinators. Unlike honeybees and bumblebees, solitary bees do not live in colonies. |
Include holes and other materials for the bees to live in. |
Create wildlife highways in boundary walls and fences. Why? Hard boundaries such as walls and fences form a barrier to ground dwelling animals such as hedgehogs, reptiles, and amphibians, inhibiting their movement around a housing development. Hedgehogs have undergone massive long-term declines (State of Nature). Hedgehogs roam across large areas in search of food, shelter, and mates. Connecting as many gardens as possible is key. |
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Watercourses should be protected for cleanliness and retained and have a biodiversity green buffer margin for aquatic species. Why? Buffers retain, encourage, introduce species movement, foraging, nesting. |
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Include green roofs and green walls where possible. Why? Green roofs and walls insulate buildings, attenuate water run-off, provide habitat for wildlife, and pale renders reflect rather than absorb heat so reduces heating of the building. They can also benefit invertebrates and birds. |
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Include grass rather than artificial grass. Why? Artificial grass does not deliver drainage and biodiversity benefits. |
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Artificial lighting, including floodlighting, should avoid spill on to 'dark corridors' such as hedgerow networks, railway embankments, waterways, parkland, woodland edge habitat or trees and buildings supporting bats or owls. Why? Artificial lighting affects bats and owls. Lighting in the vicinity of a bat roost causes disturbance and potential abandonment of the roost. |
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Create underpasses and green bridges to enable wildlife to span roads otherwise presenting a barrier to free movement. Why? To enable wildlife to safely cross roads and avoid becoming isolated. |
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Brownfield sites of high biodiversity value must be recognised with a presumption in favour of protection of such sites. Why? Brownfield sites can have high ecological value but can be overlooked. |
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Make new homeowners aware of the wildlife within and nearby the development site. Why? Making new and prospective homeowners aware of the wildlife they might find on a development will help generate interest and make householders aware of the uniqueness and sensitivity of the area. It can be used to help market the new homes. |
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These design principles set out the Council's expectations. The core requirements list some of the requirements, but full requirements/ details are not included in the table, above. Applicants should discuss the principles in this SPD with an ecologist at an early stage to ensure the principles are fully understood and integrated into the design of the development.