Colchester City Council Preferred Options Local Plan Regulation 18 Consultation 2025

Comment

Representation ID: 14244

Received: 18/01/2026

Respondent: Natural England

Natural England supports the requirement for all new buildings to include water efficiency measures,
including a residential development standard of 80 litres per person per day. The nature recovery
and protection obligations for local plans in relation to water scarcity are set out in Annex D of the
shared-standards-in-water-efficiency-for-local-plans.pdf. It is your authority’s responsibility to
determine that the Local Plan meets the policy and statutory obligations for nature protection and
recovery, set out in Annex D of the Shared Standards, informed through preparation of a Water Cycle Study. We therefore welcome preparation of the Colchester
Local Plan Water Cycle Study.

Comment

Representation ID: 14245

Received: 18/01/2026

Respondent: Natural England

We welcome that proposals
in close proximity to a habitats site must demonstrate through HRA screening that the scheme will
not lead to likely significant effects to the integrity of the habitats site. Where this cannot be ruled out
a full appropriate assessment will be required to be undertaken. Additionally, any planning
application within 400 metres of a habitats site must provide mechanisms to prevent the introduction
of invasive species.

Comment

Representation ID: 14246

Received: 18/01/2026

Respondent: Natural England

: We welcome policy requirements for expansion proposals to undertake
wintering bird surveys at the appropriate time of year to identify any offsite SPA functional habitat
and to prioritise impact avoidance. Where this is not possible we support requirements for delivery
of habitat creation and management, ahead of development, to mitigate any significant impacts.

Comment

Representation ID: 14247

Received: 18/01/2026

Respondent: Natural England

We support policy requirements to protect the natural environment including the integrity of habitats
sites and to minimise disturbance to designated breeding and wintering species. We welcome that
any future extensions to caravan parks by the coast will require their own HRA/ appropriate
assessment where necessary, to demonstrate how any avoidance or mitigation measures identified
in the appropriate assessment will be delivered.

Comment

Representation ID: 14248

Received: 18/01/2026

Respondent: Natural England

We generally support these policies and requirements for all relevant development to protect and
enhance the natural environment. Policy PC6: Design and Amenity requires incorporation of a
network of green infrastructure, open space and landscape as part of the design of the development
to reflect the importance of these networks to biodiversity, climate change mitigation, healthy living
and creating beautiful places. Natural England welcomes this.

Comment

Representation ID: 14249

Received: 18/01/2026

Respondent: Natural England

Natural England welcomes removal of Middlewick Ranges as a proposed site allocation on the
basis that development of the site, most of which is designated as a Local Wildlife Site (LoWS) is
likely to significantly harm biodiversity including woodland and acid grassland Priority Habitat. We
strongly support the proposed new enhanced biodiversity and open space dedication on the land, to
ensure its importance is recognised in the long-term.

Comment

Representation ID: 14250

Received: 18/01/2026

Respondent: Natural England

we support the requirement for a buffer to Bullock Wood SSSI,
informed by a survey and opportunities taken to secure improved management to the SSSI to
include protection from recreational disturbance, and connections between the SSSI and Welsh
Wood and Wall’s Wood LoWS.

Comment

Representation ID: 14251

Received: 18/01/2026

Respondent: Natural England

a requirement for measures to
mitigate recreational disturbance impacts to Roman River SSSI is welcomed

Comment

Representation ID: 14252

Received: 18/01/2026

Respondent: Natural England

we welcome policy requirements for
wintering bird surveys to inform assessment of the impacts of development on the Colne Estuary
SPA functionally linked land and any required mitigation.

Comment

Representation ID: 14253

Received: 18/01/2026

Respondent: Natural England

In addition to the Essex Coast RAMS tariff and depending on the size and location of the
development, additional mitigation measures may be required in conformity with our Suitable
Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) guidelines to account for the impacts of the development
taken alone. Those sites will need to have capacity to accommodate SANG (at a minimum of
8ha/1000 new population). Alternatively, a contribution could be made to an existing accessible semi-natural
greenspace (e.g. a Country Park) to uplift it to NE SANG Guidelines standard, as long as there is sufficient capacity for additional visitors.