Biodiversity
Action
Plan
Barnsley Council in the planning process …
- Considers the impact on priority habitats and species, and on statutory and locally designated sites, when planning applications are assessed.
- Ensures that planning conditions and obligations are included in planning decision notices to avoid loss or damage to priority habitats or species or if not possible to mitigate or compensate for them.
- Supports developments with the purpose of conserving or enhancing biodiversity, as well as the inclusion of biodiversity improvements in and around other developments.
- Refuses planning consent when significant harm to biodiversity resulting from a development cannot be avoided, adequately mitigated, or, as a last resort, compensated for, and when the required biodiversity net gain is not demonstrated.
- Ensures that all planning process stages promote green infrastructure provision and take advantage of the opportunities for habitat creation, links between habitats and contributing to ecological networks.
Links
National Planning Policy Framework
Natural England Standing Advice:
Barnsley Council
Achievements
- The Barnsley Local Plan adopted in 2019
- strengthened policies on biodiversity
- includes specific conditions for allocated development sites to protect and conserve biodiversity.
- A Supplementary Policy Document on Biodiversity, published in 2019, sets out further detail and advice.
- Impacts on biodiversity are considered in planning applications
- Biodiversity /Planning Ecologist posts established in 2011 and 2022 respectively
- Barnsley Biological Record Centre established (2011) to make available records of sites, habitats and species.
- Phase 1 habitat mapping has been undertaken across Barnsley.
- Panel set up to designate, review and monitor Local Wildlife Sites (LWS).
- There has been an increase in the number of designated LWS since 2010
- Nature Improvement Area in the Lower Dearne Valley established. 2012
- Designation of sites in Dearne Valley, 2021 as Dearne Valley Wetlands SSSI
- Consultation and adoption of updated Supplementary Planning Document 2024
Future actions
- Consideration of adoption of Local Biodiversity Action Plan.
- Consideration of further sites for potential LWS designation
- Monitoring of impact of policies on biodiversity on planning applications, planning conditions and obligations
- Monitoring of impact on biodiversity of development following planning consent
Marking Progress
- Planning decision conditions/obligations on biodiversity.
- Mitigation undertaken as set out in planning decision conditions
- Biodiversity enhancements carried out as agreed as planning obligations in relevant planning decisions.
- Loss of or harm to biodiversity mitigated or avoided.
- Net gains in biodiversity following planning decisions.
Planning & Development Actions