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 stages promote green infrastructure provision and take advantage of the opportunities for habitat creation, links between habitats and contributing to ecological networks.
  
  

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.

Achievements

• The Barnsley Local Plan adopted in 2019 strengthened policies on biodiversity and includes specific conditions for allocated development sites to protect and conserve biodiversity.
• A Supplementary Policy Document on Biodiversity, published in 2019 and updated in 2024,  sets out further detail and advice.
• Biodiversity / Planning Ecologist posts established in 2011 / 2022.
• Barnsley Biological Record Centre established (2011) to make available records of sites, habitats and species.
• Panel set up to designate, review and monitor Local Wildlife Sites.
• Dearne Valley Nature Improvement Area (NIA) established in 2012.
• Designation of sites in 2021 as Dearne Valley Wetlands SSSI.

Actions

• Implementation of the strengthened biodiversity duty* to conserve and enhance biodiversity across council functions.
• Consideration of the regional Nature Recovery Strategy and adoption of Local Biodiversity Action Plans.
• Monitoring of impact of biodiversity policies on planning applications, planning conditions, and on development following consent.

Links

National Planning Policy Framework

• NPPF
• Planning Practice Guidance
• Circular 06/05:biodiversity & geological conservation

Natural England Standing Advice:

• Protected Species
• Protected Sites and Areas

Barnsley Council

• Local Plan
• Supplementary Policy Document

Planning & Development Actions

Biodiversity Duty*

Public authorities have to consider what they can do to conserve and enhance biodiversity. This is the strengthened ‘biodiversity duty’ that the Environment Act 2021 introduces.

This means that an authority, must:

• Consider what it can do to conserve and enhance biodiversity.
• Agree policies and specific objectives based on this consideration.
• Act to deliver its policies and achieve its objectives.