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Hertfordshire Biological Records Centre - February 2006
SUMMARY
Purpose of study
The environment is one of the four main drivers of sustainable development,
and in this context biodiversity needs to be fully integrated into planning policy
and delivery. As part of the new planning system known as the Local
Development Framework, information on urban wildlife is fundamental given
the pressure on land resources in and around our towns. The aims of the
study are:
‘To provide a well reasoned and coherent strategy for the protection and
enhancement of key wildlife areas and network of spaces / natural corridors
within the towns and large villages of Dacorum’.
The Dacorum Urban Nature Conservation Study considers the wildlife
resources within the six major settlements in Dacorum, namely Berkhamsted,
Bovingdon, Hemel Hempstead, Kings Langley, Markyate and Tring. They
were mapped using existing habitat information, additional sites identified
from aerial photo interpretation and local knowledge. The areas adjacent to
each settlement – up to a distance of 1km – were also mapped in a similar
fashion to place the urban areas within the context of their surrounding
environments. This process identified the most important sites already known
such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest, local sites meeting minimum
standards known as ‘Wildlife Sites’, and other sites or features of more local
significance within the urban areas known collectively as ‘Wildspace’. These
incorporated Hertfordshire Biological Record Centre’s ‘Ecology Sites’ where
appropriate, old boundary features such as hedgerows and tree lines, as well
as significant garden areas or open spaces which may survive. Other urban
areas designated as Open Land with some ecological potential are also
shown.
Results
This process identified a complex resource of ecologically valuable sites,
stepping stones, corridors and green wedges throughout each settlement.
Together they represent a network of valuable wildlife resources which allow
ecological processes to be sustained within the urban areas. Areas of
deficiency are also identified.
This is set in the context of English Nature’s ‘Accessible Natural Greenspace
Standards’, which propose minimum standards for biodiversity resources for
biodiversity and communities at a range of scales. In practice these may be
aspirational given that the nature of open land and biodiversity resources is a
legacy of evolving development rather than an issue which has been fully
considered and planned from the outset. However, they remain a standard
against which to achieve, and plans, policies and management opportunities
should take them into consideration.
Recommendations
A review of the Local Plan policies for biodiversity is provided for the borough
and for each settlement. Generally existing policies are considered to provide
a comprehensive approach to site protection and management. However,
additional views on policy improvements are also given. Some approaches
require that biodiversity issues are considered as a fundamental part of a
proposal, which is required to meet a sufficient score. Achieving such a
‘greenspace factor ’ is another mechanism recommended to integrate
biodiversity into developments.
The identification of biodiversity resources and the policies developed to
protect and manage sites is a fundamental approach to the concept of
sustainable development, and this requires a positive approach to biodiversity
conservation, mitigation and compensation. These are used to guide planning
and management opportunities that are described for each settlement in the
form of a series of recommendations.
Conclusions
1. The urban biodiversity of the six major settlements in Dacorum needs to be
considered with respect to the nature of the ecological resources of the
Borough as a whole and their immediate hinterland. The ecological networks
and processes that exist at the broad scale are important in helping sustain
the habitats and wildlife within the urban areas, and are also important in
providing additional resources that can be accessed by local communities.
2. The pattern of biodiversity resources within urban areas should be
developed and maintained based upon the maps in Appendices 2 -7.
Within the detailed study areas, all known resources are identified. These
include those with statutory and non-statutory designations as well as sites or
features of more local importance, including Open Land designated within the
Local Plan.
3. Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Local Nature Reserves and Wildlife Sites
should be protected from adverse development appropriate to their status.
The maintenance and enhancement of these assets will be encouraged
through management. Ultimately these are the most intrinsically valuable
wildlife resources and represent critical capital within the urban context.
4. Locally valuable ‘Wildspace’ areas should be protected, particularly where
consistent with Open Land designated within the Local Plan. Management
should seek to enhance their ecological interest. These sites provide the
wildlife corridors, networks and stepping stones that help sustain ecological
processes within the settlement. Although they can vary in size and ecological
function, where appropriate the protection of corridor features should include
the standard guidance provided by British Standard 5837:2005 in relation to
trees and advice from the Environment Agency concerning wetlands. The
remaining areas of designated Open Land may also be important or
potentially so ecologically.
5. Links to open countryside and other recognised sites of wildlife value
should be protected and enhanced with appropriate management where
possible. These help to sustain the ecological processes to and from the
settlement itself, as wildlife does not stop at the edge of a settlement
boundary.
6. New sites should be enhanced or created for their wildlife value where
appropriate, especially where consistent with Open Land. These can help to
offset areas of deficiency or improve public accessibility.
7. All opportunities for Local Nature Reserve designation should be explored
and suitable sites designated to help towards meeting English Nature’s target
for their provision.
8. Finer grained wildlife support should be developed and maintained using
the ‘Greenspace Factor’ principle and policies to protect and / or plant trees,
hedgerows and other vegetation, which will contribute to the delivery of
sustainable development.
9. The principles of sustainable development should be followed across the
borough with respect to biodiversity resources, including opportunities to
address deficiencies through planning gain.
Addendum to Dacorum Borough Council Urban Nature Conservation Study
by Dacorum Environmental Forum WaterGroup
The DEF Water Group consider this Study to be a very important initiative by DBC
because the local watercourses, whether they be rivers or the canal, strengthen
the natural corridors throughout many parts of Dacorum. The buffer zones along
the fringes of the watercourses are also a crucial part of the total biodiversity
strategy. The rivers, apart from the invertebrates and other aquatic fauna, are proven
important flight paths for resident and migratory bird life.
Author: Roger Hands, 23rd March 2008
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