Credit: Nick Upton/2020VISION
Planning and Biodiversity Net Gain
Giving wildlife a voice
With ever increasing development pressures across Staffordshire, we are working to ensure that wildlife and valuable habitats are fully considered within the planning system, and that Biodiversity Net Gain legislation creates or restores habitat in the right places.
Credit: Ben Hall /2020VISION
Planning advice for the public
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Planning advice developers
Find out moreInappropriate development can have a significant impact on wildlife; while considerate planning can help protect, enhance and even create new habitats.
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust gives wildlife a voice by:
- Responding to strategic planning consultations, such as Local Plans. These form a backbone to the planning system and contain policies that planners use for many years. We work to make sure that appropriate policies are in place for protecting wildlife; that areas are set aside for wildife and that local authorities have access to up-to-date data on valuable wildlife habitats and species.
- Commenting on certain types of planning applications where there is potential for significant effects to wildlife. We have limited resources and so must prioritise which cases we become involved in. This is done according to where the potential wildlife gains or losses are greatest, whether other bodies are commenting on the ecological aspects of an application and its location in terms of our Living Landscape projects.
- Providing advice to developers and working with planners and consultants.
- Providing advice to members of the public.
Wildflowers by Kieron Huston
Biodiversity Net Gain
Almost all developments need to result in a 10% increase in natural habitat. Many developers will be able to achieve this on the development site itself but they can't, they will create this natural habitat elsewhere. This is where we come in - we're working to ensure off-site habitat creation and restoration is done in the right place, for the maximum benefit of wildlife.