Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service
Planners’ Update Spring 2020
Welcome to the SBIS Planners’ Update! We aim to provide accessible information about biodiversity issues in relation to
Issue 11
Inside this issue: East Anglian Planning & 1 Biodiversity Seminar 2019
East Anglian Planning and Biodiversity Seminar 2019
Environment Bill update 2 Natural Capital tool launched by Defra
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New licence to manage 2 and control alien invasive species
Less than half of local sites in positive conservation management
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UN publish draft plan to 3 halt biodiversity crisis Green Infrastructure Partnership
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Potential restrictions for 3 green walls Healthy weight in 3 women and green space Derry & Strabane Green 3 Infrastructure Plan Emergency tree plan for 4 the UK Planning for green infrastructure
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UK-wide: lottery fund for natural landscapes Training - embedding the natural capital approach in planning and development
planning. If we can help with training events, factsheets or in any other way, please do contact us and we’ll do our best to provide what you need. Previous Updates are available on the SBIS Planners’ Page >
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14th November, University of Suffolk, Ipswich This popular annual event aims to provide practical solutions to support decisionmakers, whilst ensuring that legal obligations are met. It also provides a rare and much-needed forum for East Anglian planners and ecological consultants to exchange ideas. The day focused on planning issues related to wetlands, rivers and streams and was more than fully booked, with 150 people attending. The speakers presented innovative and inspiring ideas, including a wet woodland planned into a Sustainable Urban Drainage Scheme in Bramford (Scottish Power Renewables) and the exciting Integrated Constructed Wetland projects driven forward by the Norfolk Rivers Trust. This was vividly presented as a case study of Norfolk’s River Ingol.
The species-themed slots are ever popular, enabling planners to take away practical ideas for incorporating enhancements. Suffolk Wildlife Trust, the UK Water Vole Steering Group and the Bat Conservation Trust effectively demonstrated how developments can realistically be improved for Otters, Water Voles and Bats. In the months to come, it will become essential to understand Biodiversity Net Gain (leaving biodiversity in a better state after development than it was before), so the user-friendly presentation by the Environment Agency on the Garden cities - a 5 rivers and streams metric was most welcome. guide for planners
Raynsford review of 5 planning
Training understanding the garden city approach
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The Association of Local Government Ecologists presented a national update and, for the first time, there was a regional update by SBIS on issues specific to our area.
SBIS described how they are creating a range of ecological Priority species 6 network tools for use by landowners and parishes, in focus - Shepherd’s neighbourhood plans and for district and county-level needle strategic planning; and Natural England updated the audience of the roll out of the Great crested newt District Licensing in Suffolk Biodiversity 6 our region. Planning Group & collaborative members
All of the presentations can be downloaded from the SBIS Planners’ page > See photos of the speakers on p.2 1