Comment

Representation ID: 33526

Received: 15/12/2009

Respondent: Natural England

Necessary development should be accommodated with minimum impact on the natural environment and deliver maximum benefits for the natural environment and people together.
The most environmentally sustainable locations should be found for new development. Development should avoid environmental assets such as protected and historic landscapes, habitats, sites (statutory and non-statutory), habitat networks, species and floodplains, and should promote sustainable travel patterns. Policies and decisions on development proposals should conserve valued environmental assets by seeking first to avoid loss or harm, before considering the need for mitigation or compensatory measures. Where development takes place in areas which currently have a low environmental value, we would expect the development to enhance environmental value by providing green infrastructure as well as provide new development.
Natural England supports the valuable urban containment role played by the green belt. However we also believe that there is potential for to increase people's enjoyment of green belt (and improving its effectiveness as a result) through improved access to it in appropriate locations. This could be through the establishment of strategic green links between settlements and the green belt. Other benefits of such an approach include opportunities for education regarding the natural environment, habitat enhancement and landscape benefits. A Green Infrastructure study could highlight where enhanced access to green belt would be appropriate and feasible.