Strategic Policy 8: Methods for Achieving Natural Heritage Protection

This will be achieved by: (a) Ensuring adequate protection is afforded to natural heritage assets when considering new settlement limits and land allocations for development in the Local Policies Plan; (b) Applying Policies DM 37 to DM 42 and other relevant policies of the Local Development Plan (LDP) to protect our Borough's natural heritage assets from the adverse impact of development, including consideration of potential cumulative effects; (c) Identifying and protecting our Borough's most sensitive landscapes from inappropriate development; (d) Identifying Sites of Local Nature Conservation Importance (SLNCIs) and Local Landscape Policy Areas (LLPAs) in the Local Policies Plan; and (e) Supporting biodiversity through the retention and appropriate integration of trees, woodland and hedgerows in development layouts and requiring landscape schemes to accompany new development proposals.