Policy EN7: Green and Blue Infrastructure Network

Support

Representation ID: 4554

Received: 27/11/2023

Respondent: The Woodland Trust

The LP should set standards for high-quality green infrastructure for development.
• Everyone should be able to see three trees from their home.
• Everyone should be no more than 300 metres from the nearest natural green space, with safe and accessible routes.
• Consideration should also be given to the Woodland Trust’s Access to Woodland Standard which aspires that everyone should have a small wood of at least two hectares in size within 500 metres of their home, and a larger wood of at least 20 hectares in size within four kilometres of where they live.

Support

Representation ID: 4609

Received: 04/12/2023

Respondent: Mr Nigel Roberts

Agree

Object

Representation ID: 5000

Received: 02/01/2024

Respondent: Define (on behalf of William Davis Homes)

The purpose of this policy is unclear, as it does not differentiate from earlier policies relating to drainage or POS provision.

Support

Representation ID: 5115

Received: 03/01/2024

Respondent: Natural England

NE supports this policy and has made a number of comments regarding GI throughout our response to ensure that the multi-functional benefits of the provision of good quality GI can be fully realised. We would like to see reference to NE's GI Framework and Rutland’s GBI strategy in the policy wording and accompanying text. Local application of the GI standards should be considered eg % of people having good quality publicly accessible greenspaces within 15 minutes’ walk from home by 2030.

Support

Representation ID: 5460

Received: 04/01/2024

Respondent: Mary Cade

Ecological 'stepping stones' also need to be included. Cross border cooperation with neighbouring LPAs is important in terms of wider and historic green and blue links.

Support

Representation ID: 5632

Received: 05/01/2024

Respondent: Mrs laura alcock

Agree.

Support

Representation ID: 5717

Received: 06/01/2024

Respondent: Braunston-in-Rutland Parish Council

We support this but it needs to be enforced

Support

Representation ID: 5860

Received: 06/01/2024

Respondent: Braunston-in-Rutland Parish Council

Support

Support

Representation ID: 5866

Received: 06/01/2024

Respondent: RCC Expert Panel on Carbon Reduction

The phrase “green routes” should be replaced by “ecological corridors”.

Point 3 “ identify and provide opportunities to enhance and improve linkages between the natural and historical landscapes of Rutland” should be replaced by “ identify and provide opportunities to enhance and improve ecological corridors, stepping stones as well as linkages between the natural and historical landscapes in both Rutland and any neighbouring local authorities.”

Cooperation with neighbouring local authorities is especially relevant in terms of these wider natural and historical links, for example across the River Welland from Leighfield Forest to Rockingham Forest.

Support

Representation ID: 6116

Received: 07/01/2024

Respondent: NGO East Mercia Rivers Trust

No river is classed as healthy in England. River restoration is critical for climate adaptation, water quality & nature recovery. The Welland and its tributaries have suffered historical deepening, straightening & are largely disconnected from their floodplain, reducing biodiversity & the ability of floodplains to store water in times of high rainfall & wetlands store more carbon than forests. Building on seasonally wet & mineral sensitive areas should be prevented & urban run-off countered to reduce pollution into watercourses - particularly as Rutland Water & water courses from geologically sensitive areas such as limestone are important for drinking water abstraction.

Support

Representation ID: 6448

Received: 08/01/2024

Respondent: Mrs Hilary Smith

This will be important for all new developments

Support

Representation ID: 6863

Received: 08/01/2024

Respondent: Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust

Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust supports this policy and strongly recommends that long-term management of GBI should be secured in perpetuity rather than for 30 years to support nature’s recovery.

Object

Representation ID: 7188

Received: 08/01/2024

Respondent: Persimmon Homes East Midlands

The fifth paragraph of this policy state: ‘Proposals for major development should be accompanied by an audit of the existing GBI within and around the site and a statement demonstrating how this will be retained and enhanced through the development process.’ Persimmon Homes are of the view that the policy should clarify what is expected from ‘within and around the site.’

Object

Representation ID: 7197

Received: 08/01/2024

Respondent: Allison Homes

AH object to the inclusion of this policy, as it simply reiterates requirements from earlier policies in relation to drainage, POS provision and climate change.

Support

Representation ID: 7376

Received: 08/01/2024

Respondent: The Society of Merchant Venturers

Agent: Savills

As set out in our response to Policy EN2, ‘Land at Uppingham Road’ and ‘Land south of Stamford Road’
(ref. H1.3) have potential to accommodate high quality development and supporting uses, including green
infrastructure such as nature recovery, biodiversity net gain and habitat creation. Furthermore, both sites would look to optimise connections with the existing PRoW network to thereby ‘provide opportunities to enhance and improve linkages between the natural and historical landscapes of Rutland’, in line with the aims of Policy EN7.

Both sites are well related to the existing GBI network which adjoins the land ownership boundaries of the sites. As such, both sites have the potential to contribute to the wider delivery of the GBI network (and meet the deficiencies in open space typology as evidenced within the Open Space Assessment (July 2023)) by creating corridors that connect
to existing GBI assets to the south of Oakham.

Object

Representation ID: 7479

Received: 05/01/2024

Respondent: The British Horse Society

Public Rights of Way connect communities and provide access to the countryside, however there is no specific mention of PRoW or the RoWIP. In terms of wellbeing benefits, research shows that 'activity with horses in nature environments is a source of wellbeing, enjoyment, self-confidence and social contacts (Schwarzmuller-Erber et al, 2020).
Encouraging more people to be active in the countryside, including equestrians, will require sufficient resourcing in terms of maintaining and improving Public Rights of Way and shared/multi­ user/active travel routes. Using more environmentally friendly materials to provide surfaces appropriate for all users would help to protect the heritage of the landscape.

Object

Representation ID: 7569

Received: 08/01/2024

Respondent: House Builders Federation

HBF suggest this policy needs to be clearer about how it links into BNG policies, specifically the BNG Metric for watercourses.

Support

Representation ID: 7626

Received: 08/01/2024

Respondent: Environment Agency

We support this policy and are pleased the policy encourages the use of green and blue infrastructure (GBI) in schemes design. We are also pleased that GBI must be replaced if damaged or lost.

We encourage good practice for Green Blue Infrastructure Projects as stated in the policy, where they will ensure projects will ‘retain and enhance’ infrastructure including watercourses. Developers should utilise the Catchment Data Explorer (England | Catchment Data Explorer) to see where specific developments can work to improve waterbodies.

Support

Representation ID: 7647

Received: 08/01/2024

Respondent: Severn Trent

We are supportive of the principles of blue green infrastructure and plans that aim to improve biodiversity across our area.We want to encourage new development to continue this theme, enhancing biodiversity and ecology links through new development so there is appropriate space for water.
To enable planning policy to support the principles of blue green Infrastructure, biodiversity and protecting local green open spaces we recommend the inclusion of the following:
Development should where possible create and enhance blue green corridors to protect watercourses and their associated habitats from harm.

The incorporation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) into blue green corridors can help to improve biodiversity, assisting with the wider benefits of utilising SuDS. National Planning Policy Framework (2021) paragraph 174 States:

Support

Representation ID: 7751

Received: 08/01/2024

Respondent: Anglian Water

We welcome policy EN7’s identification of reservoirs and other blue infrastructure as providing multi-faceted benefits including public access to nature. Wirth reference to Policy EN9 we note that Rutland in our Thriving East report is assessed as having relatively poor public access overall to nature.

Object

Representation ID: 7760

Received: 08/01/2024

Respondent: North Northamptonshire Council

In response to the previous consultation, we referenced the Welland Valley in relation to opportunities for cross boundary green infrastructure and biodiversity net gains. This asset is identified as a local corridor in the North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy at Policy 19. It is noted the Preferred Options document only references the Welland Valley in the context of geology and minerals, but as mentioned in our previous response, it may be appropriate for Rutland County Council to also recognise the valley in a similar way regarding it is a green infrastructure asset in the new Local Plan. It will be important for the two authorities to continue with dialogue on cross boundary GI matters both for plan-making and delivery. In the same way the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for each of our areas may highlight areas for cross boundary nature recovery opportunities that could be highlighted if the timing allows.

Support

Representation ID: 7806

Received: 08/01/2024

Respondent: Edith Weston Parish Council

We support the protection of habitats, biodiversity, blue and green infrastructure, and the natural environment in general.

Support

Representation ID: 7947

Received: 08/01/2024

Respondent: Ryhall Parish Council

EN7 Green & Blue Infrastructure - Support