Policy EN5: Biodiversity and Green Space

Shepway District Council supports measures that foster a good multifunctional green infrastructure network, especially within the Dungeness, Romney Marsh, Rye Bay area.

CPRE Sussex welcomes and supports Policy EN5. However, the policy could usefully differentiate between the importance to be given to protecting internationally, nationally and locally important sites.

Policy EN5: Biodiversity and Green Space
Overall this biodiversity and green space is positive particularly in regard to developing new areas for biodiversity (BOA and Sussex BAP) and greenspace (having regard to NE‟s ANGSt ) and working to deliver biodiversity gains and we welcome this policy. However the natural environment in the district is very rich and highly designated and the policy fails to mention the need to protect and enhance designated nature conservation in accordance to their hierarchically protection status and provide policy hooks as to how this might be achieved.
Natural England is happy to work with Rother to build on this policy.
The issue of climate change and the need to ensure capacity for the natural environment to adapt in a changing climate also needs to be included in this policy either as an overarching theme or appended to the appropriate points in the policy. Protecting and enhancing in a changing climate is a strategic objective in the plan for the natural environment however this has not been interpreted
into policy.
Section 17.41 states:
"It is recognised that there is a need to manage recreation and tourism activities so they do not harm the integrity of these sites. More generally, green infrastructure can be used to avoid adverse impacts on biodiversity through buffering or provision of alternative sites for outdoor recreation. Whilst recognising the need for sensitive management of green infrastructure activities."
Again this is good supportive text but no mention is made in policy as to how green space or any other measures will alleviate pressure on Natura 2000 sites, some policy hook is required to show this is part of the GI functions. Natural England are working with Shepway District to address similar issues in their core strategy through additional GI and exploring the role of a strategic
partnership to monitor access on the site and respond accordingly. A joint approach by Rother and Shepway working with other agencies and stakeholders could be implemented to address this.