HETHEL 1

Comment

Representation ID: 22077

Received: 16/03/2020

Respondent: Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Our comments below relate to specific ecological concerns regarding allocations. In addition to the protection provided in Policy 2, we recommend that specific wording is included in the allocation policies to ensure they are properly addressed at the planning application stage. Any applications in proximity to known wildlife sites (as set out in Table 4), as well as irreplaceable habitats such as ancient woodland, and priority habitats (as set out in the NERC Act 2016) should be accompanied by an ecological appraisal, with provision of biodiversity net gain and sufficient buffering and safeguarding space secured between the development and the wildlife site in perpetuity (potentially also delivering contributions to green infrastructure).
HETHEL1, HETHEL2, GNLP2109 – these allocations are adjacent to Hethel Wood CWS, an important ancient woodland site, likely to also be of importance for several bat species. Given the proximity of the existing industrial area to the wood, and the sensitivity of ancient woodland to nearby development, we recommend that any allocations in this area safeguard the CWS from further encroachment and includes appropriate policies to avoid indirect disturbance from features such as external lighting. This area is also a key location for connectivity with other priority habitats in the south Norfolk claylands and net gain contributions could help link Hethel Wood with other County Wildlife Sites and ancient woodland.