Ecology

Biodiversity, healthy ecosystems and green spaces contribute to a high quality of life. However development pressures, poor land management and fragmentation of habitats have contributed to the loss of both habitats and species in the South East. Climate change presents another challenge. It is expected that animals and plants will need to move north as the climate changes, and to do this they need corridors of suitable and connected land.

Biodiverse and attractive landscapes provide economic benefit, attracting tourists and local people to spend leisure time in the region. The South East has major woodland resources, offering a productive crop, recreation and leisure opportunities.

Plants and trees also have urban and suburban benefit, stabilising soil, preventing erosion, reducing water run-off and forming visual, wind and noise barriers, softening the built environment. They can also provide shading to reduce solar gain – a study in Merseyside showed a 7 degree reduction in temperature where there was a 50% cover of vegetation (compared with an area with 15% vegetation coverage).

Careful design of landscaping means that streets can be linked to parks and open space in a way which increases the “liveability” of higher density developments. According to a study by CABE, a view of trees is, along with the availability of natural areas nearby, the strongest factor affecting people’s satisfaction with their neighbourhood. They found that if green spaces are surrounded by housing or are in some way a continuation of the home environment, then they are shared by residents and are unlikely to suffer from the kind of maintenance problems that arise when there is a lack of perceived ownership. Economic studies carried out by CABE also demonstrate a positive economic benefit for house prices and commercial premises directly on, or near to, a park. Small businesses choosing a new business location rank open space, parks and recreation as a number-one priority. They note that a network of clearly linked green spaces, rather than isolated parks, potentially contributes to spreading the value uplift across a wider area.

CABE – see Useful Resources

PPG 7 (ODPM) notes that “Development proposals provide many opportunities for building-in beneficial biodiversity or geological features as part of good design.When considering proposals, local planning authorities should maximise such opportunities in and around developments, using planning obligations where appropriate.

PPG 7 para 14

Whilst larger schemes have greater potential for regenerating habitats and providing new habitat, smaller schemes should also play their part, incorporating appropriate species, enabling green corridors and contributing to the overall quality of the local environment. Design, construction techniques and materials choices can all support individual species, for example through dry stone walls, nesting boxes, green roofs, hedging rather than fencing. With these policy issues in mind, this section of the checklist addresses:

• Protecting existing habitats, species and migration routes
• Support for species identified in the local biodiversity action plan
• Supporting and increasing the ecological value of the site
• Linking green spaces and habitat.

Policy Links

RSS

• QE1: Conserving & Enhancing the Environment;
• QE6: The conservation, enhancement and restoration of the Region’s landscape;
• QE7: Protecting, managing & enhancing the Region’s biodiversity.

RHS

• Chapter 7.