Modern sustainable development is required to provide detailed information and assessment
of their project’s likely effects upon the existing and adjacent species and habitats.
Planning Policy Statement 9 (PPS9) make the presence of a protected species a material consideration for any
development proposal that could impact a protected species or habitat. The Conservation Regulations (Natural
Habitats, etc) impose restrictions on planning permissions likely to effect national and European designated sites such
as Special Protection Areas (SPA) or Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), plus locally designated sites such as Sites of
Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI)
England and Wales’s Sites of Special Scientific Importance (SSSIs) are the country’s finest sites for wildlife and geology.
The Countryside and Rights of Way Act (CROW) places a statutory duty on public bodies to conserve SSSI’s and enhance
their condition and value where appropriate. Condition surveys and monitoring are crucial for guiding practical
management and effective nature conservation, identifying financial requirements and prioritising works.
The UK’s national Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) together with local plans (L BAPS) aim to conserve and enhance
biodiversity locally and nationally within the UK and to contribute to the conservation of global biodiversity through
appropriate mechanisms. There is a framework of national and European legislation and guidelines which obligates
businesses to manage the potential effects of their operations on wildlife and habitats.
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