(2009) Planning for Brownfield Biodiversity

Planning for Brownfield Biodiversitya Best Practice guide

Brownfield sites are prioritised for development yet can be incredibly important for wildlife.

this guide demonstrates how sustainable reuse of previously developed land can be achieved.

Picture credits: front cover - a biodiversity-rich brownfield site © Peter Harvey; shrill carder bee (Bombus sylvarum) © Peter Harvey; this page - canvey wick sssi © Peter Harvey

2 INTRODUCTION3 KEYRECOMMENDATIONS4 BROWNFIELDS,BIODIvERSITYANDpEOpLE5 BROWNFIELDS:AHAvENFORBIODIvERSITY5 Keyfeaturesofabiodiversity-richbrownfieldsite6 BROWNFIELDSANDTHEUKBIODIvERSITYACTIONpLAN

6 OpenMosaicHabitatsonPreviously DevelopedLand7 BiodiversityActionPlanspecies7 IDENTIFYINGWILDLIFE-RICHBROWNFIELDSITES7 Gatheringinformationforforwardplanning

8 Ecologicalsurveys9 BROWNFIELDSANDpLANNINGpOLICY9 PlanningPolicyStatement1: DeliveringSustainableDevelopment9 PlanningPolicyStatement3:Housing11 PlanningPolicyStatement9: BiodiversityandGeologicalConservation11 Therequirementforrobustecologicalinformation13 Locatingdevelopmentwhereitavoids harmtowildlife14 Designingforbiodiversity15 Managingbrownfieldsforwildlife17 CONCLUSION18 REFERENCES19 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Introduction

Brownfieldbiodiversitypresentsauniquechallengetoplanners.Ontheonehandplanningpolicydictatesthatahighproportionofnewdevelopmentshouldtakeplaceonpreviouslydevelopedorbrownfieldland;yetcurrentbiodiversitypolicyandlegislationrequiresthatUKBiodiversityActionPlan(UKBAP)Priorityspeciesandhabitatsshouldbeaffordedprotectionandthatthebiodiversityinterestofbrownfieldshouldberetained.Thisguideaimstoprovidesomepracticalsolutionstoachievingsustainablereuseofbrownfieldland,forallthoseinvolvedinplanningandimplementingnewdevelopment.

Brownfieldlandcansupportanextremelyrichdiversityofwildflowersandanimals,andevenhasitsownUKBAPPriorityhabitat‘OpenMosaicHabitatsonPreviouslyDevelopedLand’.ManybrownfieldsiteshavebeendesignatedasSitesofSpecialScientificInterest,LocalNatureReservesandCountyWildlife

Sites.Nationalplanningpolicyrequiresthatthisbiodiversityinterestisretained,althoughthiscanoftencomeintoconflictwitheconomicpriorities.

Thepresenceofbrownfieldbiodiversityneednotbeaconstrainttodevelopment.ThereisstillanextensivestockofpreviouslydevelopedlandinEngland,muchofwhichcanbebuiltonwitharelativelylowenvironmentalimpact.Howeverthesustainableuseofbrownfieldlandwillrequireamoreselectiveapproachtowhichsitesaresuitablefordevelopment,andwhichshouldbeprotectedasanassetforpeopleandwildlife.Manyofthepoliciesandtoolstoachievethisarealreadyinplace.Oftenitislowawarenessoftheecologicalvalueofbrownfieldland–andacorrespondinglackofenvironmentalinformation–whichcausesitsbiodiversitytobeoverlooked,leadingtothedevelopmentofsitesofsignificantwildlifevalue.Invertebrates(includingprotectedbumblebeesandbutterflies)areespeciallyaffected,andarehenceafocusofthisguide.

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Contents

Picture credit: © Peter Harvey

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Key ReCommendatIons

Key Recommendations

Better ecological information, at the right time:Planningauthoritiesshouldensurethattheallocationofbrownfieldsitesinforwardplanningisinformedbydataontheirbiodiversityvalue,sothatsitesofhighvaluearen’tprioritisedfordevelopment.Likewiseplanningauthoritiesshouldensurethatthereisanadequateassessmentofbrownfieldbiodiversity(includingfullecologicalsurveyswhereappropriate)toinformdevelopmentcontroldecisions.

Protect key sites:Planningauthoritiesshouldensurethatthemostimportantsitesforbiodiversity–brownfieldorotherwise–areproperlyidentifiedandprotectedthroughlocalauthorityplanningpolicyor,whereappropriate,statutorydesignation.

consider the wider environment:Thevalueofbrownfieldsitesincontributingtowiderecologicalnetworksneedstobeproperlyconsideredinplanners’decision-making.Thewiderimpactsofdevelopingabrownfieldsite–forinstance,thecontributionthatitmakestotheprovisionofecosystemservices–shouldbeassessedwhenconsideringtheenvironmentalconstraintstodevelopment,andshouldbeusedtoinformdecisionsondifferentbrownfieldre-useoptions.

green infrastructure:Biodiversity-richbrownfieldsitesshouldberecognisedfortheirpotentialtodeliverhighqualityGreenInfrastructure,forpeopleandwildlife.Informationontheamenityandbiodiversityvalueofbrownfieldsitesshouldbetakenintoaccountduringthedevelopmentofgreengrids/GreenInfrastructure.

get the greenfield/brownfield balance right:Planningdecisionsshouldaimtoprotectandenhancebiodiversitywhereveritoccurs,includingonbrownfieldland.BrownfieldsitesthathaveblendedintothelandscapeshouldbetreatedinthesamewayasGreenfieldland(asoutlinedinPPS3).

retain existing habitats:Themasterplanningofabrownfieldsiteshouldseektoretainandintegrateexistingwildlifehabitatsandfeatureswithinnewdevelopment,ratherthanattemptingtorecreatethemsubsequently.Thiscanhelptoreducetheneedforcostlymitigationandcompensation.

incorporate new biodiversity features:Thedesignofnewdevelopmentonbrownfieldlandshouldincorporatenewhabitatsandfeaturesofvaluetobrownfieldwildlife,throughinnovativehabitatcreationwithinlandscapingandbuiltstructures(suchaslivingroofsandgreenwalls).

secure long-term management:Long-termmanagementandmonitoringforbiodiversityshouldbesecuredthroughappropriatelywordedplanningconditionsandSection106agreements.

seCtIon tItle

Picture credits: left - © greg Hitchcock; right - shrill carder bee (Bombus sylvarum) © Peter Harvey

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Brownfields, biodiversity and people

Brownfieldsitescanprovidevaluableopportunitiesforpeopletohaveaccesstothewildlifeontheirdoorstep,andifmanagedproperlycanbeapowerfuldriverofsustainableregeneration.Governmentpolicyisjuststartingtorecognisethesocialandenvironmentalcontributionthatnaturalisedbrownfieldsitescanmakeinurbanareas,eventhoughthepublichavebeenusingandenjoyingsuchsitesunofficiallyfordecades.

Thebenefitsthatgreen(orbrown)spaceprovidestohumanwellbeingarewelldocumented,andincludehealth,recreationandaccesstowildlife.Recentstudieshavefoundthatthepsychologicalbenefitsassociatedwithgreenspaceincreaseasbiodiversityincreases(Fulleretal.,2007).NaturalEnglandrecognisesthisvalueintheirAccesstoNaturalGreenspaceStandards,astrategywhichacknowledgestheintegralrolethatbiodiversityplaysinsustainableurbancommunities.

BRoWnFIelds, BIodIveRsIty and people

Thecontributionthatnaturalgreenspacemakestopeople’squalityoflifeisalsorecognisedinPlanningPolicyGuidanceNote17:PlanningforOpenSpace,SportandRecreation.Thisstatesthatopenspaceofhighqualityorofvaluetoalocalcommunity,includingareasthatparticularlybenefitwildlifeandbiodiversity,shouldberecognisedandgivenprotectionbylocalauthorities.Manyregionshavemappedoutareasofgreenspaceofamenityandbiodiversityvalue,andthese‘greengrids’areincreasinglybeingadoptedasSupplementaryPlanningDocuments,asafurthermeansbywhichtheplanningsystemcanhelptodeliversustainabledevelopment.

PPG17requiresthatbiodiversity-richbrownfieldlandshouldberecognisedinstrategicplansforitspotentialtodeliverGreenInfrastructure.Howevertodatethepotentialcontributionthatexistingbrownfieldlandcouldmaketotheprovisionofgreenspaceinbothnewandexistingsettlementshasyettobefullyrealisedbeyondafewflagshipsites.Localauthoritiesandgreengridpartnershipsthereforehaveanimportantroletoplayinproperlyassessingtheamenityandbiodiversityvalueofbrownfieldsites,andtakingthisintoaccountduringthedesignanddevelopmentoffunctionalGreenInfrastructurethatwillbenefitbothpeopleandwildlife.

Suggestedfurtherreading:

Handleyetal.(2003),Accessible Natural Greenspace Standards in Towns and Cities: A Review and Toolkit for their Implementation EnglishNatureResearchReportNo.526(canbedownloadedfromwww.naturalengland.org.uk/publications)

above: Some brownfields can act as outdoor classrooms and provide valuable opportunities for people to interact with nature

right: The UKBAP Shrill carder bee (Bombus sylvarum)

seCtIon tItle

Picture credits: left - © greg Hitchcock; top right - ©John Mason; bottom right - ©nico vereecken

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BRoWnFIelds: a Haven FoR BIodIveRsIty

Brownfields: a haven for biodiversity

Thereisstillalingeringperceptionthatbrownfieldsitesareneglectedwastelandsthataredevoidofinterest,eitherforpeopleorforwildlife.Yetbiodiversityoftenthrivesinsuchapparentlyabandonedsituations,wheredecadesmayhavepassedsincehumanactivitytookplace.Recentstudieshavehighlightedthatbrownfieldlandisoftenthebestoronlyavailablehabitatformanyrareandendangeredspecies,includingmanyUKBAPPriorityspecies,notjustinurbanareasbutinthewidercountrysidetoo.Indeedtheinvertebraterarityanddiversityofsomebrownfieldsitesisonlyequalledbythatofsomeancientwoodlands(Barker,2000)–aremarkablefactwhenyouconsiderthatwhileitcantakehundredsofyearsforawoodlandtomature,abrownfieldsitehasoftenonlybeeninexistenceforafewdecades.

Brownfieldsitesalsoplayapartinmaintainingthebiodiversityofthewiderarea.Asimportantreservesofbiodiversityinurbanareas,thelossofbrownfieldsitesislikelytoreducetheamountofwildlifeweseeinourgardensandparks.Thevalueofbrownfieldsitesincontributingtowiderecologicalnetworks,aswellastheprovisionof‘ecosystemservices’suchaspollination,shouldbeanimportantconsiderationwithintheplanningprocess.Thewiderecologicalimportanceofapotentialdevelopmentsiteshouldbeconsideredwhenassessingenvironmentalimpacts,inmuchthesamewayasthepotentialimpactonneighbouringareaswithstatutorydesignation(suchasSitesofSpecialScientificInterest)isevaluated.

Key features of a biodiversity-rich brownfield site

Thereasonwhywildlife-richbrownfieldsitesareabletosupportsuchhighbiodiversitycanbesummedupinasingleword–variety.

Someofthekeyfeaturesthatcontributetothisvarietyaresummarisedhere.

Artificialsubstrates,suchascrackedandcrumblingconcrete,coupledwithalackoftopsoilproduceanutrientpoorgrowingmedium.Theselow nutrient levelspreventfastgrowingspecies,suchasgrassesandnettles,fromdominating,andthuspromotehigh plant diversity.Thelackoftopsoilmayalsoresultindryconditions,andthedrought-stressthatthiscausesencourageshigh flower abundance.Thishighplantdiversityleadstohighanimaldiversity;eachspeciesofplantislikelytohaveitsownassociatedinvertebratespecieswhichwillfeedontheplantitself,oronthenectarandpollenprovidedbytheflowers.Theseinvertebrateswillattractyetmorewildlife,includingotherinvertebrates,reptiles,birdsandmammals.

Withintheseareasofhighplantdiversityandflowerabundance,patchesofbare groundandexposedearthbanks,whichmaybearesultofpublicuseofthesite,canprovideimportantnestingareasforinvertebrates.Thisdisturbanceleadstovariousstagesofsuccessionwithinsites,addingtotheall-importantvariety.sparsely vegetated areasarealsoimportanttomanyspecies,withrubbleandbaregroundprovidingasunnyspotforinvertebratesandreptilestobaskin.

Theremainsofhardsurfacingandfoundationswillaffectthedrainageofthesite,andcanproduceseasonal and permanent water bodies.Coastal

andestuarinebrownfieldsitescansupportsaline-influencedareasthatmimicsaltmarshhabitatsandprovidehomesforseveralUKBAPspecies.

above: Disused railway lines can provide important corridors for wildlife

left: patches of bare ground can provide important nesting areas

left: The UKBAP Sea aster mining bee

(Colletes halophilus)

Picture credits: top - © Peter Harvey; bottom - © greg Hitchcock

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BRoWnFIelds and tHe UK BIodIveRsIty aCtIon plan

Manyinvertebrateseitherliveorover-winterinplantstems,leavesorseedheads.Fortheseanimalsitisthelack of managementonbrownfields,specificallythelackofmowingorgrazingofgrasslands,thatmakesthesesitessoimportantfortheirsurvival.

Thisdiversityofhabitats(oftenreferredtoasahabitat mosaic)combinedwithlackofmanagementisthekeytothewildlifevalueofbrownfieldland.Butwhyissomuchrarebiodiversityincreasinglyrestrictedtothislargelyurbanhabitat?Putsimply,

Brownfields and the UK Biodiversity action plan

Planningauthoritieshavealegaldutyto‘haveregardtotheconservationofbiodiversity’undertheNaturalEnvironmentandRuralCommunities(NERC)Act.InparticularitshouldbenotedthatthepresenceofUKBAPhabitatsandspeciesisamaterialconsiderationinthedetermination

ofplanningapplications.Earlyconsiderationofbiodiversitybyaplannersisthereforeimportantandthechangestoplanningapplicationvalidationrequirements(seepage12)provideanopportunitytofacilitatethis.

open Mosaic Habitats on Previously developed land

TheimportancethatbrownfieldsiteshaveinsupportingbiodiversityhasbeenrecognisedbytheGovernmentintheUKBAPPriorityhabitat‘OpenMosaicHabitatsonPreviouslyDevelopedLand’.Thismeansthatwildlife-richareasofbrownfieldlandareregardedasapriorityforconservation,andpublicbodieshavealegaldutytohaveregardtoconservingtheirbiodiversity.

Sowhatshouldplannersbelookingforwhenseekingtoidentifyexamplesofthispriorityhabitat?The‘brownfield’PriorityhabitatisuniqueamongUKBAPhabitatsinthatitrepresentsavarietyofhabitatsonanareadefinedbypreviousland-use,ratherthanasinglehabitattype.Thehabitatofbrownfieldsitesisbestdefinedintermsofvegetationstructure,ratherthanthroughspecifictypesofvegetation.OpenMosaicHabitatsonPreviouslyDevelopedLandmaybecharacterisedby


Buglife,Brownfieldsleaflet.(Thisissuitableforageneralaudience.Forhardcopiespleaseemailinfo@buglife.org.uk.Notavailableelectronically)

Buglife(2008),Thames Gateway Brownfields: invertebrate biodiversity and management (canbedownloadedfromwww.buglife.org.uk/aboutbuglife/publications)

Gibson,CWD(1998),Brownfield: red data. The values artificial habitats have for uncommon invertebrates EnglishNatureResearchReportNo.273(canbedownloadedfromwww.naturalengland.org.uk/publications)

above: An urban brownfield site showing a variety of plant species and open areas for sun-loving invertebrates and reptiles

above: An ‘Open Mosaic Habitat on Previously Developed Land’

thecountrysidenolongerprovidestheabundanceorvarietyofhabitatsthatmanyspeciesneed.Wherehabitatmosaicswereoncecommoninthewidercountryside,intensivefarminghasnowmadetheseincreasinglyhardtofind.Whilenaturereservesareoftensmallandisolated,brownfieldsitestendtoclusteraroundex-industrialareasandestuaries.Theseprovideasizeablemosaicofhabitatswhichcollectivelysupportpopulationsofspecieswhichcan’tsurviveinthelong-termonsmallreservesduetoissueswithpopulationsizeandinbreeding.

Picture credit: left - © Martha Benoit; top right - © Peter Harvey; bottom right - © Michael Brace – www.wildaboutkent.com

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unmanaged,flower-richgrasslandswithsparsely-vegetatedareasonnutrient-poorsubstrates.Theymayalsocontainfeatureswhichcontributetothehabitatvariety,suchaspatchesofbareground,seasonallywetareasandpatchesofscrub.Brownfieldlandwhichmatchesthisdescription,inwholeorinpart,shouldbeconsideredaPriorityhabitat.AnofficialhabitatdefinitioniscurrentlybeingdevelopedbyDEFRA.

Siteswhichdemonstratethesecharacteristicsarelikelytosupporthighbiodiversity,andfurtherecologicalsurveysshouldbeundertaken.Because

thegeologyandlandusehistoryofbrownfieldsiteswillvaryfromregiontoregion,andfromsitetosite,thespeciespresentwillalsovary,sosurveyswillneedtobetargetedaccordingly.

Biodiversity action Plan species

ManyoftheUK’smostthreatenedinvertebratespecieshaveastrongassociationwithbrownfieldhabitats.Afewspecies,suchastheStreakedbombardierbeetle(Brachinus sclopeta)andDistinguishedjumpingspider(Sitticus distinguendus)areonlyknownfromafewbrownfieldsites,and

theirfuturedependsuponprotectionthroughtheplanningprocess.BrownfieldsitesarealsokeyhabitatsforscarceanddecliningbutterfliessuchastheDingy

Skipper,GrizzledSkipperandGrayling.TheShrillCarderbumblebee(Bombus sylvarum)isrestrictedtoahandfulofpopulations,andbrownfieldsitesareofkeyimportancetoitslong-termsurvival.ListsofUKBAPinvertebratespeciesassociatedwithbrownfieldlandcanbefoundontheBuglifewebsiteatwww.buglife.org.uk/aboutbuglife/publications

Brownfieldlandisalsoknowntosupportanumberofprotected species,includingGreat

crestednewts,Slowworms,CommonlizardsandtheBlackredstart,ararebirdassociatedwithbrownfieldsitesintownsandcities.

IdentIFyInG WIldlIFe-RICH BRoWnFIeld sItes

Identifying wildlife-rich brownfield sites

gathering information for forward planning

Whenplanningforbrownfieldbiodiversity,preventioniscertainlybetterthancure.Safeguardingexistingimportanthabitatsandspecieswhenconsideringpossiblesiteallocationscanhelptoreducetheneedforcostlymitigationandcompensationatalaterstage,andisamoreeffectiveapproachtoconservingbiodiversity.

Thechallengeforplannersistoensurethattheyhaveadequateinformationonthebiodiversityofbrownfieldsiteswhenmakingsiteallocations.Eveninadvanceofafullecologicalsurvey,thebiodiversityofabrownfieldsitecanbeprovisionallyassessedbyidentifyingthekeyhabitatsandfeaturesforwildlife.Buglifehasdevelopedaneasy-to-use


Buglife(2008)Assessing Brownfield Biodiversity(canbedownloadedfromwww.buglife.org.uk/aboutbuglife/publications)

siteassessmentform,whichprovidesarapidwayofrecordingfeaturesofimportancetobiodiversityandassessingthepotentialbiodiversity(seeSuggestedfurtherreading,below).ThiscanbecombinedwithGeographicalInformationSystemstoprovidean‘alertmap’toinformsiteallocations,scopingopinionsandplanningapplications.Thisinformationdoesnotremovetheneedforadequateecologicalinformationattheapplicationstage,butcanbeausefultooltohighlightpotentialenvironmentalimpactsandsurveyrequirementsatanearlystageandthusspeeduptheplanningprocess.

left: The UKBAP Streaked bombardier

beetle (Brachinus sclopeta)

left: The UKBAP Distinguished jumping spider

(Sitticus distinguendus)

left: Brownfield sites can also

support populations of protected species such

as Common lizards

Picture credit: © greg Hitchcock

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ecological surveys

Planningforbrownfieldbiodiversityshouldbeinformedbygoodecologicalinformation.Manyspecies,includingUKBAPPriorityandprotectedspecies,occuronsiteswhicharenotpartofthedesignatedsitesnetwork.Therefore,site-specificinformationisnecessaryinordertoadequatelyaddresstherequirementsofPlanningPolicyStatement9:BiodiversityandGeologicalConservationanddemonstratecompliancewiththeNERCActduty.Surveyresultsshouldaccompanytheplanningapplicationssothataninformedplanningdecisioncanbemade,andanyrecommendationsshouldbesecuredthroughplanningconditions.

Thesuccessofsurveysonbrownfieldsitescanoftendependupontheexperienceofthesurveyorinassessingsuchsitesandthemappingdetailatwhichsurveysareundertaken.Phase1habitatsurveyscanbeinconsistentinidentifyingbiodiversitypotential,sincebrownfieldsitesareoftenacomplexmosaicofhabitats.Surveyorsshouldbefamiliarwithbrownfieldecologyandundertakemappingatalevelofdetailthatisabletoidentifyanyhabitatmosaicpresent.Ifthescaleatwhichhabitatsaremappedistoobroad,habitatmosaicsmaybemissed,givingtheimpressionthatthepotentialwildlifeinterestislowerthanitis;thiscouldalso


FurtherguidanceforsurveyingforinvertebrateonbrownfieldsitescanbefoundinBuglife(2008),Thames Gateway brownfields: invertebrate diversity and management (canbedownloadedfromwww.buglife.org.uk/aboutbuglife/publications)

EnglishNature(2005),Organising surveys to determine site quality for invertebrates(canbedownloadedfromwww.naturalengland.org.uk/publications)

What should a brownfield ecology survey include?Surveysofbrownfieldsitesprovidedwithplanningapplicationsshouldindicate:

•Thesite’sbiodiversityinterest,includingthe presence,orlikelypresence,ofanyUKBAp habitatsorspecies

•Itslocal,regionalandnationalsignificancein termsofbiodiversity

•AnyhabitatsandfeaturesofimportanceInvertebratesurveysarelikelytobe important,andshouldtargetkeygroupssuchasbees/wasps,butterflies/moths,flies,beetlesandspiders.Surveyswillneedtotakeplaceoveranumberofvisitsduringtheappropriatemonthsoftheyear,whileemployingavarietyofmethods(suchassweepnetting,pitfalltrappingandhandsearches).

leadtoafailuretoidentifythepresenceoftheUKBAP‘OpenMosaicHabitats’Priorityhabitat.

Aninvertebratesurveyisoftenthekeysurveyforidentifyingthebiodiversityvalueofbrownfieldsites,onaccountofthehighnumberofrareinvertebratespecies(includingasignificantnumberofUKBAPpriorityspecies)associatedwithsuchsites.Theinvertebratebiodiversityisoftendominatedbygroupssuchasbutterflies,beetles,bees,waspsandspiders,andamajorityoftherare(RedDataBookandUKBAP)speciespresentonbrownfieldlandarefromthesegroups.Themosteffectivesitesurveysshouldthereforepayparticularattentiontothesegroups.Reptilesurveysarealsooftenappropriate;theopenconditions,areassuitableforhibernationandhighinvertebratenumberscanleadtolargereptilepopulations.Greatcrestednewtsmayalsobefoundonbrownfieldsites.

IDENTIFYING WILDLIFE-RICH BROWNFIELD SITES

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BRoWnFIelds and plannInG polICy

Brownfields and planning policy

Theplanningsystemisresponsiblefordeterminingwhat,whereandhowdevelopmenthappens.Allplanningdecisionsareexpectedtobemadeinaccordancewiththedevelopmentplan,andinlinewithnationalplanningpolicy,exceptwherethereisanover-ridingreasontodepartfromthese.Thereareanumberofplanningpoliciesrelatingtobrownfielddevelopment,butunderpinningtheseisthegoalthatplanningauthoritiesshouldseektoavoidharmtobiodiversityinthefirstinstance.Ifthisisnotpossible,thenthatharmwillneedtobeadequatelymitigatedor,asalastresort,compensatedfor.Theultimateaimshouldbetoachieveanetgaininbiodiversity.

Thissectiongivesanoverviewofthepolicyandlegislationthataffectsbrownfieldland,encompassingboththedriversfordevelopmentandsafeguardsforbiodiversity.Itevaluatestheeffectivenessofcurrentpolicyandlegislationdesignedtoprotectbiodiversity,identifiesanyshortcomingsandrecommendshowthesecanbeaddressed.Pleasenotethatbrownfieldisdefinedthroughoutthisguideasnotincludinggardens.

Thepotentialchallengetosustainabledevelopmentcausedbybrownfieldlandrichinbiodiversityisnotinsurmountable.Ashasalreadybeenshowninthisguide,whereup-to-dateenvironmentalinformationisavailabletoplannersthiscanplayavitalroleinsupportinggenuinelysustainableplanningdecisionsandpreventingunnecessarycostsanddelays.

natural environment & Rural Communities act (2006)

TheintroductionoftheNERCActwasanimportantstepforwardfornatureconservation.Section40statesthat“Everypublicauthoritymust,inexercisingitsfunctions,haveregard,sofarasisconsistentwiththeproperexerciseofthosefunctions,tothepurposeofconservingbiodiversity.”ToensurecompliancewiththeNERCAct,planningauthoritiesneedtosatisfytherequirementsofppS9,whichincludeshavingaccesstoadequateandup-to-datebiodiversityinformationaboutindividualsites.Thisisparticularlysignificantforbrownfieldland,wherethepresumptioninfavourofdevelopmentcanleadtositesbeingallocatedwithlittleornosurveyhavingtakenplace.

Planning Policy statement 1: delivering sustainable development

PPS1isakeydriverofbrownfielddevelopment.ItprioritisesthereuseofPreviouslyDevelopedLand,withtheobjectiveofreducingurbansprawl.PPS1alsopresentsapotentialconflictforthoselookingtoprioritisethedevelopmentofbrownfieldsites.Itstatesthattodeliversustainabledevelopmentplannersshouldseekto‘enhanceaswellasprotectbiodiversity.’PPS1alsocallsforhigherdensitiesofdevelopment,thereby‘increasingoutputwhilereducingresourceuse’(theresourceinquestionbeingland).Yetbuildingathighdensitiesislikelytomakeprotectionofbiodiversitymorechallengingtoachieve,exceptwherethisallowsimportantareasofexistinghabitattoremainundevelopedandretainedasbiodiversity-richGreenInfrastructure.Thedensityofdevelopmentthatsitescansustainablysupportwillvaryfromsitetosite,andsite-basedecologicalinformationwillberequiredtoinformthedecisionmakingprocess.

Planning Policy statement 3: Housing

PlanningPolicyStatement3:Housing(PPS3)isthemaindriverforthedevelopmentofPreviouslyDevelopedLand(PDL),settingthenationaltargetof60%ofnewhousingtobeprovidedonPDL.Governmentreportssuggestthatthistargetisbeingmet,andexceededinmanyplaces.DespitearecentRoyalCommissionreportcallingforthetargettobereviewed,therearecommitmentstomaintainitfortheforeseeablefuture.

WithinPPS3thereisonepotential(butusuallyoverlooked)safeguardforbrownfieldbiodiversity.ThedefinitionofPreviouslyDevelopedLandfoundinthepolicyexcludessitesthathavebeen“previouslydevelopedbutwheretheremainsofanystructureoractivityhaveblendedintothelandscapeintheprocessoftime(totheextentthatitcanreasonablybeconsideredaspartofthenaturalsurroundings)”.Thisprovidesplannerswithanopportunitytoevaluatewhetherdevelopmentofabrownfieldsiteisappropriate,orindeedifthesitefitstheofficialdefinitionofPDL.Sitesthathaveblendedinshouldbetreatedasgreenfield.

Buthowmightthe‘blendedintothelandscape’definitionbeappliedinpractice?Itisnotnecessaryforsitestohavelostalltraceoftheirformerusetobeconsideredtohave‘blendedintothelandscape’.Thishasbeendemonstratedinthelawcourts,thoughitisimportantthateachsiteisassessedinitsowncontext.Itistheroleoftheplanningauthority


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todetermine“theextentthatitcanreasonablybeconsideredaspartofthenaturalsurroundings”.Thiswilloftenbeasubjectivejudgement,anditshouldbeborneinmindthatbrownfieldwildlifecanco-existalongsidethecrumblingman-madestructures–indeedsuchfeaturescanevensupportbiodiversity–solargeareasofcrackedtarmacandconcretedon’tautomaticallyprecludeasitefrombeingconsideredasanaturalasset.Thepresenceofsignificantlevelsofbiodiversityisavalidargumentthatasitehas‘blendedintothelandscape’,evenifman-madestructuresarestillvisible–thewildlifewillbethebestindicatorofsitestatus.ThisgivesadegreeofflexibilitytoplannersinhowtheychoosetocategoriseanddealwithPreviouslyDevelopedLand.

Mineralsextractionsitesarealso‘brownfield’,althoughwhereprovisionforrestorationhasbeenmadetheyarenotconsideredasPreviouslyDevelopedLand(asdefinedbyPPS3),andaredealt

withunderMPS1:PlanningandMinerals.Mineralsextractionsitesoftenhavesignificantbiodiversityinterest,andthereareoftenopportunitiestomanagethemforthebenefitofwildlifeandpeopleifapragmaticapproachistakentooldplanningconditionswhichmaynolongerbeinlinewithcurrentlandusepriorities.

BROWNFIELDS AND PLANNING POLICY

above: Aggregates sites can provide wildlife oases in urban and farmed areas


Guidanceonrestoringaggregatessitesforbiodiversityhasbeenproducedin‘Managing Aggregates Sites for Invertebrates: a best practice guide’,whichcanbedownloadedfromwww.buglife.org.uk/aboutbuglife/publications

Davies,A.M.(2006)Nature After Minerals: how mineral site restoration can benefit people and wildlife. RSPB,Sandy.

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Planning Policy statement 9: Biodiversity and geological conservation

PlanningPolicyStatement9isthekeynationalguidanceonhowbiodiversityistobeprotectedthroughtheplanningsystem.Thispolicypromotesaproactiveroleforplanningauthorities,recommendingtheconservationofbiodiversitythroughsiteprotectionpolicies,basingdecisionsonup-to-dateecologicalinformationandevidence,andbyinfluencingthedesignandformofnewdevelopment.PPS9statesthatifsignificantbiodiversityimpactscannotbeprevented,mitigatedorcompensatedfor,thenplanningpermissionshouldberefused.Thisappliestobrownfieldsitesasmuchastootherpotentialdevelopmentsites.

PPS9recognisesthepotentialpolicyconflictssurroundingthereuseofbrownfieldland,andmakesclearthatwheresiteshavebiodiversityimportancethisshouldberetained.Planningauthoritiesshouldensurethatthemostimportantbrownfieldsitesforbiodiversityareproperlyidentifiedandprotectedthroughlocalauthorityplanningpolicyor,whereappropriate,statutorydesignation(suchashappenedwithCanveyWickinsouthEssex,abrownfieldsitedesignatedasaSiteofSpecialScientificInterestin2005).

pps9 paragraph 13: There-useofpreviouslydevelopedlandfornewdevelopmentmakesamajorcontributiontosustainabledevelopmentbyreducingtheamountofcountrysideandundevelopedlandthatneedstobeused.However,wheresuchsiteshavesignificantbiodiversityorgeologicalinterestofrecognisedlocalimportance,localplanningauthorities,togetherwithdevelopers,shouldaimtoretainthisinterestorincorporateitintoanydevelopmentofthesite.


Oxford,M(2006)PAS2010:Planning to halt the loss of biodiversity,BritishStandardsInstitute

pps9 paragraph 1 (i): Developmentplanpoliciesandplanningdecisionsshouldbebaseduponup-to-dateinformationabouttheenvironmentalcharacteristicsoftheirareas.Thesecharacteristicsshouldincludetherelevantbiodiversityandgeologicalresourcesofthearea.Inreviewingenvironmentalcharacteristicslocalauthoritiesshouldassessthepotentialtosustainandenhancethoseresources.

the requirement for robust ecological information

AsPPS9makesclear,itisimportantthatallplanningdecisionsarebaseduponup-to-dateinformationabouttheenvironmentalcharacteristicsofasite,includingitsbiodiversityvalue.PlanningPolicyStatement12:LocalSpatialPlanning

alsorequiresanadequateevidencebasefortheproductionofLocalDevelopmentFrameworks.

Thelevelandqualityofecologicalinformationavailablehasahugebearingonthedecisionmakingprocessatalllevelsofplanning,andcanbethedifferencebetweenbiodiversitylossesandsustainabledevelopment.Amajorcontributortothelossofbiodiversityinurbanareasislackofawarenessof,andinformationabout,theecologicalimportanceofbrownfields,whichcanresultinanunderestimationofthetrueimpactsofdevelopmentonbiodiversity.

OftenthefirstecologicalinformationavailabletoinformplanningdecisionscomesaspartofanEnvironmentalImpactAssessment(EIA)submittedbytheapplicant.Thiswillcomprisethemaininformationusedtoevaluateimpactsandtoinformtheresponsesofconsultees,anditistheresponsibilityoftheplanningauthoritytoensurethattheinformationisappropriateandsufficient.

Whenanecologicalassessmentisinadequate–forexample,wheresurveyshavebeenundertakenoutsideoftheoptimumseason,orwherekeyspecieshavebeenignored–thishasthepotentialtooverlooksignificantimpacts,therebycausingunnecessarydelaystotheplanningprocess(includingthroughobjectionsfromstatutoryandnon-statutoryconsultees).Suchdelayscanbeavoidedbyidentifyingthosebrownfieldsiteslikelytosupporthighbiodiversityattheforwardplanningstage,andensuringthattheyareproperlyassessed.

AccompanyingPPS9isthedocument‘PlanningforBiodiversityandGeologicalConservation–AGuidetoGoodPractice’(ODPM,2006).Thisemphasisestheneedforaninformationandevidencebaseto:supportthepreparationofRegionalSpatialStrategiesandLocalDevelopmentFrameworks;achieveaninformedstrategicandspatiallyplannedapproachtotheconservation,enhancementandrestorationofbiodiversity;andappraisetheenvironmentalimpactsofalldevelopment

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proposals.WithintheGuide,achecklistofcomponentsofanenvironmentalevidencebaseincludes‘informationonthebiodiversityvalueofpreviouslydevelopedsitesandtheopportunitiesforincorporatingthisindevelopments’.

validation of applications

SinceApril2008localauthoritieshavebeenabletomakea‘biodiversitysurveyandreport’arequirementforvalidationofplanningapplications(CLG,2007).Thetypeandextentoftheapplicationwilldeterminethelevelofdetailrequired,butthissystemstillrequiresalevelofbiodiversityinformationthatwillallowanassessmentofthelikelyaccuracyoftheinformationprovidedbytheapplicant.GuidanceforapplicantsshouldencouragethemtoidentifypotentialareasoftheUKBAphabitatOpenMosaicHabitatsonpreviouslyDevelopedLand,andhighlightanyfurthersurveysneededtoidentifyUKBApspeciesassociatedwithsuchhabitatsintheirregion.TheAssociationofLocalGovernmentEcologistshaveproducedguidanceandatemplatewhichcanbedownloadedatwww.alge.org.uk


above: West Thurrock Marshes in the Thames Gateway was subject to a judicial review of its planning permission in 2008 over concerns that its biodiversity value was not adequately safeguarded

ItisalsoworthconsideringtheTownandCountryPlanning(EnvironmentalImpactAssessment)(EnglandandWales)Regulations1999inthiscontext.Regulation19statesthatanapplicantmayrequesta‘scopingopinion’fromtheplanningauthority.Planningauthoritiesshouldaimtobeinapositiontogiveaccuratescopingopinionsforbrownfielddevelopments,baseduponup-to-dateenvironmentalinformation,includingbiodiversityinformation.Asdiscussedelsewhereinthisguide,‘alertmaps’basedonpreliminarybrownfieldsiteassessmentsareagoodwayofaddressingthisrequirement.

Localauthorityecologistsandbiodiversityofficershaveanimportantroletoplayinhelpingtoensurethatadequateinformationismadeavailabletothosewhoneedit.Ecologistscanhelptointegratesustainabilityintoworkingpracticesanddecisions,andensurecompliancewithbiodiversitypolicyandlegislation.Wherelocalauthoritiesdonothaveaccesstoaprofessionalecologisttheywillneedtoseekouttheexpertiseofexternalbodies,suchasstatutorynatureconservationorganisations,biologicalrecordcentresandconservationorganisationssuchastheWildlifeTrust,RSPBandBuglife.



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Lott,D(2006)Biodiversity data needs for Local Authorities and National Park Authorities,AssociationofLocalGovernmentEcologists(canbedownloadedfromwww.alge.org.uk)

OfficeoftheDeputyPrimeMinister(2006),Planning for Biodiversity and Geological Conservation – A Guide to Good Practice

Buglifewebsitewww.buglife.org.uk

locating development where it avoids harm to wildlife

UnderPPS9plannersshouldbesatisfiedthatdevelopmentissituatedwhereitwilldotheleastharmtobiodiversity.Well-informedforwardplanningshouldidentifythemostappropriatedevelopmentsitesearlyon.Planningauthoritiesneedtobeproactiveinbringingtogetherdevelopersandlandownerstoachievesustainabledevelopmentthroughprioritisingthedevelopmentofsitesthatwillhaveminimalimpactontheenvironment,includingsitesoflowbiodiversitysignificance.

Planningdecisionsshouldalsobeinformedbyanassessmentofotherpotentialdevelopmentsites,andreasonsastowhythesearenotrealisiticalternatives.Alternativesitesshouldbeconsideredinadvanceofimpact-avoidancemeasures–preventionbeforemitigation.Thisissoundeconomicaswellasenvironmentalreasoning.Theprioritisationoflowbiodiversitysitesprovidesabenefitinthatthecostsofmitigationorcompensationtodeveloperswillbelower,aswellasreducingimpactsonwildlife.

pps9 key principle 6: Wheregrantingplanningpermissionwouldresultinsignificantharmto[biodiversity]interests,localplanningauthoritieswillneedtobesatisfiedthatthedevelopmentcannotreasonablybelocatedonanyalternativesitesthatwouldresultinlessornoharm.Intheabsenceofanysuchalternatives,localplanningauthoritiesshouldensurethat,beforeplanningpermissionisgranted,adequatemitigationmeasuresareputinplace.

Greenfield or Brownfield?

Currentplanningpolicyprioritisespreviouslydevelopedorbrownfieldlandfordevelopmentandgivesgreenfieldlandmuchstrongerprotection.Yetasmuchof50%ofbrownfieldlandhasbeenfoundtosupporthighlevelsofbiodiversity.Theplanningsystemhasadutytohaveregardtoconservingexistingbiodiversity,whereverthisoccurs.Amoreevidence-basedapproachtothelocationofnewdevelopmentshouldbepursued,sothatareaswiththelowestenvironmentalimpactareprioritisedfordevelopment,regardlessofwhethertheyarebrownfieldorgreenfield.

right: A flower-rich wetland area on a brownfield site that supports several UKBAP species

Picture credit: stony meadow grassland © Matt Prescott

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designing for biodiversity

Wheredevelopmentcannotbeavoided,carefully-designedmitigationistheprincipaltoolforreducingtheimpacts.Itisextremelyimportantthatup-to-dateenvironmentalinformationisavailabletoinformandshapethedesignofnewdevelopment.Ecologicalsurveyshelptoidentifytheextentanddistributionofhabitatsorfeaturesofimportanceforwildlife,andshouldinformanyproposedmitigationand/orpositivenatureconservationmeasures.

Existingfeaturesofvaluetobiodiversityshouldberetainedwithinnewdevelopment.Invariablyasitewillcontainareasofhabitatthatcontributelesstobiodiversitythanothers,andtheseshouldbeprioritisedfordevelopmentoverareasofhighbiodiversityvalue.Wherepossible,areasthatallowmovementofspeciesthroughasiteshouldalsobeconserved,especiallywhenthatsitemayprovidealinkbetweenothersites,parks,gardensorotherhabitats.

Thephasingofmitigationiscrucialtoitssuccess.Newlycreatedhabitatsshouldbeinplacebeforedestructionofthehabitatthattheyarereplacing,andadequatetimemustbegivenforthesehabitatstoestablishandtoenablewildlifetomovein.Mitigationthatisunabletoprovidecontinuityofhabitatforwildlifeisunlikelytobesuccessful.Phasingmayrequireanumberofyearswherethebiodiversityandhabitatcomplexityisespeciallyhigh.

Opportunitiestocreatenewhabitatsandfeaturesofvaluetobrownfieldbiodiversityshouldalsobetaken,bothinlandscapingandalsointhedesignofnewbuildings.Brownfieldspeciesoftenhaveveryspecialisedrequirements,andsuccessfulmitigationneedstotakeaccountofthis.Beneficialfeaturesincludeexposedearthbanks,areasofsparselyvegetatedstonyground,seasonallywetareasandpatchesofbaregroundwithinunmanagedgrassland.Areasofwildflowergrasslandwhichuse

nativenectar-richspeciesarealsoimportantforwildlife,withlowfertilitysoilthekeytosuccessfulestablishment.Thesenutrientpoorsoilsaresignificantlylessexpensivethanthe‘topsoil’oftenusedinpost-developmentlandscaping.

pps9 paragraph 14: Developmentproposalsprovidemanyopportunitiesforbuilding-inbeneficialbiodiversityorgeologicalfeaturesaspartofgooddesign.Whenconsideringproposals,localplanningauthoritiesshouldmaximisesuchopportunitiesinandarounddevelopments,usingplanningobligationswhereappropriate.


living roofs for biodiversity

Greenroofsandwallsareonewaytoincorporatehabitatsforbiodiversitywithinnewdevelopment,andplanningauthoritiesshouldbeactivelypromotingtheseinpre-applicationdiscussionswithdevelopers.‘Livingroofs’aredistinctivefromsedum-basedsystems,astheyarespeciallydesignedforwildlife,recreatingtheflower-richrubblesubstratestypicalofbrownfieldsites.AnewprojectledbyBuglifeandLivingRoofsiscreatingroofsthatwillhelptoprovidenewhabitatsforbrownfieldbiodiversityinLondon.

above: Imaginative landscaping can provide colourful habitats for people and wildlife

Picture credit: laban dance centre, london © livingroofs.org

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Thechallengeofmitigatingtheadverseeffectsofbrownfielddevelopmentisthatsomeofthesefeaturesmaynotbeasaestheticallypleasingasmoretraditional(butlesseffective)mitigationmeasures.Howeverthiscanbeaddressedthroughinnovativedesign–suchasusingbrightly-colouredsubstrates–andprovidinginformationandinterpretationtoresidentsaboutthevalueofsuchfeaturesforwildlife.Asenseofownershipcanalsobegainedthoughinvolvementinthemanagementprocess.Makingsmallconcessionsinmanagement,suchasmowingtheedgesoflonggrassareasandprovidingaccessthroughsuchareas,canalsoillustratethatthefeaturesare‘caredfor’.

Managing brownfields for wildlife

Securingthelong-termmanagementofwildlifeareasisanimportantconsideration.Amanagement

planwillusuallybenecessaryonsitesofsignificantwildlifevalue.Thewildlifehabitatsofbrownfieldsitesoftenrequireadifferenttypeofmanagementtotypicalurbangreenspace.Brownfieldhabitatsmayhavebeencreatedandmaintainedbyman-madeprocessessuchasdisturbancefromrobustpublicuse.Iftheseprocessesareconstrainedasaresultofsitedevelopment,theywillneedtobereplicatedtoensurethelongtermsuccessofthemitigation.Managementplansshouldbedrawnupinconsultationwithexperiencedecologists,NaturalEnglandandothernatureconservationorganisationswhereappropriate.Thesuccessofmitigationmeasuresshouldbemonitoredthroughperiodicsurveys,andadaptediftheyarefoundtobeineffective.Monitoringandmanagement,andtheassociatedmanagementplan,shouldbesecuredthroughappropriatelywordedplanningconditionsandSection106agreements.

above: Well designed living roofs can mitigate some of the impacts of development on biodiversity

Picture credits: left - © gyongyver Kadas; right - © gregory Hitchcock

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national Brownfield strategy

TheNationalBrownfieldStrategy(NBS)istheGovernment’spolicyframeworkforbrownfielddevelopment.TheNBSsetsoutthepolicymeasuresnecessarytoensuresustainablereuseofbrownfieldland.Thestrategyaimsto“encourage and promote best practice in the reuse of PDL which recognises the biodiversity value, or nature conservation importance, of some brownfield sites and is consistent with the principles of sustainable development.”Itrecognisesthatdevelopmentwillnotalwaysbethemostappropriateoptionfor

sustainablereuseofbrownfields,acknowledgingtheneedtoprotecttheUKBAphabitatOpenMosaicHabitatsonpreviouslyDevelopedLand.TheNBSalsostatesthat‘Developers need to do more to assess the environmental implications of their proposals for brownfield sites at an early stage, in consultation with appropriate agencies’(CLG,2008).

TheBrownfieldGuide,RecommendationstoGovernmentandassociateddocumentscanbedownloadedfromhttp://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/landsupplypublications.htm


Town&CountryPlanningAssociation(2004),Biodiversity by Design(canbedownloadedfromhttp://www.tcpa.org.uk/biodiversitybydesign.htm)

GeneralbrownfieldmanagementguidelinesaregiveninBuglife(2008),Thames Gateway brownfields: invertebrate diversity and management (canbedownloadedfromwww.buglife.org.uk/aboutbuglife/publications)


above: This sparsely vegetated stony area successfully recreates one of the habitat types present on brownfield sites, and will support a number of scarce invertebrates including UKBAP species

above: Features such as this bank of Pulverised Fuel Ash provide important nesting areas for invertebrates and should be retained in development plans


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ConClUsIon

Conclusion

Makingdecisionsthatseektointegrateeconomicdevelopment,improvequalityoflifeandconserveenvironmentalassetsaredemandingresponsibilitiesforplanningauthorities.Thisisparticularlychallengingwhenassessingtheroleofbrownfieldlandindeliveringregeneration.Wherebrownfieldlandsupportssignificantlevelsofbiodiversity,policiesdrivingbrownfielddevelopmentcancreaterealchallengestoachievingenvironmentallysustainabledevelopment.Wheresufficientecologicalinformationisinplaceitcanmakeachievingasustainableoutcomeconsiderablyeasier.

Planningauthoritiesneedtobeproactiveindeliveringbiodiversityconservationthroughtheplanningprocess,notjustthroughdevelopmentcontroldecisionsbutalsobygatheringthebiodiversityinformationnecessarytoinformforwardplanning.Itisonlythroughadequateforwardplanningforbiodiversitythatnegativeimpactscanbeforeseenandavoided.Thisinformation-baseddecision-makingcanalsocontributetothedevelopmentoffunctionalGreenInfrastructurethathelpstomitigateagainsttheimpactsofclimatechangeforwildlife,aswellassupportingtheecosystemservicesthatunderpinoureconomicandsocialwellbeing.

Effectiveforwardplanningforbiodiversityisonlypartofthesolution.Theincreasinglevelofdevelopmentonbrownfieldlandpredictedwillmakeenvironmentalimpactsunavoidable.Yetwhereplanningauthoritiesinfluencethedesignofnewdevelopment,thiscanhelptoensurethatitcontinuestoprovidevaluablehabitatsforwildlife.Mitigationthatisinformedbyappropriatesurvey,maintainshabitatcontinuityandisextensiveenoughtomaintainorenhancebiodiversityinthelong-termwillalsobeessential.Highstandardsofsurvey,designandlong-termsustainablemanagement,supportedbytherelevantprofessionalbodies,willbeneededifbiodiversityandnewdevelopmentaretoco-existsuccessfully.

Farfrombeingaconstraint,thewildlifeofbrownfieldsitesprovidesarealopportunitytoputbiodiversityattheheartofnewdevelopment.Increasinglyitisrecognisedthatwhendevelopmentsmakespaceforwildlifetheyarehealthierandmoreattractiveplacestolive.Thepoliciesandtoolstomakethishappenalreadyexist,andinitiativessuchasEco-townsprovideanopportunitytomainstreamthis.Allweneednowisamorecoordinatedandinformedapproachtoprotectingbiodiversityinthereuseofbrownfieldland.

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Barker, g. (2000). Ecological recombination in urban areas: implications for nature conservation. ProceedingsofaworkshopheldattheCentreforEcologyandHydrology(MonksWood).

Buglife (2008)Assessing Brownfield BiodiversityBuglife-TheInvertebrateConservationTrust,Peterborough

Buglife (2008),Thames Gateway brownfields: invertebrate diversity and managementBuglife–TheInvertebrateConservationTrust,Peterborough

Butterfly conservation (2006), Brownfields for Butterflies

communities & local government (2006),Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing

communities & local government (2007),The Validation of Planning Applications

communities & local government (2008),Securing the Future Supply of Brownfield Land

davies, a.M. (2006),Nature After Minerals: how mineral site restoration can benefit people and wildlife. RSPB,Sandy

de vries, s, verheij, ra, groenewegen, PP & spreeuwenberg, P (2003),Natural environments – healthy environments? An exploratory analysis of the relationship between greenspace and health.EnvironmentalPlanningA35,1717-1731

defra (2007),An introductory guide to valuing ecosystem services (andassociateddocuments)

department for communities & local government (2006),Planning Policy Guidance 17: Planning for open space, sport & recreation

english nature (2005),Organising surveys to determine site quality for invertebrates

EnglishNatureResearchReportNo.526

fuller, ra, irvine, Kn, devine-wright, P, warren, PH & gaston, KJ (2007),Psychological benefits of greenspace increase with biodiversity,BiologyLetters3,390-394

gibson, cwd (1998),Brownfield: red data. The values

artificial habitats have for uncommon invertebratesEnglishNatureResearchReportNo.273

Handley et al. (2003),Accessible Natural Greenspace Standards in Towns and Cities: A Review and Toolkit for their ImplementationHarvey, P.r. (2000)The East Thames Corridor:anationally important invertebrate fauna under threat. BritishWildlife12(2):91-98

HM government (2005),Securing the future: delivering the UK sustainable development strategy

Kuo, fe (2001),Coping with poverty: impacts of environment and attention in the inner city.Environ.Behav.33,5-34

lott, d (2006) Biodiversity data needs for Local Authorities and National Park Authorities,AssociationofLocalGovernmentEcologists

office of the deputy prime Minster (2005),Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable Development

office of the deputy Prime Minister (2005),Planning Policy Statement 9: Biodiversity and Geological Conservation

office of the deputy Prime Minister (2004),Planning Policy Statement 12: Local Development Frameworks

office of the deputy Prime Minister (2006),Planning for Biodiversity and Geological Conservation – A Guide to Good Practice

oxford, M (2006)PAS2010:Planning to halt the loss of biodiversity,BritishStandardsInstitute

sullivan, wc, Kuo, fe & dePooter, sf (2004), The fruit of urban nature: vital neighbourhood spaces. Environ.Behav.36,678-700

town & country Planning association (2004),Biodiversity by Design

ulrich, rs (1984),View through a window may influence recovery from surgery Science 224, 420-421

whitehouse, a.t. (2008)Managing Aggregates Sites forInvertebrates: a best practice guide.Buglife-TheInvertebrateConservationTrust,Peterborough.

ReFeRenCes

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BuglifegratefullyacknowledgesthefinancialsupportoftheEsméeFairbairnFoundation.

Buglifewishestothankthefollowingorganisationsfortheirinputintotheguide:NaturalEngland;EnvironmentAgency;RSPB;theWildlifeTrustsofEssex,KentandLondon;ButterflyConservation,BumblebeeConservationTrust;andtheRoyalTownPlanningInstitute.

Itshouldbenotedthattheviewsexpressedinthisguidearenotnecessarilythoseoftheorganisationsabove.

above: Brownfield sites are capable of supporting high biodiversity and human recreation – in this case mountain-biking


aCKnoWledGements

Conservingthesmallthingsthatruntheworld

Buglife-TheInvertebrateConservationTrust,isacompanylimitedbyguarantee,registeredinEngland.

registered charity no.1092293 company no.4132695

www.buglife.org.uk

Picture credits: stonepit close quarry © greg Hitchcock; sea aster mining

bee (Colletes halophilus) © nico vereecken

Designed by Green Passion Creative www.green-passion.co.uk Printed on 100% recycled stock using vegetable oil-based inks.

this report should be referenced as:Buglife (2009) Planning for Brownfield Biodiversity: a best practice guide. Buglife - the invertebrate conservation trust, Peterborough

ISBN:978-1-904878-92-6

(2009) Planning for Brownfield Biodiversity

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