Wednesday 17 October 2007

1. Wednesday 17 October 2007 The importance of NGOs’ involvement in the planning system

2. Campaign to Protect Rural England • The Wildlife Trusts • Other organisations

3. Two questions • How important is the involvement? • What form does it take?

4. How important? • Depends on NGO • Depends on planners • Depends on external environment

5. What form does it take?

7. Regional Government • Two RDAs • Two RAs

8. Local Government • 3 county councils • 2 unitary authorities • 15 district councils

9. Planning applications • Scrutiny of 21,900 applications • [SSSIs] & Wildlife sites • 269 comments or objections • Extreme pressure on staff

10. Partnerships

11. Imminent changes • Climate Change Bill • Marine Bill ? • Planning White Paper × • Regional Government Reform × • Housing, aviation, energy × • Agri-environment Reform ?

12. Natural Environment & Rural Communities 2006 Every public body must, in exercising its functions, have regard, so far as is consistent with the proper exercise of those functions, to the purpose of conserving biodiversity. Section 40

13. What does that mean? • All departmental policies and activities • Understanding by all • Sustained support for initiatives • Habitat & species protection • Access to professional expertise • Reports on BAP targets

14. Meeting NERC duties • Local Strategic Partnerships • Sustainable Community Strategies • Local Area Agreements • Local BAPs

15. No legal compulsion but possible financial incentives

18. Regional habitat opportunity maps The Wildlife Trusts leading on the development of a UK network of wildlife corridors linking biodiversity heartlands

19. Bedfordshire • Cambridgeshire • Northamptonshire • Peterborough The Wildlife Trust’s Vision for Biodiversity in the Nene Valley “A valley with naturally functioning interlinked wetlands, rich in wildlife for the enjoyment of everybody”

22. The Great Fen