Planning for Brownfield Biodiversity - understanding biodiversity policy and legislation
| Date/Time: | 22 May 2012
10:45-11:00 |
| Location: | Environmental and Land Remediation Theatre |
| Samantha Lyme, Senior Environmental Specialist - Urban Habitats, Natural England |
Seminar Details
Brownfield sites can support a wide range of legally protected or threatened plants and animals. Recent studies show that some brownfields - typically ones at which a mosaic of vegetation has developed - can be home to as many rare and endangered invertebrates as an ancient woodland.
In 2008 these special sites, termed Open Mosaic Habitats on Previously Developed Land, were added to the UK list of Biodiversity Action Plan Priority Habitats (BAP). The habitat is listed in the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 as a priority for conservation.
Not all brownfield sites will support habitat of a sufficient quality to qualify as BAP habitat. However, unlike other BAP habitats there is not yet a national inventory to highlight important sites. This can be an issue when considering options for future land use and management as the biodiversity importance of a site may not be flagged until plans are well developed causing delays.
This session will introduce delegates to the key features of BAP brownfield sites and the steps to take to assess the biodiversity value of a site. The implication of the National Planning Policy Framework, protected species legislation and Biodiversity Offsets will be considered. Delegates will also be introduced to a Defra project to create an inventory of BAP brownfield habitat, and how they can contribute to the project.
This topic is relevant to anyone involved in brownfield management or remediation.
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