The human version (we wrote this, not the council)
This section opens the natural environment part of the plan and lists the strategic objectives it supports, including protecting environmental assets and working towards environmental net gain. It stresses that a healthy natural environment provides food, fresh water, clean air, climate resilience, flood control and recreation. With habitats and species declining across South Warwickshire, the plan aims to halt and reverse these losses. The policies that follow cover protected sites, the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, Biodiversity Net Gain, trees and woodlands, landscape management and the best farmland.
An unofficial plain English summary. The official wording below is
what counts at examination; check it before you rely on anything here.
The text below is extracted automatically from the official PDF and may
contain artefacts; the PDF is authoritative.
7.1 Natural Environment
Policies within this section contribute to achieving the following Strategic
Objectives:
SO4. Making effective use of land and natural resources
SO6. Creating attractive places and spaces
SO7. Protecting and enhancing our heritage and cultural assets
SO8. Improving the quality of life of our communities
SO10. Protecting and enhancing our environmental assets and working towards
environmental net gain
7.1.1 A healthy natural environment is of vital importance to people, places, the
economy and nature itself. It provides important services such as food, fresh water,
clean air, climate stabilisation and resilience, flood control, recreation, tourism and
much more. South Warwickshire is experiencing concerning declines across a number
of key habitats and species and there is a significant need to halt and reverse these
declines for the future prosperity of South Warwickshire. This means that development
delivered through the SWLP must not be done at the expense of the natural
environment. Instead, opportunities will be identified to protect and enhance existing
ecological assets as well as including proposals within the Plan for country parks and
biodiversity enhancement areas.
7.1.2 The following section outlines how specially protected sites, habitats and
species will be safeguarded against future development; how the Local Nature
Recovery Strategy will be used to influence the creation of new habitats, increasing
connectivity; how Biodiversity Net Gain will be used as a tool to deliver the biodiversity
ambitions of Stratford-on-Avon District Council and Warwick District Council; how the
existing network of trees, hedges and woodlands will be protected and enhanced,
improving the availability of green corridors for species; the particulars of Landscape
management and maintenance plans; and the approach to protecting our Best and
Most V