Leading planning and housing charity, the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), have today published new guidance on protecting and enhancing biodiversity in eco-towns at its annual conference themed ‘Social Justice, Climate Change and Planning'.

TCPA Chief Executive Gideon Amos OBE said:

"The TCPA celebrates the centenary of the first planning Act, a victory for the early Garden City days of the charity, by publishing exemplar biodiversity standards for eco-towns to follow. As part of this CLG / TCPA guidance, enhancing biodiversity through development becomes a key priority, as does protecting and promoting existing habitats. In the build up to the United Nations Copenhagen Climate Change Conference it's right to focus on how low carbon communities can also support rich and developing levels of biodiversity."

The Eco-towns Biodiversity worksheet, ‘biodiversity positive: eco-towns biodiversity worksheet', whose lead author is  David Knight at Natural England, provides guidance in support of the Planning Policy Statement (PPS) on Eco-towns (CLG, 2009), identifying the essential steps required to ensure that their design, development and long term management result in a sustained positive outcome for biodiversity.

The principle objectives for an Eco-town Biodiversity Strategy are as follows:

• Protecting and enhancing the best of existing biodiversity: key habitat areas of sufficient quality and quantity to support both characteristic and uncommon species should be sustained. These areas include designated conservation sites, and habitats of national, regional and local importance, where environmental conservation is the main priority. Mechanisms and resources will be required for long-term management of these habitats.
• Mitigating the impact of development and securing net biodiversity gain: ‘supplementary' or ‘transitional' habitats (in addition to key habitats), where nature conservation is not the primary concern, will be important in sustaining more widespread and common species, as well as providing buffering for key habitats. These areas may also provide other Green Infrastructure functions.
• Integrating biodiversity with the built environment: eco-towns should incorporate a high degree of permeability for wildlife within the built environment, helping to increase and sustain biodiversity. Planning and designing for this is particularly important due to recent changes in building regulations leaving very few roosting or nesting opportunities for certain species in dwellings.
• Increasing biodiversity's resilience and ability to adapt to climate change: climate is one of the most important factors affecting behaviour, abundance and distribution of species, as well as influencing the ecology of habitats and ecosystems. Changes due to climate change are already being observed.

Key elements of an Eco-town Biodiversity Strategy should include:  

• Siting, location and context: adverse impacts of development should be mitigated for and compensatory measures taken to ensure overall gain in biodiversity. Eco-town proposals will need to include an Environmental Impact Assessment, context studies, and careful consideration of the footprint of the development.
• Masterplanning: eco-town masterplans should consider the conservation of existing habitats, creation of new habitats, and how these will be designed and programmed in alongside development.
• Design: detailed design of buildings and other structures should include specific measures for biodiversity, including trees in hard landscaping, living roofs and nesting sites.
• Management: positive management can ensure long-term sustainability. If left unmanaged, neglect and the impact of development can adversely affect habitats and green spaces. Management should be planned, properly funded, and should involve local communities.
• Funding: allocation of funding for long-term management should be an integral part of the Green Infrastructure funding arrangements, including provision of contingency funding.
• Governance and accountability: appropriate governance structures are required to ensure standards are met, community engagement is continued, future development continues to meet eco-town standards, and community assets are maintained.

Produced by the TCPA in collaboration with Natural England the biodiversity worksheet was developed through a series of roundtable meetings and consultation where experts from the Environment Agency, Brighton & Hove City Council, the Bat Conservation Trust, the Horniman Museum, SEEBF, Wildlife and Countryside Link, RSPB, Defra, Natural England, the Wildlife Trusts, the Forestry Commission, Grasslands Trust, Woodland Trust, Forest of Marston Vale, the Landscape Institute, Biodiversity by Design, Peabody, CIRIA, RHS and Buglife: The Invertebrate Conservation Trust gave excellent insight and guidance on establishing a biodiversity strategies. The TCPA gratefully acknowledges the support provided by Communities and Local Government in sponsoring the Eco-towns Worksheets.

The Biodiversity Worksheet is the ninth eco-town Worksheet, following on from housing, transport, community development, water cycle management, green infrastructure, economy, towards zero waste and inclusive design Worksheets. Other Worksheet topics currently being developed include energy and delivery. Once they are all published, the Worksheets will together represent a comprehensive set of policy and planning guidance on the range of subject areas to be addressed and the standards to be met when planning an eco-town.

These Worksheets are best practice guidance being made available as a resource for planning and designing eco-towns. The TCPA believes that only eco-town proposals that have the potential to meet the highest standards demanded should be given the go-ahead.