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Evaluation of the Biodiversity Offsetting Pilot Programme Defra project code: WC 1051 Evaluation of the Biodiversity Offsetting Pilot Programme Volume 2 (Annex): Pilot Reports June 2014 Collingwood Environmental Planning Limited in partnership with The Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) Volume 2: Pilot Reports June 2014 Project title: WC1051: Evaluation of the Biodiversity Offsetting Pilot Programme Contracting Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) organisation: Lead contractor: Collingwood Environmental Planning Limited Address: 1E The Chandlery, 50 Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7QY, UK Contact: William Sheate (Project Director) Jonathan Baker (Project Manager) Tel. +44 (0)20 7407 8700 Fax. +44 (0)20 7928 6950 Email: [email protected] [email protected] Website: www.cep.co.uk Partner organisations: The Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) Address: IEEP Offices, Floor 3, 11 Belgrave Road, London SW1V 1RB, UK Contact: Graham Tucker Tel: +44 (0)20 7799 2244 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7799 2600 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ieep.eu Report details: Report title: Volume 2: Pilot Reports Date issued: June 2014 Purpose: To describe the inputs, processes and outputs of the biodiversity offsetting pilots and to provide a supporting factual basis for the analytical content of Volume 1: Final Report. Version no.: 1.3 Author(s): Baker, J., Sheate, W.R., Bennett, T., Payne, D., White, O and Forrest, S. Reviewed by: Eales, R. and Ten Brink, P. Acknowledgements The Steering Group would like to thank the pilots for being so generous with their time and insights. They would also like to thank the Complementary Projects, the Natural England advisers and to all of those who provided their time and expertise to the evaluation, including the team at CEP. The Project Steering Group greatly valued the efforts and expert help of Ian Smith from Natural England in helping to guide this project and for his dynamic assistance with the production of this final report, on the brink of his retirement. He is most fondly and respectfully remembered. 2 Volume 2: Pilot Reports June 2014 Contents 1. Introduction ..................................................................................... 5 2. Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire ............................................. 6 3. Devon ............................................................................................. 31 4. Doncaster ...................................................................................... 52 5. Essex ............................................................................................... 64 6. Greater Norwich ............................................................................ 81 7. Nottinghamshire ............................................................................ 91 List of figures Figure 1: LPAs participating in the Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Pilot ................................. 6 Figure 2: LPAB species / habitat reporting 2007 – 2010....................................................................... 7 Figure 3: CSWAPO Governance arrangements ................................................................................ 10 Figure 4: Summary of the Local Biodiversity Offsetting Process ...................................................... 13 Figure 5: Locations of the three Devon pilot areas ........................................................................... 31 Figure 6: Distribution of habitat types within the Devon pilot areas ............................................... 33 Figure 7: Biodiversity Opportunity Areas (BOA) in Doncaster .......................................................... 54 Figure 8: LPAs participating in the EBOP .............................................................................................. 65 Figure 9: Living Landscapes (the four habitats shown) & Nature Improvements Area as identified within the biodiversity offsetting strategy .......................................................................... 70 Figure 10: GNDP Partners ........................................................................................................................ 81 Figure 11: Biodiversity enhancement areas ........................................................................................ 82 Figure 12: Participating local authorities in the Nottinghamshire Biodiversity Offsetting Pilot ... 91 Figure 13: Landscape-scale Conservation Target Areas in Nottinghamshire .............................. 92 List of tables Table 1: CSWAPO summary of interviews undertaken ....................................................................... 9 Table 2: CSWAPO changes to the metric over time ......................................................................... 15 Table 3: Review of CSWAPO strategy with respect to the Defra biodiversity offsetting criteria17 Table 4: CSWAPO references to biodiversity offsetting and key concepts within local planning policy .......................................................................................................................................................... 19 Table 5: Summary of biodiversity impact of proposed planning permissions within CSWAPO . 23 Table 6: Comparison of average impact per hectare based on development type within CSWAPO .................................................................................................................................................... 23 Table 7: Partners in each of the Devon pilot areas ........................................................................... 31 Table 8: Governance arrangements of the Devon pilot.................................................................. 32 Table 9: Ecological context of the Devon pilot areas ...................................................................... 32 Table 10: Devon county wide plans ..................................................................................................... 33 Table 11: North Devon pilot area spatial planning documents ...................................................... 34 Table 12: South Devon pilot area spatial planning documents ..................................................... 34 Table 13: Planning guidance for South Hams SAC of relevance to the South Devon pilot area ..................................................................................................................................................................... 35 Table 14: East Devon pilot area spatial planning documents ........................................................ 35 Table 15: Planning guidance of relevance to the East Devon pilot area .................................... 35 Table 16: Devon summary of interviews undertaken ........................................................................ 36 Table 17: Review of Devon strategies with respect to the Defra biodiversity offsetting criteria42 Table 18: Devon references to biodiversity offsetting and key concepts within local planning policy .......................................................................................................................................................... 45 Table 19: Doncaster summary of interviews undertaken ................................................................. 55 Table 20: Review of Doncaster strategy with respect to the Defra biodiversity offsetting criteria 3 Volume 2: Pilot Reports June 2014 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 58 Table 21: Essex County Wide Plans ....................................................................................................... 66 Table 22: Relevant local plans in Essex ................................................................................................ 67 Table 23: Essex summary of interviews undertaken ........................................................................... 68 Table 24: Review of Essex strategy with respect to the Defra biodiversity offsetting criteria .... 72 Table 25: Essex references to biodiversity offsetting and key concepts within local planning policy .......................................................................................................................................................... 75 Table 26: Greater Norwich summary of interviews undertaken ...................................................... 83 Table 27: Review of the Greater Norwich offsetting strategy ......................................................... 86 Table 28: Greater Norwich references to biodiversity offsetting and key concepts within local planning policy ......................................................................................................................................... 88 Table 29: Nottinghamshire summary of interviews undertaken ...................................................... 95 Table 30: Review of Nottinghamshire strategy with respect to the Defra biodiversity offsetting criteria ......................................................................................................................................................... 97 Table 31: Nottinghamshire references to biodiversity offsetting and key concepts within local planning policy ......................................................................................................................................... 99 4 Volume 2: Pilot Reports June 2014 1. Introduction Introduction to this report This is Volume
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