Nature in the Garden Community

Here you can view our policy for Nature. To see the Draft Plan in full (PDF), or to see other polices in our Draft Plan - please refer to the useful links on this page.

NATURE

THE OUTDOOR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE GARDEN COMMUNITY WILL BE ITS BIGGEST ASSET. IT WILL COMPRISE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE WHERE NEIGHBOURS WILL SPEND TIME, PLAY, INTERACT AND GROW. IT WILL PROVIDE A NATURAL SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR BOTH PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE.

This chapter sets out the policy expectations in relation to nature and green infrastructure. The natural environment of the Garden Community will be its greatest asset. A well-connected, multifunctional green infrastructure network will help to create a community where neighbours can interact, live active lifestyles and where nature can thrive.

1. Section 1 Local Plan

Under the theme of Nature, some of the main requirements expected to be covered in this draft Plan, as set out in the policies of the adopted Section 1 Local Plan, include:

Create distinctive environments which are based on comprehensive assessments of the surrounding environment and that celebrate natural and historic environments and systems, utilise a multi-functional green-grid to create significant networks of new green infrastructure including a new country park at the garden community, provide a high degree of connectivity to existing corridors and networks, and enhance biodiversity.
Natural measures to avoid, protect and/or enhance wildlife areas within and surrounding the site such as Bullock Wood Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Ardleigh Gravel Pits SSSI, Wivenhoe Pits SSSI, Upper Colne Marshes SSSI and habitats sites of international importance.
Measures to incorporate biodiversity creation and enhancement measures.
A network of multi-functional green (and blue) infrastructure incorporating key elements of the existing green assets within the site and also including new community parks, allotments, a new country park and the provision of sports areas and play areas with associated facilities.
Provision of water and wastewater mitigation measures including the use of open space to provide flora and fauna rich sustainable drainage solutions.

2. Principles

A PLACE SHAPED BY NATURE AND LANDSCAPE

The Garden Community will incorporate important existing landscape features and provide a high degree of connectivity to existing green corridors and networks. Alongside a new Country Park provided along the Salary Brook Corridor it will also deliver a variety of new spaces - parks, fields, wild spaces, communal spaces, private places, secret spaces.

A PLACE WITH THRIVING ECOLOGY AND BIODIVERSITY

Net Gains in biodiversity and a thriving ecological network will shape the Garden Community ensuring native species thrive. Key assets within the Garden Community site including Salary Brook Local Nature Reserve, Welsh Wood Local Nature Reserve, ancient woodland, species rich hedgerows, areas of species rich grassland and valuable wetlands will be protected and/or enhanced and linked into the wider natural ecosystem network through habitat creation and management.

A PLACE WITH A PRODUCTIVE AND CLIMATE RESILIENT NATURAL LANDSCAPE

The landscape of the Garden Community will be informed by inclusive community design and provide a range of productive uses such as orchards, allotments, and growing fields. Natural flood risk management and carbon capture will be seamlessly incorporated in the ecological network, making the natural landscape “work hard” and deliver multiple benefits simultaneously.

3. Engagement Feedback

What we heard

Throughout our engagement processes, people emphasised how important the natural world is and the importance of the need for green space and access to nature in the Garden Community. People spoke about the value of the natural world to their family and social lives; their physical and mental wellbeing; and to the wider health of the community. People cited the importance of opportunities to enjoy walking, nature, publicly accessible open space, and green frontages and green spaces for places, such as schools. People underlined the contribution of the natural world to the character and identity of the area and highlighted the importance of protecting natural spaces to help build resilience to climate change.

People presented an ambitious vision about how the Garden Community can work with, rather than against, the natural world. This included protecting existing natural habitats, designing the Garden Community to incorporate nature, creating new wild spaces within and around the development, biodiversity net gain and habitat creation, and providing plenty of opportunities to interact with nature.

Most people saw the potential of the Garden Community to offer a bold, radical, green alternative to previous housing developments. While most comments across the engagement were aspirational and made suggestions about what the Garden Community should offer and could be, some of these participants were sceptical that their vision, or something close to it, would be realised. Often, their reservations were driven by scepticism towards the intentions of those behind the development. When reflecting on the theme of nature, most participants, even those with aspirations for the Garden Community, voiced concerns about the ecological impact of the development and whether it would be able to offset any damage.

When thinking about nature in the Garden Community, our visioning workshops, survey, and postcard from the future participants:

Wanted to ensure that ecosystems won’t be damaged by the development of the Garden Community.
Wanted the Garden Community to integrate as seamlessly as possible into the natural environment.
Wanted the Garden Community to benefit local biodiversity.
Wanted to ensure that the Garden Community won’t affect the area’s rural identity.
Wanted any environmental impact to be offset by the creation of new natural and wild spaces.
Wanted the Garden Community to provide lots of opportunities for people to interact with nature.
Were concerned that the green intentions of the Garden Community would be undermined by developers’ desires to maximise profit.

When thinking about Nature in the Garden Community, our statutory stakeholders workshops, engagement website, and social media participants spoke of:

The importance of the need for green space and access to nature in the Garden Community.
The importance of green spaces that require low maintenance – such as wildflower meadows on verges to encourage wildlife.
The importance of creating a Country Park incorporating Salary Brook Nature Reserve, its slopes, and the nearby areas of woodland.
The importance of biodiversity and habitat creation and the need to be ambitious with biodiversity net gain and habitat creation.
The importance and value of the wildlife already in the site – such as in mature woodland, mentioning species such as skylarks, barn owls, buzzards, rabbits and muntjac deer.
Concerns at the loss of green space and quality farmland.
The need for multi-functional, well planned, and strategic green infrastructure.

What we’ve done

The Councils agree with views about the importance of the natural environment and the benefits this brings to individuals, families, communities, and wildlife. The Nature policy aims to incorporate the feedback received from the engagement activities. The policy recognises the importance of a multifunctional green infrastructure network, and that this should form part of the character of the Garden Community, with green and blue (water) spaces integrated throughout the Garden Community. The policy emphasises the importance of protecting biodiversity and sets a minimum target for biodiversity net gain, which will lead to an increase in biodiversity within the site. The Councils recognise the need for landscape buffers to avoid coalescence (merging) between the Garden Community and existing communities, and the need to protect Salary Brook Local Nature Reserve and the slopes. Policy 1 and the Key Diagram show strategic green gaps between the Garden Community and Colchester, Wivenhoe, and Elmstead Market. A country park is designated on land including, and beyond the boundary of, Salary Brook Local Nature Reserve.

4. Policy 3: Nature

The approach for the Garden Community is to protect existing green infrastructure and enhance the green infrastructure network for the benefit of people and wildlife. Green infrastructure has multiple benefits, including delivering biodiversity net gain by safeguarding, enhancing, restoring, and creating wildlife habitat, landscape character and features, and by integrating biodiversity into the built environment; responding to the climate emergency by reducing carbon, providing Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and facilitating active travel; and promoting healthy lifestyles.

There are numerous natural and historic assets, such as ancient woodlands and hedgerows, and the Wivenhoe Park Registered Park and Garden, within or adjoining the Garden Community. Development will protect and enhance existing assets and incorporate these into a well-connected green infrastructure network that contributes to the distinctive character of the Garden Community. Landscape buffers will form an opportunity for creating semi-natural greenspace or biodiversity net gain opportunities, visual containment, and air quality mitigation.

POLICY 3: NATURE

Biodiversity, geology, heritage assets, archaeology and landscape character will be protected and enhanced. A multifunctional green infrastructure network will be provided within and link beyond the Garden Community, providing space for nature, recreation and encouraging active travel; creating settings for the built environment; and enhancing local landscape character. This includes a country park along the western boundary of the Garden Community and a strategic east-west green corridor.

Part A: Green Infrastructure

The Strategic Masterplan for the Garden Community must include a Landscape and Green Infrastructure Strategy for the whole site, including clearly demonstrating green links within and beyond the site, and how proposed buildings reflect the landscape setting.

Connections must be made to the existing Colchester Orbital (a circular walking and cycling route around the town’s perimeter) which runs along Salary Brook and through the site, linking some of the town’s key open spaces, heritage sites and public rights of way (PRoW). The Colchester Orbital will be retained and enhanced as a significant green link within the development, connecting to substantial green corridors within the development formed around the existing green infrastructure network.

Existing landscape features, PRoW and the network of lanes within the site should be retained, enhanced and incorporated into the development to form part of the green infrastructure network and public realm wherever possible. A variety of new open spaces and other green infrastructure will be created, including a Country Park along the Salary Brook corridor, including the slopes, and multiple green corridors. Proposals will need to create a site wide green infrastructure network and all open spaces must connect to this network.

Green infrastructure must deliver multiple benefits and proposals must demonstrate or provide:

A comprehensive landscape design framework and green infrastructure network, which conforms to the Strategic Masterplan and Landscape and Green Infrastructure Strategy;
How the amount, typology and function of new open space and other green infrastructure meets the standards in the Colchester and Tendring Sports, Recreation and Open Space Strategy (2022) or any updates to this strategy;
How biodiversity enhancement and net gain measures will be incorporated, including the use of habitat restoration and natural regeneration;
How the design supports the dispersal and migration of individual species and whole habitats, either as part of a regular movement pattern or through migrations in response to climate change;
How the green infrastructure proposed will be managed and maintained as part of the stewardship model;
That the strategy for selection of trees and other plants has been selected to enhance both nature and beauty and for food. For example, through drought tolerant or wetland planting approaches as appropriate;
How natural or free play areas have been incorporated into the urban setting as well as green spaces;
The provision of areas of wild bird cover for the benefit of farmland birds such; as turtle doves, linnets, and yellowhammers;
The creation of verges of priority habitat, hedgerow, wildflower-rich or rough grassland along roads, streets where appropriate, and pedestrian and cycle networks;
High quality, sustainable design and selection of public furniture, including play equipment, and lighting (where appropriate), which is essential to ensure that places are accessible and inclusive;
Inclusive and accessible to all, including people with varied mobility and sensory needs.

The green infrastructure network will provide Suitable Accessible Natural Greenspace (SANG) to reduce the amount of day-to-day recreational trips to the sensitive Essex coast. Proposals will be required to demonstrate that Natural England’s latest guidelines on the provision of SANG have been met and that the following criteria is met:

At least one circular dog walk of 2.7km minimum;
A dedicated ‘dogs off lead area’;
Information to households to promote this area and other open spaces for recreation;
Dog waste bins; and
A commitment to the long term maintenance and management of these provisions.

Part B: Integrating Green and Blue (water) Spaces into Built Form

A key principle and part of the distinctive character of the Garden Community will be the green infrastructure network and celebration of the natural and historic environment. Proposals should take every opportunity to integrate green and blue spaces and will be required to demonstrate, both spatially and technically, how green and blue spaces have been integrated into the built form. Examples include: tree lined streets or streets that contain hedgerows appropriate to local character, habitats, and species; insect-attracting plants, hedgerows, log piles, and other places of shelter for wildlife refuge/hibernation within structural landscaping and open spaces; hedgehog friendly features such as hedgehog gravel boards for residential garden boundaries to create linked habitat; dark corridors for bat foraging; green walls and roofs and other measures of incorporating trees and plants into buildings; bat boxes, bricks or lofts and bird boxes; and Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).

Part C: Protection of Biodiversity and Biodiversity Net Gain

Proposals will only be supported where they:

Are supported with appropriate ecological surveys where necessary; and
Where there is reason to suspect the presence of a protected species (and impact to), or Species/Habitats of Principal Importance, proposals should be accompanied by an ecological survey assessing their presence and, if present, the proposal must be sensitive to, and make provision for their needs and demonstrate the mitigation hierarchy has been followed; and
Will minimise fragmentation of habitats; and
Maximises opportunities for the preservation, restoration, enhancement, and connection of natural habitats in accordance with the UK and Essex Biodiversity Action Plans and Nature Recovery Strategies or future replacements.

Sensitive habitats should be buffered with additional planting or other agreed appropriate measures wherever possible to discourage access. Appropriate interpretation/signage will be required to help divert visitors away from sites that are sensitive to recreational disturbance, including the use of marketing and promotional material at the point of house sales. Ecologically rich buffer landscapes against existing and new road corridors will be required. The minimum widths of these will be agreed through an appropriate design code or similar.

Proposals must deliver a minimum of 10% measurable biodiversity net gain, and must follow the latest Defra Metric, and its accompanying guidance, as well as local guidance where applicable. Biodiversity net gain must be delivered in addition to following the mitigation hierarchy, sound ecological principles, and overall high quality urban and landscape design. Biodiversity net gain should include measures at the strategic and neighbourhood level. Other street and household level enhancements should form part of the general biodiversity and landscape enhancement measures.

Biodiversity net gain should be achieved within, or adjoining the Garden Community, with the use of offsite biodiversity units and biodiversity credits only considered as a last resort. Where offsite biodiversity units are needed to achieve a minimum of 10% biodiversity net gain, biodiversity units should fund biodiversity net gain schemes within Colchester or Tendring and be secured through an appropriate conservation covenant or agreement.

Part D: Tree Planting

Existing trees on the site, including hedgerow trees, should be retained. A variety of new trees will be planted (or allowed to regenerate where appropriate such as in the proposed country park and other net-gain areas), to include: street trees, trees in gardens, new and enhanced areas of woodland, orchards and hedgerows with trees. Areas for planting or regeneration should be set out and agreed in the appropriate landscape and green infrastructure strategies and management plans.

Proposals should increase the level of canopy cover within the application site by a minimum of 10%. This increase needs to be shaped in terms of biodiversity needs, landscape character, and green space design criteria. In circumstances where this is not possible or desirable, compensatory provision should be identified and secured through a legal obligation to be agreed with the Councils.

Part E: Productive Landscapes

Allotments and a range of productive uses such as orchards, growing fields, edible walkways and community gardens should be provided throughout the Garden Community to promote healthy lifestyles. Allotment provision must be well related to residential areas and community spaces, with suitable vehicular and sustainable transport access arrangements, water supply and fencing. Allotments must sit sympathetically in the landscape and make provision for people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Part F: Sustainable Drainage Systems and Blue Infrastructure

Proposals must include Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) for the management and disposal of surface water, in preference to piped systems, to avoid any increase in surface water flood risk or adverse impact on water quality. Proposals must demonstrate how the SuDS feature(s) reflect and respond to site circumstances, landscape character and the green infrastructure network, and have regard to Essex County Council’s SuDS Design Guide.

SuDS should be designed as focal points by incorporating multifunctional green and blue infrastructure, provide amenity benefits, as well as linking habitats and creating enhanced areas for biodiversity by incorporating ditch habitat, reedbeds and pond networks. Consideration should be given to proposed health and safety measures for SuDS features and the design should address the usability, accessibility and safety of open space particularly for young children, the elderly and those with reduced mobility. Proposals must reduce post development run off rate back to the greenfield 1 in 1 year rate, with an allowance for climate change.

SuDS will be required to meet the following design criteria:

the design must follow an index-based approach when managing water quality. Implementation in line with the updated Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) SuDS Manual is required. Source control techniques such as green roofs, permeable paving and swales should be used so that rainfall runoff in events up to 5mm does not leave the site;
sensitively designed and integrated into the green and blue infrastructure to create high quality public open space and landscaped public realm;
maximise opportunities to enhance biodiversity net-gain;
improve the quality of water discharges and be used in conjunction with water use efficiency measures;
function effectively over the lifetime of the development;
the hierarchy of managing surface water drainage from any development in the Garden Community should be managed in accordance with this hierarchy: firstly, rainwater reuse; and secondly infiltration.

Proposals should be designed to include permeable surfaces wherever possible. Proposals for impermeable paving, including on small surfaces such as front gardens and driveways, will be strongly resisted unless it can be suitably demonstrated that this is not technically feasible or appropriate.

Part G: Integration of A120-A133 Link Road Mitigation

A comprehensive approach is required to ensure that the environmental mitigation for the A120-A133 Link Road, as specified in the conditions of the approved planning application, is fully integrated into the design of the Garden Community. This could include integrating those elements contained in the Landscape Plan, Landscape and Ecological Mitigation and Management Plan (LEMMP), Ecological Design Strategy, Farmland Bird Mitigation Strategy and Biodiversity Monitoring Strategy, which are conditions in the planning consent, with the landscape, multifunctional green and blue infrastructure, and ecological measures for the Garden Community.

Part H: Planning Application Expectations

A Landscape and Green Infrastructure Strategy for the whole Garden Community must have either been prepared and approved by, or otherwise submitted to and formally approved in writing by the Councils before the determination of any planning application for development of the site.
Proposals must include a green infrastructure plan, which demonstrates how the scheme reflects and complies with the Garden Community wide Landscape and Green Infrastructure Strategy. The green infrastructure plan, required for all proposals, must also demonstrate how green and blue spaces have been integrated into the built form.
A Canopy Cover Assessment is required to establish the existing canopy cover within the application site and identify where planting or regeneration will take place and how that meets the percentage canopy cover required, enhances landscape character, and delivers high quality design.
Proposals must be supported with appropriate ecological surveys and landscape and visual impact assessments where necessary and include a biodiversity net gain calculation, which follows the latest Defra Metric and guidance on biodiversity net gain.
The Councils will require the developer to enter into an appropriate legal agreement to ensure the long-term establishment, management, maintenance and monitoring of biodiversity mitigation, compensation, and net gain measures for a minimum of 30 years as part of the grant of any planning permission. It is anticipated that the developer will need to achieve this by entering into an agreement with a suitably qualified and experienced nature conservation management organisation to deliver the creation, and management of habitat in a development of this scale.
An indicative Drainage Plan for the whole Garden Community must be prepared and approved in writing by the Councils before the determination of any planning application for development of the site.
Proposals must include a Drainage Plan and SuDS Management and Maintenance Plan, which demonstrates how the scheme reflects and complies with the Garden Community wide indicative Drainage Plan setting out the long-term management and maintenance arrangements.

5. Justification

The Vision for the Garden Community is that the natural environment will be its biggest asset. Green infrastructure will allow residents to spend time, play, interact and grow and will provide a natural support system for people and wildlife and help to integrate built elements into the existing landscape. This reflects the Section 1 Local Plan requirement of the creation of distinctive environments, which utilise a multifunctional green-grid to create significant networks of new green infrastructure.

Measures to integrate green and blue spaces into the built form will form part of the green infrastructure network. This policy identifies examples of what sort of measures will be sought to maximise climate change mitigation and biodiversity extinction mitigation throughout the development. Appropriate ecological surveys and biodiversity net gain calculations will be required in support of planning applications and the mitigation hierarchy must be followed alongside good natural design principles. There is a requirement for sensitive habitats to be buffered, with additional planting or other agreed appropriate means to discourage access, and for substantial buffers against road corridors to be provided. Biodiversity net gain and a thriving ecological network is a strategic principle of the Garden Community. Where new areas of habitat are created, this should be targeted adjacent to or between retained existing areas of habitat in order to expand and link them, thus making them more resilient. Habitat creation and management should retain and enhance habitat links to the wider landscape, for example to the Colne Valley.

A Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment is required to avoid, minimise, and mitigate negative impacts on the existing and neighbouring countryside, heritage landscapes and existing townscapes and visual amenity of users (see Policy 4).

Properly managed trees and woodlands in urban and semi urban areas make a significant contribution to planning, design, and management of sustainable, resilient landscapes. Increasing tree cover worldwide is one of the quickest and cheapest ways of mitigating climate change. Existing trees will be retained and canopy cover will be increased.

The importance of allotments and other productive landscapes was a key theme that came out of the engagement programme. Allotments and productive landscapes help to promote healthy lifestyles by promoting healthy eating and community integration. There are excellent examples of community gardens being beneficial for children and adults with disabilities (e.g. learning and sensory). The strategic principles for the Garden Community include the provision of space for a range of productive uses such as orchards, allotments, and growing fields. Their importance should not be underestimated, and opportunities for their creation should be provided throughout the Garden Community.

The strategic principles for the Garden Community recognise that natural flood risk management and carbon capture will be seamlessly incorporated in the ecological network, making the natural landscape “work hard” and deliver multiple benefits simultaneously.

The NPPF and Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) set out the requirements for the use for Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) to minimise the risk of flooding from new development. The use of SuDS to manage water run-off is an important tool in minimising flooding by increasing the provision of permeable surfaces in an area that allows water to seep gradually into the ground, rather than running directly into a drainage network, thereby reducing the risk of overloading the system. SuDS can also reduce the impact of diffuse pollution from run-off and flooding. The effective use of permeable surfaces, soakaways and water storage areas should be incorporated. Early consideration should be given to the potential to use SuDS to identify when and where the use of such technologies is feasible and to also identify which type of SuDS is most appropriate to site conditions. Only where there is a significant risk of pollution to the water environment, inappropriate soil conditions and/or engineering difficulties, should alternative methods of drainage discharge of water from a site be considered.

A drainage plan and SuDS management and maintenance plan will need to be prepared to ensure that the need for SuDS has been properly considered as part of the planning application process. Developers will need to enter into early discussions with the Councils and the Lead Local Flood Authority and as part of discussions, maintenance and long term adoption responsibilities should be explored and agreed, as part of the SuDS approval process, prior to the start of development.

6. Alternative approaches

The Councils have considered the following alternatives to this policy:

Alternative 1: No policy in the Plan and reliance on the requirements of the Section 1 Plan, which are summarised at the beginning of this chapter.

Alternative 2: A more prescriptive policy, which lists exactly what biodiversity mitigation and net gain and SuDS requirements are required and where.

The Councils have rejected alternative 1 as the Plan is an opportunity to add further detail to the policy requirements in the Section 1 Plan and include policy that includes targets for biodiversity net gain and increased canopy cover.

The Councils have rejected alternative 2, at this stage, as there is a need for flexibility to ensure that proposals for the Garden Community are able to respond to changes to the natural environment over the lifetime of the Garden Community and changes to biodiversity net gain, protected species, priority habitats and SuDS features. The Sustainability Appraisal concluded that this alternative would provide more certainty for developers in terms of what is expected to be provided on site to help limit adverse impacts relating to biodiversity assets in the Garden Community area. However, this approach would also be less flexible in terms of responding to changes in the natural environment over the lifetime of the Garden Community and changes in regard to biodiversity net gain, protected species, priority habitats and SuDS features.