POLICY SIXTEEN: GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

OBJECTIVE 25 
Support proposals that result in retention of natural habitats, for example protecting/creating new green spaces in new housing developments 

i. Shepton Mallet’s Ecological Network shall be maintained, protected, consolidated, extended and enhanced as appropriate to their existing designations and biodiversity status. Development that negatively affects these sites or fragments the network will not be supported unless appropriate mitigation is incorporated within the proposal. 

ii. New development proposals should demonstrate how the location and type of green space, landscaping and water features provided within a scheme have been arranged such that they enhance and link into the existing Ecological Network and contribute to its consolidation.

iii. Such features should be designed to maximise the opportunities for enhancing the Ecological Network.

iv. All new development should maximise opportunities to create new ecological assets and links into areas where opportunities are as yet unidentified on maps within the Neighbourhood Plan.

v. Development proposals should result in a net gain for biodiversity. Development will also: 

• Protect and enhance features of biodiversity interest of value on and adjacent to the development site, incorporating and integrating them into development proposals, maintaining appropriate buffer zones between new development and the green network; and 
• Provide new tree planting, Priority Habitats, wildlife friendly landscaping and ecological enhancements (such as mixed native hedgerows, wildlife ponds, bird nesting and bat roosting features) wherever practicable. 

vi. In exceptional circumstances where the need for development clearly outweighs the loss of biodiversity units within the development site then off-site biodiversity offsetting to ensure that a net gain for biodiversity is achieved will be supported. Priority will be given to offsetting schemes within Biodiversity Opportunity Areas (BOAs).