At last the list of wildlife habitats and species of principal importance in England is out!   The list identifies 56 habitats and 938 species which the Secretary of State considers are of principal importance for the purpose of conserving biodiversity in England. A sign of changing times is that the list includes a few species once thought to be common and in abundance such as the house sparrow and starling. The habitats range from upland hay meadows to lowland mixed deciduous woodland and from freshwater habitats such as ponds to marine habitats such as subtidal sands and gravels. The species are those found in England which have been identified as requiring action under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP).

What this means for developers is that these species and habitats will all be taken into consideration by local authorities when considering planning applications. Having a professional ecological survey by independent outfits such as Thomson Ecology before planning a development is increasingly advisable.

The list (known as the S41 list) will be used to guide decision makers such as public bodies, including local and regional authorities, in implementing their duty under Section 40 of the NERC Act 2006 “to have regard” to the conservation of biodiversity in England, when carrying out their normal functions. For example, Regional Planning Bodies and Local Planning Authorities will use it to identify the species and habitats that should be given priority when applying the requirements of Planning Policy Statement 9 (PPS9) to maintain, restore and enhance species and habitats.

The law, central government planning policy and, increasingly, local planning policy now point towards the enhancement of biodiversity as part of the development process. Developments that provide ecological enhancements should be looked upon more favourably by the local planning authority.

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PLEASE NOTE OTHER PHOTOGRAPHS OF SPECIES & HABITATS ARE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

The England Biodiversity list has been developed to meet the requirements of Section 41 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006. This legislation requires the Secretary of State to publish a list of species of flora and fauna and habitats considered to be of principal importance for the purpose of conserving biodiversity. The S41 list replaces the list published under Section 74 of the Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act 2000, under which Defra published a list in 2002 which was identical to the UK BAP list at the time.

The UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) was originally published in 1994. Following a systematic review, the list of species and habitats given priority in the action plan was increased to 1149 species and 65 habitats in 2007 (“the 2007 list”).

 Thomson Ecology are specialist consulting ecologists with expertise in a broad range of habitats and species found in terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments.  They work on behalf of their clients with planning authorities, regulatory bodies and government agencies to ensure that projects run smoothly and meet the requirements of conservation legislation.

Thomson Ecology is committed to working to the highest professional and technical standards. Their consultants have a range of licences from Natural England and other statutory bodies permitting them to survey protected species, River Habitat Survey (RHS) accreditation from the Environment Agency, and Personal Track certification to allow them to work on the rail network.

For further information please contact: Libby Crew, Marketing Manager, Thomson Ecology Ltd by telephone on 01483 466000, by fax: on 01483 303182 or email: enquiries@thomsonecology.com   

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Tel: 01483 466000
Fax:01483 303182
E-mail:enquiries@thomsonecology.com

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