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Green and Blue Infrastructure SPD

Policy ID4 of the Local Plan: Strategy and Sites 2015-2034 states that the Council will produce a Green and Blue Infrastructure Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). The SPD was intended to:

  • identify areas for habitat restoration and creation, especially in and near Biodiversity Opportunity Areas (BOA) (opens new window)
  • explain how new developments should support BOA objectives
  • set out plans for the management and enhancement of ecological networks within settlements
  • signpost the strategies and sources of information for development schemes. They should use them to design biodiversity measures.

The Council adopted the Local Plan: Strategy and Sites in 2019. The Government has since introduced Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) (opens new window). These were created in the Environment Act in 2021. Surrey County Council is in charge of creating the Surrey LNRS, with help from Guildford Borough Council. This plan will identify areas for restoring and creating habitats. Its goal is to support the recovery of Biodiversity Opportunity Area (BOA) habitats.

The Council adopted the Local Plan Development Management Policies in 2023. This plan includes policies P6 and P7 which:

  • protect important habitats, including BOA priority habitats
  • require biodiversity measures on new developments to contribute to BOA objectives with guidance on how to do this
  • lists the strategies and sources of information that should be used alongside the BOAs to inform biodiversity proposals

The Environment Act 2021 made Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) mandatory for new developments, starting in 2024. While BNG methods are nationally set, Local Authorities can highlight key local habitats for new projects to improve or create.

The LNRS, Local Plan Policies, and national BNG methodology cover most of the Green and Blue Infrastructure SPD topics. The Council is therefore not producing a Green and Blue Infrastructure SPD at this time, but will keep this under review and produce an SPD in the future if this is considered necessary.