Capturing the Benefits of Healthy Wetlands: A
Planner’s Perspective Alister Scott MRTPI
Wetland Futures Conference 1/2 October 2013
1. Re-discovering planning 2. Negotiating the built versus natural
environment divide 3. Identifying planning ‘hooks’ for wetland
management 4. Championing existing good planning
practice 5. Cautioning future planning practice 6. ‘Whatevering’
Outline
FROM….
Rediscovering planning
Rediscovering planning
deliver homes, business & industrial units, infrastructure & thriving local places that the country needs, while protecting & enhancing the natural and historic environment
NPPF 2012 p1
TO………
Navigating the planning vs environment divide
Natural Environment INCENTIVE Defra NEWP Landscape Scale Ecosystem Services Local Nature Partnerships
Built Environment CONTROL DCLG NPPF Local/Neighbourhood Scale Economic, Social &
Environmental costs/benefits
Local Enterprise Partnerships
Managing Environmental Change
Planning ‘Hooks’
Paragraph 109
Source: Jim Davies Env Agency
Exmoor: South West Water
Exmoor
R Barle
R Exe
Wimbleball Resr & R Haddeo
ExebridgePumping Station
Replenishment PumpingApprox 5 miles, lifting water from 120 to 240 m AOD
CO 2
Source: Charles Cowap
Uses an Ecosystem Services Framework for development of plan
Ecosystem Services mapping exercises for evidence base and masterplan
Landscape- scale approach supported by Biosphere Reserve and NIA
Bridgend : SCANN CCW 2012
Hampton
Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent
WHO Local Nature
Partnership Local Enterprise
Partnership Health Boards
WHAT Mainstream
environment into decision making
Ecosystem assessment
Value environmental assets
£110 million annually. DECISION MAKERS
………
Cautionary practice 1
Community Infrastructure Levy Levy based on development
to benefit community Development monies used
to re-invest in enhancement of environmental infrastructure?
Currently Wetlands not really being considered
WHY?
Cautionary practice 2
Biodiversity Offsetting (Habitat Banking)
Extends scope of Section 106 planning agreements
Offsets as first or last resorts? Based on substitutability but
could be used for wetland improvement.
Pilots Explicit linkages of planning with biodiversity applicable to many developments
Hooks vital to progress discussion and partnerships
Planners not well embedded in natural environment (wetland) lexicon and vice versa
Importance of having sound evidence base for use in planning tools to identify trade-offs
Shared language of multiple benefits unites. Valuation of nature (wetlands) has costs and
benefits!
Whatevering
Completing the Jigsaw
Strategic Environm
ental Assessme
nt
Learning by doing
Monitoring and
indicatorsValuation
Embedding programme
Evidence
Tools to enable
local delivery
GuidancePublic
Participation
Plan Development