Environment, Wildlife and Heritage (Section 5 of the draft Plan)
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The related policies appear below the introductory text.
Overview
In the Questionnaire returns you told us that the wildlife across the Parish and the history and heritage of the Parish and Pirton Village are important to you. You value the open and green spaces within Pirton Village, and enjoy and wish to preserve and protect important views and vistas on approaching and leaving the village.
The purpose of these policies is therefore to:
- Protect our green spaces from development and encourage the creation of new green and open spaces within new development;
- Encourage an enrichment of the parish's biodiversity through policies on hedges, trees, and wildlife, and to build in protections and incentives to good practice, recommended by authorities such as Natural England, Historic England, and the Chilterns AONB Board.
- Specific views are described to ensure they will be protected from any adverse impacts of development.
Policies
Policy - PNP 5: Hedgerows and Trees
- Where development is adjacent to the edge of the village or visible from the Chilterns AONB or from the countryside, the protection and retention of existing hedgerows and trees is encouraged to give the village a green and soft edge, with additional landscaping and planting to minimise the visual impact of new development.
- Adequate landscaping must be incorporated in the design of all new development to mitigate the visual impact of development and ensure that the development merges into the existing village context. Landscaping schemes should seek to include predominately native species.
- The retention and maintenance of existing trees is encouraged in all development.
Policy - PNP 6: Local Green Spaces and Open Spaces
- Development will not normally be permitted on designated Local Green Spaces.
- The areas listed I appendix 3 are designated Local Green Spaces which are protected from new development unless very special circumstances can be demonstrated.
- The creation of new green spaces within new development is encouraged.
Policy - PNP 7: Wildlife
Proposals for development should demonstrate how consideration has been given to the maintenance, protection and enhancement of the wildlife of Pirton and Pirton Parish. Hedge planting rather than hard fencing or walled boundaries should be considered as they provide valuable green routes for small mammals such as hedgehogs and can link open spaces. New planting of hedges and trees with locally native species supported by a number of flowering plants at their base is encouraged, all providing a variety of nesting and feeding opportunities for a wide range of animals, insects and birds.
Policy - PNP 8: Heritage Assets and Archaeological Heritage
Development proposals will be supported where:
- Proposals conserve or enhance the heritage assets of the Parish and their settings. Heritage assets include both nationally-listed heritage assets and non-designated heritage assets;
- Proposals demonstrate that they have consulted and respected appropriate sources of information such as Hertfordshire County Council's Historic Environment Record;
- Proposals within Pirton's Archaeology Alert areas must include an appropriate desk-based assessment and, where necessary, a field evaluation. Depending on the result, a further investigation may be necessary or the reason for not doing so clearly demonstrated.
Policy - PNP 9: Key Views and Vistas
- Proposals for development will be supported where they have demonstrated that they comply with the policies of the Chilterns Conservation Board, including its Position Statement on Development affecting the setting of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
- Development proposals should consider the visual impact of those proposals on key views and vistas. These are shown on the map at map at appendix 10 and detailed in the Character Assessment in the Evidence Base Document 1 and take special care that they remain unspoilt. Development that would adversely impact such views will not be supported. Where possible, development proposals should seek to enhance key views within, into and out of Pirton Village.
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