Archived press
release.
The Full Council meeting on Wednesday, March 9, which was set to
consider the Reviewed Core Strategy (RCS) for its Local Development
Framework, has been postponed to allow for more analysis of a new
study that was submitted as part of the consultation process.
“As part of our consultation on the RCS, the Suffolk Wildlife
Trust (SWT) gave its concerns in late January about the potential
impact of visitors from future developments in areas to the north
and east of Ipswich on nature conservation sites in the ‘Suffolk
Sandlings’, north of the river Deben. The SWT sent us a report on
visitors to that area which had been carried out last year,” said
Cllr Andy Smith, Cabinet Member for Planning.
The Council has taken legal advice and this recommends that the
study should be fully analysed prior to any further decision on the
RCS.
“It will take a few weeks to complete the necessary
independent appraisal of the study, so the special Full Council
will now be held as soon as possible later this year but this will
unfortunately further delay our RCS, which is such a key document
in shaping and setting out the future of our district.
“It postpones the time when we can use it to protect our area
from inappropriate development, and start to shape the district to
meet the challenges we face. However, under UK regulations
based on the European Habitats Directive, we, and our colleagues at
Ipswich whose Core Strategy is also affected, do now have to take
time to consider the possible relevance of this study and the
potential effects on habitats,” added Cllr Smith.
The RCS is largely based around protecting the district’s natural
environment, especially its wealth of important nature conservation
areas, and none of the proposed areas for development detailed in
the RCS fall within such an area.
The SWT study will now be carefully analysed. It is based on a
study of visitors to the Suffolk Sandlings Special Protection Area,
and is largely about the impact of visitors’ dogs, particularly as
the majority were not kept on a lead. That area, centred
around Tunstall and Rendlesham Forests, only clips the Deben
estuary, at Wilford Bridge and the very top part of Butley
creek.
However, under the regulations, the ‘Appropriate Assessment’ of
potential effects on those habitats needs to be updated, to take
account of the SWT report, so that the Council knows it has relied
on the best scientific knowledge available.
This is quite separate from concerns in the RCS about potential
effects on the Deben Estuary protected areas themselves which have
been fully considered in the existing Appropriate Assessment. For
those, the Council was advised and believes that its processes have
been correct, and that the measures proposed to mitigate any
effects on that area are appropriate.
“During the review of our RCS, we had received no specific
concerns from Natural England, who are the key environmental
experts, but this report about the Suffolk Sandlings was drawn to
our attention by the SWT.
“All of the significant possible areas for growth outlined in
our RCS are over a mile from any wildlife conservation areas, and
even further from the area of this recent study. We value and
respect our nationally and internationally important areas and our
policies are working to conserve and protect them, while at the
same time finding the right balance to also achieve the new jobs
and homes our communities need,” added Cllr
Smith.