Biodiversity

If we are serious about biodiversity, we must start with SOIL.

1. The biodiversity contained in topsoil should be considered as a fundamental environmental asset. There are billions of micro-organisms and invertebrates in every handful, on which our survival depends.
2. Soil should be included in calculation of biodiversity net gain of after development.

Typically in the gardens of new homes, turfs sit directly on clay and subsoil. Where does all the topsoil go? Developers also provide football pitches with grass seeded over subsoil. Soil is not an asset of the developer and is not to be sold as such.

Topsoil should be removed from the footprint of buildings, roads and car parks and on constrained sites it cannot easily be stored, but it should only be removed under licence and remain a public asset at the disposal of the local authority.

Soils crucially sequestrate carbon from the atmosphere. This must be maximised on both private and public land. Judicious use of solar farms on agricultural land could both increase biodiversity and sequester carbon into the soil, helping it to regenerate.

We need a nuanced policy with regard to solar farms that encourages best ecological practice (see supplementary document).

Clean energy production, carbon sequestration, increased bio-diversity and restored soils that can go back into food production: a quadruple benefit if we can get the policy right!

Insects and wildflowers

We have experienced 75% loss of flying insect biomass over 30 years. They are worth over £500 million pa in crop pollination and our lives depend on them.

We lost 58% of butterflies on farmed land in just 10 years and 97% of our wildflower meadows since 1930, on which insects depend. So:

1. Identify road verges of particular value for establishment of wild-flowers. ‘Special verges’ need to be substantially increased.
2. Set an initial target of 25% of cemeteries and churchyards left unmown and planted with wildflowers.
3. Identify other public areas for wildflowers or rewilding, such as Saffron Walden castle and work with private landowners, such as water companies.

Rivers

1. Exclude, or put rigorous conditions on, development close to rivers or groundwater;
2. Increase standards of water conservation;
3. Reduce the permitted discharge level of phosphates from farmland;
4. Only permit development where no further reduction in the aquifer can be assured.

 

Trees and wildlife corridors

Identify land for tree planting, particularly broadleaf trees that will create and support wildlife corridors.

Ensure early years initial tree management.

Explore ways in which TPOs might be made on the grounds of ecological and environmental factors. This requires a re-definition of ‘amenity’ as it is currently applied. Maybe along the lines of the Agriculture Bill’s concept of ‘Public Goods’.  

 

The calculation of ‘amenity value’ needs to be updated. The CAVAT method, merely assesses visual value based on size, population density, the crown, health and life expectancy. The biodiversity hosted by the tree and carbon sequestered are ignored. LA’s and forestry organisations should lobby to change this.

Saplings are not an adequate replacement for mature trees, with all the insect life and biodiversity they host, and it is not for 10 years that they start to extract any significant amounts of CO2.

Protect both scrub woodland and established woods from deforestation, as both will be varied sources of biodiversity.

Woodland Trust targets of 30% tree cover on all new developments. We should come close to that.