Special Protection Area Current Position
ListenUpdate on the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (SPA): November 2011
The following provides a brief summary of the current position within Bracknell Forest in relation to the Thames Basin Heaths SPA. More detailed information on these issues can be found through the ‘Related Areas’ on the right-hand side of this page.
Bracknell Forest Council’s Core Strategy DPD (one document in the council’s local development framework) was found sound by an independent inspector. This includes Policy CS14, which relates specifically to the SPA. The Council formally adopted the Core Strategy DPD in February 2008.
The SPA Technical Background Document to the Core Strategy DPD sets out the avoidance and mitigation measures, which are necessary to remove the adverse effects which may arise from the policies within the Core Strategy DPD.
An SPA Implementation Strategy was approved by the Executive on 5 June 2007 and again ratified as Section 11 within the Limiting the Impact of Development Supplementary Planning Document (LID). This provides the mechanism to implement the measures set out within the SPA Technical Background Document through the collection of financial contributions.
The council has subsequently produced Open Space Management Plans in consultation with Natural England. These set out the precise works to areas of open space and the priority order for these enhancements. Six of these plans have now been finalised, Horseshoe Lakes, Englemere Pond, The Cut Countryside Corridor and Longhill Park group, Ambarrow Hill and Court, Shepherd Meadows and the remaining other will be produced as required.
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On 5 July 2011, the council’s Executive agreed to implement the Strategic Access Management and Monitoring (SAMM) Project alongside all the SPA-affected local authorities across the sub-region. This will be a material consideration in the determination of planning applications. As from 14 July 2011 onwards, this has resulted in a change in SPA developer contributions. New SAMM developer contributions are being applied to relevant development as part of the council’s avoidance and mitigation measures and will be applied on a ‘per bedroom’ basis. These replace the current contributions for access management measures. Contributions towards Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANGs) continue to be applied on a ‘per dwelling’ basis. The new SPA developer contributions are as follows:
Total SPA Avoidance and Mitigation Contributions per net additional dwelling
No. of bedrooms |
SANG contribution |
SAMM contribution |
Total SPA contribution |
|
1 bedroom |
£1,279 |
£399 |
£1,678 |
|
2 bedrooms |
£1,279 |
£526 |
£1,805 |
|
3 bedrooms |
£1,279 |
£711 |
£1,990 |
|
4 bedrooms |
£1,279 |
£807 |
£2,086 |
|
5+ bedrooms |
£1,279 |
£1,052 |
£2,331 |
For more detailed information view Limiting the Impact of Development Supplementary Planning Document.
Following a consultation on the Thames Basin Heaths SPA Avoidance and Mitigation Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) in autumn 2011, SANG contributions are likely to increase further on adoption of the final SPD early in 2012. Find out more about the Thames Basin Heaths SPA Avoidance and Mitigation SPD and the SAMM Project on our Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area page.
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