Object

Minerals and Waste Local Plan: Pre-Submission Publication

Representation ID: 99336

Received: 18/12/2022

Respondent: Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Representation Summary:

We support the requirement for progressive restoration schemes and the enhancement of Norfolk’s biodiversity but given the significant changes since the previous iteration of the plan in 2019 (changes to the National Planning Policy Framework, the passing of the Environment Act 2021 and the Leaders Pledge for Nature made at a virtual United Nations event in September 2020), there is a clear need for planning policy to not only encourage but ensure delivery of nature’s recovery.

Recent reporting from the COP27 and COP15 international summits on climate change and biodiversity, highlight the need for significant and urgent progress to be made in tackling the interlinked global crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.
We expect all Norfolk planning policy to make serious and effective contributions towards society’s goals of delivering a carbon neutral future and halting the ongoing decline of biodiversity, in line with legal requirements set out legislation such as the Climate Change Act and the Environment Act.
To bring greater certainty to the framing of the objectives and ensure that the plan not only supports meaningful change but requires it, we recommend the wording of the Vision is changed.

Change suggested by respondent:

Where the plan states ‘Mineral development and waste management facilities will be located, designed and operated without unacceptable adverse impacts on the amenity of local communities, the natural, built and historic environment, the landscape and townscape of Norfolk. Opportunities to enhance such features will be supported and all developments will provide biodiversity net gains.’ In order to bring greater certainty to the framing of the objectives, we recommend the wording of the final sentence is changed to read ‘Opportunities to enhance such features will be supported and all development will provide measurable biodiversity net gains’.

We recommend that in order to help frame and support plan objectives and policies that actively deliver the necessary outcomes, that the wording of this final paragraph of the Vision is modified as follows:
‘Minerals development and waste management within Norfolk will be undertaken in ways that ensure that all development consented under its policies contributes to carbon neutrality and avoids development which results in a net carbon burden to society as it progresses towards the 2050 net zero legal targets. It will also be designed and located to ensure that all opportunities to avoid, reduce and mitigate climate change contributions, and maximise adaptation measures to climatic effects, such as flooding are taken in site allocation and design’.