Planning and Sustainable Development in Yorkshire and the Humber
East Riding Demonstration project
Information and report on our sustainable settlement planning project with East Riding of Yorkshire Council Click here

Planning and Sustainable Development

Natural England will work with national, regional and local partners to deliver the wide range of benefits that planning can deliver.

Priorities 

1. Sustainable development.
Planning and transport processes should promote environmental objectives within a sustainable development context. Sustainability objectives should underpin the preparation and delivery of plans, taking full account of environmental capacity, biodiversity, geodiversity, natural resources including soils and water, landscape, access, recreation and the needs of existing and future communities. 

2. Contribution of the natural environment to the quality of life.
Planning and transport processes should recognise the contribution to a high quality of life of distinctive and inspirational landscapes throughout the country, the character of those landscapes, a wealth and diversity of wildlife, a healthy and well-managed countryside and accessible green spaces. 

3. Protection and enhancement of the natural environment.
Planning and transport processes should protect and enhance the natural environment through the wise use of natural resources. They should seek to maintain and enhance the physical, biological and land management processes needed to sustain the character and viability of England’s landscapes, biodiversity, geodiversity and soils, taking full account of the measures needed to address climate change. 

4. Protected areas.
Planning and transport processes should provide the highest levels of protection for England’s most valued landscapes, habitats, sites and species – especially those designated for their national or international importance. 

5. High quality design and development.
Planning and transport processes should deliver high quality, locally distinctive and environmentally sustainable development, including the provision of multi-functional green infrastructure.  

Natural England’s founding bodies produced with English Heritage and the Environment Agency guidance for all planning authorities producing Local Development Frameworks titled ‘Environmental Quality in Spatial Planning’ (June 2005). This contains checklists which set out what the agencies wish to see in RSS and LDF’s; for further information see http://www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/Landscape/PP/index.asp.

The Yorkshire and Humber region deal with regional, local and site-specific casework.

We will continue to concentrate on engagement with plan-makers at the earliest stage, preferably before policy is drafted.

We will prioritise cases that adversely impact upon the following:

  • Site based casework: Ramsar sites, Special Protection Areas (SPA), Special areas of Conservation (SAC), Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA);
  • development proposals in National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Heritage Coasts;
  • proposals likely to harm legally protected species or their habitats; and
  • carry out Defra’s work as a statutory consultee on planning applications for minerals and waste.    

For further details on all of the above please see separate briefing sheets.

Regional Structure Map (Planning)

Regional Structure & Planning Contacts Map (1mb pdf)

Interim Planning Briefings