with National Planning Policy Framework para 112. For more information, see Guide to assessing development proposals on agricultural land: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-land-assess-proposals-for-development/guide-to-assessing-development-proposals-on-agricultural-land . Improving your natural environment Your plan or order can offer exciting opportunities to enhance your local environment and should provide net gains for biodiversity in line with the National Planning Policy Framework. If you are setting out policies on new development or proposing sites for development, you should follow the biodiversity mitigation hierarchy and seek to ensure impacts on habitats are avoided or minimised before considering opportunities for biodiversity enhancement. You may wish to consider identifying what environmental features you want to be retained or enhanced or new features you would like to see created as part of any new development and how these could contribute to biodiversity net gain and wider environmental goals. Opportunities for environmental enhancement might include: • Restoring a neglected hedgerow. • Creating a new pond as an attractive feature on the site. • Planting trees characteristic to the local area to make a positive contribution to the local landscape. • Using native plants in landscaping schemes for better nectar and seed sources for bees and birds. • Incorporating swift boxes or bat boxes into the design of new buildings. • Think about how lighting can be best managed to reduce impacts on wildlife. • Adding a green roof to new buildings. • Providing a new footpath through the new development to link into existing rights of way.

Site allocations should be supported by a baseline assessment of biodiversity value. The statutory Biodiversity Metric may be used to understand the number of biodiversity units present on allocated sites. For small development allocations the Small Sites Metric may be used. This is a simplified version of the statutory Biodiversity Metric and is designed for use where certain criteria are met. Further information on biodiversity net gain including planning practice guidance can be found here You may also want to consider enhancing your local area in other ways, for example by: • Setting out in your plan how you would like to implement elements of a wider Green Infrastructure Strategy (if one exists) in your community. • Assessing needs for accessible greenspace and setting out proposals to address any deficiencies or enhance provision. Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework sets out further information on green infrastructure standards and principles