Purpose

Report to consider the recreational
disturbance mitigation strategy for Ashridge Commons and
Woods

Content

This report contained the
package of documents that collectively provided the interim
mitigation measures needed to enable proposed new housing
development in proximity to the Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area
of Conservation (SAC) at Ashridge Commons and Woods Site of Special
Scientific Interest (SSSI) to be permitted. It explained the
process for how the Council would comply with its legal obligations
under the Habitats Directive and allow the current moratorium on
residential development in the relevant part of Buckinghamshire to
be lifted.
 
This Mitigation Strategy was
interim and would be reviewed as part of the new Local Plan for
Buckinghamshire. The purpose of this strategy was to mitigate the
impact of development that had already been allocated within Local
Plans and neighbourhood plans, which was required to meet housing
targets.
 
The Council had been working
with Natural England, the National Trust and other local
authorities who were also impacted by the restrictions (Dacorum,
Central Bedfordshire Council and St. Albans City and District
Council), to prepare the Mitigation Strategy. Following Natural
England’s guidance, the Mitigation Strategy identified the
need for qualifying development to provide mitigation in the form
of a) Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Strategy payments
and b) Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace
provision.
 
RESOLVED –
 
(1)              
That the Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area of
Conservation Mitigation Strategy be approved.
 
(2)              
That the Collaboration Agreement for the
Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Strategy be agreed
(substantially in the form of Appendix A to the Cabinet report),
with authority delegated to the Corporate Director for Planning,
Growth and Sustainability, in consultation with the Cabinet Member
for Planning and Regeneration, to approve the final version should
it be materially amended.

 
(3)              
That authority be delegated to the Corporate
Director for Planning, Growth and Sustainability, in consultation
with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration, to approve
any necessary amendments after the first version of the
Collaboration Agreement has been approved (attached at Appendix A)
and to the Mitigation Strategy (attached at Appendix
B).