Member

What planning committees often get concerned about are the landscaping proposals. If the species that are being proposed for a landscaping element of a development are not appropriate for the biodiversity of that area, the development will fail the test of enhancing the environment of the area. The same goes for biodiversity net gain, as in the amendment; currently, it is at 10%, and you can either try to get it on the same site or offset it elsewhere. It is fundamental to preserving our environment to ensure that biodiversity net gain occurs on the site. Any proposal from the planning committee in the area where I am a councillor—though I am not on the committee—that does not include biodiversity net gain on-site gets a thumbs down from me. Why should local communities not have the environment enhanced and improved where they live? Otherwise, what we will see is improvement and enhancement in other parts of the country but not in some of the places where it is needed most.