Chapter 9: Nature

Introduction and Summary

9.1 The quality of the natural environment is a vital asset of the Greater Exeter area. This chapter focuses on key cross boundary environmental issues that benefit from a Greater Exeter wide consistent policy approach. Many of the natural environment and other environmental protection policies are, and will continue to be, contained within national guidance and district level local plans and do not need to be repeated in the GESP. To achieve the “greater places for nature – rebuilding biodiversity and peoples’ access to it” priority of our draft GESP vision, the draft policies in this chapter propose to:

• Ensure that developments provide at least a 10% overall enhancement in biodiversity
• Provide a strategy to protect the internationally important wildlife sites of the Exe Estuary, Dawlish Warren and East Devon Pebblebed Heaths through the funding of on-site management and off-site Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG)
• Define new limits to the Clyst Valley Regional Park and provide a strategy for its protection and enhancement
• Facilitate the planting of 10,000 hectares of new woodland creation to link with existing woodland and biodiversity networks

9.2 Alongside the next version of the GESP a draft Greater Exeter Green Infrastructure Strategy will be published, setting out the locations of existing areas of high biodiversity, the corridors and sustainable movement networks that connect them, and the key areas of accessible open space. This context will provide a basis for environmental issues to be considered when planning for growth across the Greater Exeter area.

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