C. Retain our current policy on trees and woodlands

Option C

The Government has recently published it's draft revision of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and this document includes a significant in paragraph 173, where it states that .."development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats (such as ancient woodland) should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons...." This is a clear direction of travel in Government planning policy and gives much stronger protection to ancient woodland than that given by Policy DM25 in your Development Management Plan. We would therefore like to see your Local Plan state that development affecting ancient woodland will only be permitted if there are wholly exceptional reasons.

We broadly support the statements in the existing policy DM25 on the need for more woodland creation and the locations in which this may be prioritised; for example adjacent to areas of ancient woodland and as part of green infrastructure in new housing development.

We would like to suggest that you also look at using access standards to determine how much new woodland may need to be created. The Woodland Trust has an Access to Woodland Standard whiich aspires that everyone should have a small wood of at least two hectares in size within 500 metres of their home and a larger wood of at least 20 hectares within 4km of their home. Currently our statistics show that 20 per cent of people in Rochford have a small wood within 500 metres of their home, which is slightly above the national average but less than in some neighbouring districts. We would be happy to discuss the access standard with your officers in more detail, if it is something you wish to consider for inclusion in your local plan.