Greater crested newt - adult

Planning update

The Avon Wildlife Trust devotes considerable resources to monitoring and responding to both major planning applications which may threaten wildlife in our area (this covers the unitary authorities of Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire) and to influencing local, regional and national planning policy.

Advice and Information
We are happy to hear from you if you are concerned about potential planning threats. We have produced a summary of the particular species and habitats which can be affected by development. This may be helpful if you wish to challenge a particular development in your area.

If a Planning Application Number or address is available, the details can be checked on the relevant local authority website. Each unitary authority has a 'Public Access for Planning' portal on their website and you can use this to see whether surveys have been completed.

Contact Sian Parry, Planning and Policy Officer email sianparry@avonwildlifetrust.org.uk or 0117 917 7270 if you have a particular concern about any planning issues.

horseshoe bat

Folly Farm - farmhouse under construction

Further information
We monitor closely and respond to major planning applications in the Avon area. We work closely with Natural England (the national nature conservation body which advises government) and the local authority ecologists to monitor potential and actual planning applications.   Natural England is usually involved where nationally important sites e.g. Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and European sites such as the Severn Estuary are affected.

Planning Policy
The Trust also monitors national planning policies and strategies and how these are being implemented locally. We liaise with local authority and regional government officers to ensure the Trust's views are taken into account in any policy changes.

Training
The Trust sees training in the new planning systems as a priority so that wildlife and conservation are taken account of in early discussions about any development. Trust staff run training courses on aspects of planning policy and practice for relevant organisations such as local authorities. Courses can be tailored for organisations who are interested in learning more about the new planning system and its objectives of promoting sustainable development and conserving and enhancing biodiversity. Contact the Planning and Policy Officer for more details.

Free advice from Friends of the Earth
The UK's first national environmental legal advice line has been launched by Friends of the Earth. The free phone service has been set up by the organisation's Rights & Justice Centre, which aims to help people understand their rights and use the law to defend and improve their local environment.

Lawyers at the centre will be on hand to provide legal advice on environmental issues to people who are concerned about the impact of public authority decisions on their community and their local environment; to people who don't feel they have been properly consulted about changes in their area or to people who are simply unsure about their rights.

The legal advice line can be contacted on FREEPHONE 0808 801 0405 between 6.30 - 8.30pm every Wednesday evening. It is staffed by Friends of the Earth's legal staff and by volunteer lawyers. Individuals who contact the advice line will be given preliminary advice. Cases will then be either taken up by the Rights and Justice Centre or passed onto an organisation that can help.