Replacement Calderdale UDP : Adopted 25 August 2006

Replacement Calderdale UDP : Adopted 25 August 2006

• Foreword
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Calderdale in Context
• Strategic and Core Part One Policies
• 3 Guiding Principles and Key Themes
• 4 Employment, The Economy, Tourism and Regeneration
• 5 Housing
• 6 Retailing and Town Centres
• 7 Open Space, Sport and Recreation Facilities
• 8 The Built and Historic Environment
• 9 Transport
• 10 Infrastructure, Education and Community Facilities
• 11 Natural Environment and the Countryside
  • Introduction
  • The Green Belt
  • The Area Around Todmorden
  • Protected Land
  • Special Landscape Area
  • Nature Conservation
  • Trees and Woodland
  • Natural Stone and Drystone Walls
• 12 Environmental Protection
• 13 Minerals
• 14 Waste Management
• 15 Monitoring and Review of the Plan
• Annex A Privacy, Daylighting and Amenity Space
• Annex B Trees On or Adjacent to Development Sites
• Appendix 1 National Planning Policy
• Appendix 2 National Minerals Policy
• Appendix 3 Supporting Published Documents
• Appendix 4 Glossary of Terms
• Appendix 5 Acronyms and Abbreviations
• Appendix 6 Policy Topic Index
• Appendix 7 Policy Number Comparison
• Appendix 8 Supplementary Maps

11 Natural Environment and the Countryside

Introduction

11.1 The countryside of the District is one of Calderdale’s most important resources. Over 80% of the area is rural in character, with high open moorland to the west of the District and attractive wooded valleys surrounding and leading into the urban areas. The quality of the environment is an important factor affecting the quality of life of local people as well as influencing the perceptions of visitors, including those who may be thinking of investing in the area. A key role of the UDP will therefore be to contribute towards making the District a greener, healthier and more pleasant place in which to live and work, to assist overall sustainability and regeneration objectives.

11.2 Calderdale possesses a landscape of great beauty, which is enjoyed by local people and visitors. The area also supports a rich variety of wildlife and associated habitats and forms an important part of the Southern Pennines. The whole variety of living things, including the habitats that support them, is known as biodiversity. The landscape and biodiversity of the District are under pressure from a variety of sources, but in particular from:-

• commercial and industrial development;
• housing development;
• growth in vehicular traffic;
• growth of leisure and recreation, especially in the countryside;
• the changing nature of the agricultural economy and rural diversification; and
• the need to develop renewable energy technology for power generation.

11.3 Protection of the natural environment and countryside are key objectives at both national and regional levels. The Government’s Rural White Paper 'Our Countryside: the Future' (2001) contains proposals relating to:-

• conserving and enhancing our countryside;
• restoring and maintaining wildlife diversity and the natural environment;
• constraining the built-up area and directing development towards the existing built-up areas; and
• increasing enjoyment of the countryside.

11.4 These themes are further developed in Regional Spatial Strategy for Yorkshire and the Humber (2004) (RSS) which seeks to:-

• protect and enhance the region's biodiversity
• protect and enhance the region's historic and cultural resources
• protect and enhance the quality, diversity and distinctiveness of the region’s landscape;
• increase tree cover; and
• encourage sustainable and integrated agriculture.

11.5 The UDP embraces these national and regional policies and priorities by setting out local policies, particularly within this Section, but also within Sections 4 and 7 on Employment, the Economy, Tourism and Regeneration and Open Space, Sport and Recreation Facilities, respectively. The aim is to achieve a balance between conservation and development, to ensure that economic growth is not at the expense of today’s and tomorrow’s environment.

11.6 A key control over development pressure and the conservation of the natural environment is the Green Belt. This restrains development across approximately 63% of the District and assists in the process of urban renaissance. Other policies seek to conserve and enhance the environmental diversity of the District. The Plan’s policies can protect the countryside from unsympathetic development and seek to ensure that the best of the District’s environment is retained. However, it is also important that every opportunity is taken to enhance the countryside. An attractive and accessible countryside can be an important element in attracting investment, securing regeneration and increasing community well-being.

11.7 The upland moor areas of Calderdale form part of the South Pennine Moors Special Protection Area (SPA) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC), an area of European significance. This area is under increasing threat and as a result, a Heritage Strategy for the Southern Pennines (2001) has been prepared by the Standing Conference of South Pennine Authorities (SCOSPA). The Strategy provides a vision for the future management and enhancement of the area and seeks ways to secure the conservation of the area’s heritage and ensure that future generations can enjoy it. The UDP seeks to complement the objectives of this strategy.

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