RTPI Policy Brief on Biodiversity in Planning

This practice advice provides an overview of the main obligations and opportunities for planners to promote biodiversity through the four UK planning systems.

It equips readers with a solid foundationof knowledge about the key challenges relating to biodiversityand the current statutory duties and guidance that should be addressed through the planningsystems. It offers practical pointers to support the integration of biodiversity into local policy, practice and individual development schemes through good practice examples. It also contains links to further information.

Local planning authorities (LPAs) can protect and enhance biodiversity in a number of ways:

Adopting an integratedstrategic planning approach to biodiversity in local plansand local nature recovery networks;

Promoting biodiversedevelopments through planning obligations;

Managing local government public assets to enhance biodiversity;

Collaborative working with other LPAs, public bodies and local stakeholders;

Embedding biodiversity evaluation and monitoring;

Establishing robust financial and long-term management arrangements.

This advice is applicable to town planners in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. This is a joint publication with the Partnership for Biodiversity in Planning, a projectfunded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation,involving 19 conservation, planning and development organisations who are workingto promote biodiversity.