Lowland heath
Heathlands form some of the wildest landscapes in the lowlands, where agriculture and development jostle for space, containing and limiting natural processes. Once considered as waste land of…
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Chwilio
Mitigation and Compensation
When wildlife could be harmed by development, local planning authorities should follow a step-wise approach to reduce that harm, known as the ‘mitigation hierarchy’. This is required in National Planning Policy.
Net Benefit for Biodiversity
A net benefit means that a development should leave biodiversity and ecosystems in a better state than before. This should ideally be provided by improving and creating habitats on site, and maintaining them in the long term.
Running a local campaign
If there is a development that significantly threatens wildlife, you may want to raise awareness and support by running a local campaign. Such campaigns can serve several purposes, such as encouraging more people to respond to the planning application and showing the level of concern to the developer and the planning authority.
Place plan
A Place Plan is a document that sets out local level planning guidance. It sits below a Local Development Plan (LDP), linking to the LDP policies, and other local plans. They are usually written by local people or town or community councils and can be adopted by a local planning authority as Supplementary Planning Guidance.
My motivation
I’m Libby, and I’m currently completing a research development internship in sustainable aquaculture (basically farming in water) at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in Oban. In…
Blue jellyfish
Often confused with the larger but similarly shaped lion’s mane jellyfish, the blue jellyfish can be colourless when young and develop a striking blue-purple bell as it matures.
Giant horntail
With yellow-and-black bands, the giant horntail looks like a large wasp, but is harmless to us. The female uses her long, stinger-like ovipositor to lay eggs in pine trees, where the larvae then…
Speaking at Planning Committee
Larger and more complex developments are usually decided by the planning committee. Each local planning authority will have its own rules as to which applications will be decided by the planning committee (called the scheme of delegation). You can find out if an application is going to be decided by committee by looking at the application information or by asking the case officer.
Pembroke Upper Mill Pond
A beautiful pond with developing reed bed, fen and carr, adjoining woodland.
Llanerch Alder Carr
This Alder carr remnant has developed over the deep, poorly drained peaty soils of the valley floor and is a good example of a once much more widespread woodland type, that existed on poorly…
My research
Throughout my internship, I am contributing to marine conservation by assisting with marine mammal research in Cardigan Bay, collecting data on marine mammals from land and boat-based surveys, and…