This new guidance has been prepared by the Planning and Development Service and will aid applicants and their agents when considering development in relation to their responsibilities towards statutorily protected species. The detailed guidance sets out the key species to be aware of, the varying levels of protection afforded to them and how they should be dealt with in a development proposal so as to avoid breaking the law and to further the conservation of biodiversity. The guidance will be adopted as Supplementary Guidance to the forthcoming Highland wide Local Development Plan.
Highland's Protected Species Supplementary Guidance (pdf, 740 kb)
Strategic Environmental Assessment
As with all Plans, Policies and Strategies the Council produces, the supplementary guidance has been subject to a Strategic Environmental Assessment to assess the level of significance of any environmental impacts. The SEA work to date can be found below:
SEA Screening (pdf, 63 kb)
Determination Notice (pdf, 12 kb)
The consultation on this draft supplementary guidance began on the 6th July 2011 and ended on the 17th August 2011.
If you have any questions regarding the guidance please contact Jonathan Willet at jonathan.willet@highland.gov.uk or on 01463 702274.