Reptile Strategy Supplementary Planning Document

Background

Under the Biodiversity Duty (Section 40, Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006), the Council has a legal duty to have regard to conserving biodiversity in all aspects of policy or decision making. The adopted Ipswich Local Plan sets out policies to protect and enhance biodiversity (policies CS4, DM31) and allocates sites for development.

Some of the sites that are earmarked for development provide habitat for reptiles, which are also protected species. Where harm to reptiles cannot be avoided during the development of a site, translocation of these reptiles to an appropriate and safe receptor site is necessary.

The Reptile Strategy Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) provides a planned approach to translocation by identifying potential receptor sites in advance and developing a clear delivery strategy including ongoing monitoring and site management. This is essential to support needed housing delivery in the borough and to protect existing reptile populations.

Previous Consultation

In 2015, and then again in 2017, the Council undertook a ‘call for ideas’ public consultation on the scope and context of the Reptile Strategy SPD. These consultations ran from 2 July to 17 August 2015 and 14 June to 26 July 2017.

This was followed by public consultation on the draft Reptile Strategy SPD which ran for eight weeks between 31 July and 25 September 2020. The comments the Council received are reproduced in the Consultation Statement together with the officer’s response indicating how the points raised have been addressed through the SPD.

The Reptile Strategy SPD was formally adopted by Ipswich Borough Council on the 28th July 2021 at a meeting of Full Council.