Agenda item

The Special Projects Planner introduced a report that sought agreement to the principle of seeking developer contributions via Section 106 planning obligations for increasing natural habitat at Upton Court Park and other recreation spaces in Slough.

The purpose was to address the Council’s duty under the Habitat Regulations as local planning authority regarding reducing visitor pressure, as a result of new residential development, on sensitive habitat at Burnham Beeches, which was a Special Area of Conservation.  Part of the mitigation strategy could be to create alternative natural or semi natural habitat spaces that could be used for informal recreation.  These alternative spaces would attract visitors that may otherwise have visited Burnham Beeches and increase biodiversity in those locations.  The Council’s parks team had prepared a masterplan for Upton Court Park which included a range of enhancements to make the park more attractive for local recreation and Natural England had agreed this would count as suitable mitigation towards the visitor pressures at Burnham Beeches.  Other open spaces in the town could be considered for similar enhancements in the future.  If approved in principle the Committee would receive a further report on the Supplementary Planning Document.

Members welcomed the principle of improving Slough’s open spaces to mitigate some of the pressures on Burnham Beeches.  The Committee discussed how the charges had been calculated and how works at Upton Court Park and indeed Burnham Beeches were determined.  At the conclusion of the discussion the recommendations were agreed.

Resolved –

(a)  That the principle of seeking developer contributions via Section 106 planning obligations for increasing natural habitat at Upton Court Park and other recreation spaces in Slough is agreed.

(b)  That details of the precise contributions sought are incorporated in, initially, supplementary planning guidance and subsequently in a draft Supplementary Planning Document.