Protecting established wildlife habitats

Relict patches of wildlife habitat are vital for plants and animals in urban areas.

Accordia housing scheme in Cambridge. Photo by Graham Paul Smith

They are often part of remnant countryside left over within towns and cities. It is important to protect wildlife habitat from new development and to take opportunities where possible to connect it to other green infrastructure elements and to ‘green’ the surrounding urban environment. Every development or change within the surrounding landscape at a site scale should be taken as an opportunity to support these existing habitat patches.

Designation of sites valuable to wildlife as local nature reserves or similar with the authority’s Local Development Framework provides protection to these sites and can be worded to appropriately support their enhancement. Such sites should be recognised in both green space strategies and Biodiversity Action Plans and the city scale.

Photo by David Millington Photography

Accordia

The Accordia scheme in Cambridge was able to support and enhance an adjacent brook habitat as part of its development by establishing a strong green infrastructure and landscape strategy as part of the design. The retention of mature trees and woodland formed a crucial part of this strategy alongside sustainable drainage features to support the local water environment.

Read more about Accordia.

Priority: help wildlife adapt to climate change
Tags: green infrastructure, cities and towns