Policy KET10 Biodiversity & Green Infrastructure

The Neighbourhood Plan designates the Kettering Green and Blue Infrastructure Network, as shown on the map below.

1. Landscaping schemes must be appropriate for their surroundings and respond to climate change. This includes being drought resistant, harming potential active travel routes, ensuring community safety objectives are considered, the use of appropriately positioned native trees which provide food for wildlife, away from footways and ensuring new tree planting avoids future root damage to pavements and buildings at their maturity.
2. Save for householder applications, development proposals that lie within or adjoining the Network shall have full regard to maintaining and improving its functionality in the design of their layouts, landscaping schemes and any public open space provisions. Proposals that will harm the functionality or connectivity of the Network, will not be supported.
3. New development will also be required to retain trees and hedgerows and to secure opportunities to create connected habitats suitable for species adaption to climate change. Where they are unavoidably lost due to health and safety reasons, replacement trees and hedgerows using native species should be planted. All proposals for development in the Plan area must ensure that any potential impacts upon rare and threatened species and habitats are fully assessed, and that, where necessary, mitigation measures are incorporated to safeguard and protect those species and habitats.
4. Development is strongly encouraged include the provision of wildlife friendly features to improve habitats, such as hedgehog highways, owl, bird and bat boxes. In particular, Swift bricks should be incorporated into all new dwellings and buildings. Redevelopment sites with proven nest sites should avoid the use of scaffolding between nesting periods (late April to early September) or ensure that ingress to the nesting sites are not obscured. 
5. Save for householder applications, development proposals on sites within the Town Centre as defined on the Policies Map, and on sites below 0.5 Ha, are required to maximise the opportunities available for canopy cover, including tree retention and planting or the provision of other green infrastructure (e.g. green roofs, walls and rain gardens). Outside of the defined Town Centre on sites of 0.5 ha or more, shall be required as a minimum to achieve a future canopy cover of 20% of the site area principally through the retention of existing trees and the planting of new native trees. Where it can be demonstrated that this is impracticable, the use of other green infrastructure (e.g. green roofs and walls) can be used where they are capable of offering similar benefits to trees.
6. The following opportunities to enhance biodiversity will be supported, where they conform with the other policies of the development plan:

1. The creation of Pocket Parks which introduce more accessible green spaces into the urban environment enhancing the streetscape, including at Bakehouse Hill and to access Slade Brook at Meadow Road Park
2. The implementation of schemes identified through the North Northants Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
3. The use of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDs) incorporated into the design of the green infrastructure network to mitigate any flooding issues.
4. Deliver the Slade Brook Green Infrastructure corridor project