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The NPPF sets out the three roles that the planning system should perform in delivering its purpose of achieving sustainable development (para. 7):
- Economic; ensuring that sufficient, appropriate land is available for development to support growth and innovation and to coordinate requirements for developments such as infrastructure;
- Social; providing housing to meet the needs of local communities and creating a favourable environment in which to live, with access to local services;
- Environmental; protecting and enhancing the natural, built and historic environment, including improving biodiversity and addressing issues of waste, pollution and climate change.

It is therefore of the utmost importance that sites allocated for development are selected on the basis that there will be no adverse impacts on existing designated wildlife sites; this includes increased recreational pressure and severance of important wildlife corridors. Currently designated sites do not exist in isolation, and are dependent on viable and functional wildlife corridors that create a permeable landscape and allow the migration and movement of species between areas of high quality habitat.

Essex Wildlife Trust would urge local authority planners to fully integrate the model of Living Landscapes into their strategic plans. This could be achieved through the creation of "green infrastructure" masterplans which aim to enhance linkages between and habitat "buffers" around existing local wildlife sites. Such masterplans should be developed in advance of plans for the built development and their primary focus should be on protecting and enhancing biodiversity.

An important consideration for these areas is that such Living Landscapes are also beneficial to local people and communities and foster a flourishing local economy. This embraces the idea that we should be encouraging people to live in, work in and enjoy their local environment harmoniously. Any substantial development allocated in the green belt should include the generous provision of recreational green space. This serves to reduce human pressure on existing wildlife habitat.

Local authorities in England and Wales have a legal duty to conserve biodiversity. This is recognised and formalised within Section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006, which states:
(1) "Every public body must, in exercising its functions, have regard, so far as is consistent with the proper exercise of those functions, to the purpose of conserving biodiversity"
(3) "Conserving biodiversity includes, in relation to a living organism or type of habitat, restoring or enhancing a population or habitat." (This is significant as it places a duty on all local authorities to conserve wider biodiversity in addition to the statutory protection given to certain sites and species.)

Local authorities also have important obligations in implementing the national Biodiversity Action Plan. This means that a local authority is required to demonstrate that:
* biodiversity conservation and enhancement is appropriately integrated throughout all departmental policies and activities
* all staff, managers and elected members understand how biodiversity issues relate to their own decisions and actions
* it provides sustained support to local biodiversity initiatives, such as Local Biodiversity Action Plans, Biological Records Centres and Local Site systems
* biodiversity, in particular Species and Habitats of Principle Importance, is properly protected and enhanced in line with statutory nature conservation obligations
* it has access to professional ecological expertise and up-to-date biodiversity information
* it reports on progress towards national and local biodiversity targets.

The aim of the biodiversity duty is to raise the profile of biodiversity in England and Wales, so that the conservation of biodiversity becomes properly embedded in all relevant policies and decisions made by public authorities. Planning policies and decisions must reflect and where appropriate promote relevant EU obligations and statutory requirements.