Dorset Council (Crossways area): Matt Annen has recently secured his first consent involving Nitrate mitigation to sever a large plot and erect a new detached dwelling with associated access and
parking. The scheme was designed by Brian Nicholls Architects Ltd.
Following discussions with the planning officer a previous application was withdrawn and this revised application submitted in early March this year. We did this as there were issues with the previous scheme which couldn’t be overcome but also more importantly, it was crucial that we had to submit an application before April to avoid the need to comply with the recently introduced BNG legislation.
On review of the application the appointed planning officer considered that the amount of development and the layout has been driven by the space available on the site and the need to respect the character and appearance of the Road, as well as avoiding harm to the amenities of neighbouring properties. The officer agreed that the scheme provided a high quality bungalow within a locality which has seen a significant amount of urban intensification within recent years.
In order to avoid an adverse effect upon the integrity of the Poole Harbour SPA and Ramsar from water quality impacts, the proposed development was required to provide nitrogen mitigation. Pure Town Planning provided an estimate of the additional nitrogen loading which will result from the proposed
development, using the calculator tool provided by Natural England. Dorset Council reviewed the calculator submission and agree that the proposed development will result in the discharge of 3.41kgTN/yr within the Poole Harbour catchment. Ourselves on behalf of the applicants indicated that the proposed development will deliver mitigation to achieve nitrogen neutrality mitigation by purchasing credits from Natural England associated with their project at the Lyscombe Farm.
Natural England purchased 335ha of chalk downland and farmland at Lyscombe Farm in early 2024 for the purposes of nature conservation and environmental restoration. The change in land use and management practices at Lyscombe Farm will reduce nutrient inputs within the Poole Harbour catchment, providing credits for applicants for planning permission to use as mitigation. The purchasing of sufficient credits from Lyscombe Farm will ensure that the effect from the additional nitrogen loading from the proposed development is addressed. A pre-commencement condition has been applied to the planning permission for the proposed development to ensure that the correct number of credits are purchased prior to the works starting.
If you have a scheme in Dorset which has been caught by the requirement to provide Nitrogen Mitigation, then why not call a firm who has successfully navigated what can be a rather complicated process! Contact Pure Town Planning on 01202 585524 or email info@puretownplanning.co.uk to see how we can help you.