Natural environment evidence
This is the evidence we've collected to date on the environmental needs of the borough.
Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment
The Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment aims to identify all the flood risks in Bury, Rochdale and Oldham.
It was completed in May 2011.
View the Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment
Strategic Flood Risk Assessment
The Strategic Flood Risk Assessment assesses the risk to the borough from flooding. It looks at the impact of land use changes and development in the area will have on flood risk.
Volume I was completed in December 2009 and Volumes II and III were completed in November 2009.
View the Strategic Flood Risk Assessments
Maps of the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment
Due to file sizes, it's not possible to publish the maps on the website.
You can view copies of the maps either:
- In person - by visiting Number One Riverside and asking at reception.
or - By email - strategic.planning@rochdale.gov.uk to request we email the maps to you as pdfs.
Open Space Survey
This is an assessment of open space, sport and recreational facilities in the borough.
The survey considers current and future local open space needs, standards and management. It provides an audit of existing open space and recommends local standards for the quantity, accessibility and quality of open space in the borough. It also identifies areas in deficiency and surplus of different types of open space.
- We're currently completing the Open Space Survey. We aim to publish it by December 2023.
Landscape Capacity Study for Wind Energy Developments
The Landscape Capacity Study for Wind Energy Developments in the South Pennines looks at renewable energy sources in Burnley, Bury, Calderdale, Kirklees, Rochdale and Rossendale.
The study identifies broad areas which may be suitable for wind energy developments. It was completed in January 2014.
View the Landscape Capacity Study for Wind Energy Developments in the South Pennines
Green Infrastructure Action Plans
The Green Infrastructure Action Plans list all the green areas in the borough from one tree in a town centre to large open moorland.
It lists which of these areas need our protection and how we plan to ensure they remain.
View the Green Infrastructure Action Plans
Flood Risk Management Strategy
The Flood Risk Management Strategy identifies how we'll manage flood risk in the borough and list what our responsibilities will be in the event of a flood.
View the Flood Risk Management Strategy
Biodiversity duty
The Mayor of Greater Manchester declared a Climate Emergency in March 2022 supported by the 10 districts of Greater Manchester including Rochdale Borough Council. The declaration recognised the importance of biodiversity to Greater Manchester’s environment, economy and communities. It also recognised what could be done to mitigate threats to and the decline of key biodiversity assets and support wider national and global efforts to safeguard and promote biodiversity now and for future generations. This complemented a previously declared Climate Emergency by Rochdale Borough Council.
Public authorities including local authorities who operate in England must consider what they can do to conserve and enhance biodiversity in England. This is the strengthened ‘biodiversity duty’ that has been introduced by the Environment Act 2021. As a public authority the duty requires that you must:
- Consider what you can do to conserve and enhance biodiversity
- Agree policies and specific objectives based on your consideration
- Act to deliver your policies and achieve your objectives
The council has now completed its first consideration of what action to take for biodiversity to comply with the deadline of 1 January 2024 set out in the 2021 Environment Act.
This first step includes a consideration of relevant plans, strategies and activities, setting out what actions the council currently takes and will take going forward as outlined below.
Consideration of relevant strategies
The following plans and strategies have been considered as part of the initial review of plans and strategies:
- Local Nature Recovery Strategy: the Greater Manchester Local Nature Recovery Strategy is being prepared by Greater Manchester Combined Authority with an expected date of adoption in 2024 and Rochdale is fully engaged in that process. The Council will prepare a local nature recovery delivery plan with associated monitoring to include measures for the delivery of the strategy which will be regularly updated and based on an ongoing scoping exercise of local opportunities working with key stakeholders as appropriate.
- Places for Everyone: the Greater Manchester joint development plan is in its final stages of preparation and subject to its adoption will provide strategic spatial planning policies and proposals to support and facilitate the protection and enhancement of biodiversity including through the development planning process and associated requirements such as biodiversity net gain. The Council continues to support its production and will deliver its objectives and policies.
- The Core Strategy for Rochdale was adopted in 2016 and is the lead document in the borough’s Local Plan. It sets out the Council’s spatial planning policies and allocations for growth, regeneration and the protection and enhancement of the borough’s environment including its biodiversity. Work will commence in early 2024 on a new Local Plan to provide an up to date plan with a suite of spatial planning policies and proposals including those to conserve and increase biodiversity across the borough. This will include policies to support the delivery of Biodiversity Net Gain and the provision of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspaces where appropriate.
- Climate Change Strategy and Delivery Plan: The strategy was adopted in 2022 and sets out the objectives and actions to help ensure that the borough tackles the challenges of climate change and becomes more climate resilient to current and future impacts on people and places. The delivery plan for the strategy includes a variety of activities for the natural environment including increasing the borough’s woodland cover and improving existing woodland management to deliver the Pennine Edge Forest working with the Forestry Commission, City of Trees and local landowners. A scoping exercise is underway for completion by Spring 2024 to identify biodiversity conservation and enhancement measures that each Council service area will commit to deliver as a land and asset manager, customer or service provider.
- Rochdale Borough’s Strategy for Flood Risk Management 2014–2024 sets out the objectives and proposals for the Lead Local Flood Authority to fulfil its statutory role and to increase flood resilience in the borough. The strategy will be reviewed and updated in 2024 and updated proposals for nature based solutions that protect and enhance biodiversity as well as helping to manage water and reduce flood risk will be included.
Consideration of Actions to further conserve and enhance biodiversity
- Actions as a Local Authority
- Assess the impact of all actions across all services for their impact on the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity and seek to maximise and sustain positive biodiversity impact where practical.
- Work with Greater Manchester Ecology Unit to review and monitor key biodiversity data for Rochdale.
- Actions through Regulation
- Implementation of Biodiversity Net Gain (minimum 10% requirement) in accordance with national guidance and regulation. The Council will deliver this and wider requirements to conserve and enhance biodiversity through the preparation and delivery of planning policy including as part of a new Local Plan, the Places for Everyone joint development plan and national policy and the assessment of planning proposals.
- Ensure that opportunities to conserve and enhance biodiversity through integrated water management are identified and delivered through the Council’s role as a Lead Local Flood Authority working with developers, riparian and land owners to deliver nature based solutions such as Natural Flood Management, green sustainable urban drainage systems, and at a property and community scale, measures such as rain gardens and other water management and conservation measures.
- Actions as a landowner
- Management of parks and open space to promote conservation and enhancement of biodiversity wherever compatible with other objectives for land use.
- Operate maintenance regimes that promotes biodiversity and continue to identify new opportunities to adapt maintenance regimes
- Manage and maintain Sites of Biological Importance and encourage good management of those in private ownership
- Promote urban biodiversity and maintain and enhance biodiversity close to where people live to encourage greater participation in and enjoyment of the natural environment.
- Consult communities to identify new opportunities to enhance biodiversity
- Upskill volunteers to support the management of sites for wildlife through accredited training including through the Council’s Green Volunteers programme.
- Continue to manage existing Local Nature reserves and identify additional opportunities for the enhancement and enjoyment of biodiversity.
- Continue to carry out baseline species and habitat surveys for monitoring purposes at key sites
- Working in partnership with other stakeholders
- Ensuring partnerships in which the council is engaged promote conservation and enhancement of biodiversity through their work, wherever appropriate
- Support regional, Greater Manchester and local partnerships that promote and facilitate investment in and delivery of biodiversity including the dissemination of good practice to encourage innovation. This includes Greater Manchester working groups associated with local nature recovery, spatial planning, integrated water management and flood risk management, climate resilience and green infrastructure, the North West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, Irwell Catchment Partnership and working groups to promote wider biodiversity management and enhancement in the wider South Pennines.
- Deliver projects and programmes to invest in improved green infrastructure, trees and woodlands, water and flood risk management working with the Environment Agency, Natural England, Forestry Commission, United Utilities, City of Trees and others. Projects include the River Roch Flood Alleviation Scheme, Resilient Roch (Flood and Coastal Resilience and Innovation Programme), Pennine Edge Forest.
- Working with landowners to encourage and facilitate biodiversity informed management of land including Sites of Biological Importance, creation of new habitats, nature based solutions for flood risk management, creation of ponds to support Great Crested newt populations through District Level Licencing, Biodiversity Net Gain and provision of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspaces.
- Work with schools, local residents, community interests and businesses to increase participation in biodiversity delivery, management and associated monitoring and citizen science.