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The Cotswold Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation

New developments in Cheltenham borough have the potential to affect internationally important biodiversity sites, in particular the protected Cotswold Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

 

The Cotswold Beechwoods SAC is mainly designated for its woodland flora and is very popular with visitors. The SAC sits within Stroud district, Tewkesbury borough and Cotswold district. It’s owned and managed by a number of owners.

 

Unfortunately, sites such as this are being damaged by visitors, for example walking, biking or exercising their dogs. That damage is likely to increase as more houses and holiday accommodation are built, leading to more visitors. It is crucial that ways are found to prevent and mitigate this damage.

Cheltenham Borough Council has a legal duty to assess the impact of planning applications on the SAC. We have worked with other local authorities and Natural England to prepare a recreation mitigation strategy for the SAC.

Planning applications

If you’re applying for anything that involves additional overnight accommodation such as dwellings, hotels and HMOs for example, you will need to pay a contribution to offset the impact of your development. This money will be used to help pay for mitigation measures for the SAC. 

Mitigation measures

Mitigation measures comprise:

  • SAMM (Strategic Access Management and Monitoring)
  • Off-site infrastructure including SANG (Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace

These two approaches complement each other.

SAMM measures address recreation impacts and make the SAC more resilient to any increased recreation. SAMM measures generally include: 

  • dedicated staff
  • signs and interpretation
  • education and awareness raising
  • parking and travel related measures
  • monitoring

SANG is created, or existing green spaces enhanced, to absorb the level of additional recreation pressure associated with new development. Some projects should be delivered directly by developers through on-site provision.

How to make a financial contribution

The simplest way to make a financial contribution is to use a Unilateral Undertaking S106 form, which states that the applicant will pay the council the relevant sum for each unit of accommodation plus an admin fee.

Short form - mitigation fee to be paid prior to determination 

Use this form to make payment of mitigation fee prior to determination of application.

 Planning application

Document Icon Unilateral Undertaking S106 Short Form 1 - docx - 33 Kb

Planning permission already granted under GPDO, regulation 77 approval application

Document Icon Unilateral Undertaking S106 Short Form 2 - docx - 33 Kb

Long form - mitigation fee to be paid prior to commencement of development

Use this form to defer payment of the mitigation contribution until commencement of development. You will need to notify us of commencement of development.

Planning application

Document Icon Unilateral Undertaking S106 Long Form 1 - docx - 38 Kb

Planning permission already granted under GPDO, regulation 77 approval application

Document Icon Unilateral Undertaking S106 Long Form 2 - docx - 39 Kb

Notes on completing the unilateral undertaking form

Please complete the Unliateral Undertaking form and submit this with your application, together with landownership evidence of signatories and the relevant legal and monitoring fees. You can pay the legal and monitoring fees online.

  • Please do not date the form. The Unilateral Undertaking will be dated once we have checked the draft and obtained confirmation in respect of landownership
  • Please ensure a plan of the application site edged red is attached
  • Please ensure signatories sign both the plan of the site and the signatures page
  • Please ensure if the signatories are individuals that their signatures on the signatures pages are witnessed by someone who is not a family member. It is not necessary for signatures on the plan to be witnessed

Please contact your case officer for more information.

Fees

The following fees are applicable for valid applications submitted on or after 1 April 2026

Fees applicable for payment of mitigation prior to determination of the application (up-front payment)

  • Admin / Legal Fee: £143.35 (per agreement)
  • Strategic Access Management and Monitoring (SAMM): £221.33 (per dwelling)
  • Suitable Alternative Natural Green Space (SANG): £550.46 (per dwelling)

Fees applicable for payment of mitigation prior to commencement of development (deferred payment)

  • Admin / Legal Fee: £355.51 (per agreement)
  • Monitoring Fee: £229.36 (per dwelling)
  • Strategic Access Management and Monitoring (SAMM): £221.33 (per dwelling)
  • Suitable Alternative Natural Green Space (SANG): £550.46 (per dwelling)

Please notify our planning research and monitoring officer by emailing [email protected] once you have made this payment. This will ensure your payment is verified and discharged.

Pay mitigation contribution online

Related Pages

© Cheltenham Borough Council 2026