<p>Natural England’s draft delivery plan for the Thames Basin Heaths special protection area (SPA) has been slammed as “unsound”by the planning inspectorate. Peter Burley, the planning inspector charged with carrying out the assessment for the government office of the south east, said Natural England (NE) had “misapplied the requirements of European and UK legislation,”and accused its findings of being founded on a “weak evidential base.” He added that the 5km development exclusion zone around the SPA was “disproportionate”and it had not given “sufficient weight to other avoidance and mitigation measures.” Burley concluded that an interim mitigation strategy should be introduced. </p> <p>He has recommended that schemes of more than ten homes within 5km of the SPA and all homes within 1km should provide space for recreational activity. He also recommended that the required level of recreational space be reduced from 16ha to 8ha per 1,000 residents. Housebuilders hope this will open the way for a lifting of the moratorium on the construction of new homes in the 5km exclusion zone. HBF director of external affairs John slaughter said: “We would like something to happen [about the moratorium] straight away.” Burley’s report will form part of the examination in public panel’s …