What is SANG?
In essence, Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (‘SANG’) is land which is made available and managed in perpetuity to allow recreational walking by members of the public, including dog owners, as an alternative amenity to visiting land designated as part of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (‘TBHSPA’), of which parts of Hart district are designated. The TBHSPA is afforded national and European protection due to its importance to rare and protected ground nesting birds. Use of the TBHSPA by walkers and their dogs can cause harm to the protected area and to the ground-based nests (and eggs) of protected birds, hence Natural England’s desire to increase the amount of SANG in the Thames Basin Heaths so that walkers have an alternative environment. SANG is not just ‘open space’, they must be designed and managed in accordance with detailed guidance produced by Natural England so that approved sites replicate the TBHSPA in order to attract and persuade users not to travel to the protected SPA. The larger the SANG the greater mitigation they provide for new housing and new occupants in an area.