HRA Screening Statement
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Elstead & Weyburn Neighbourhood Plan Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) Screening Statement – Determination under Regulation 105 & 106 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 September 2019 Prepared by Introduction 1.1. This Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) screening determination has been undertaken by Base Planning and Design Ltd on behalf of Waverley Borough Council in their duty to determine whether the Elstead & Weyburn Neighbourhood Plan requires an Appropriate Assessment. This screening assessment is based on the draft Regulation 14 Neighbourhood Plan dated July 2018 and letter to the Council dated 5th April 2019. 1.2. In accordance with Article 6 of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and Regulation 105 of the Conservation of Habitats & Species Regulations 2017, the Borough Council is the competent authority for determining if a plan requires Appropriate Assessment. Background to the Elstead & Weyburn Neighbourhood Plan 1.3. The Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations (2012) make provision for Parish Councils or Neighbourhood Forums to prepare Neighbourhood Plans. Whilst not forming part of a local authority’s Local Plan, Neighbourhood Plans do form part of the Development Plan for an area as set out in Section 38 of the Planning & Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended). As such, Neighbourhood Plans are a material consideration in taking planning decisions and can contain policies on a range of issues including the allocation of sites/land for development. 1.4. The proposed Elstead Neighbourhood Plan covers all of the area within the jurisdiction of Elstead Parish Council and a small area of Peper Harow Parish comprising the former Weyburn Works site, the Tanshire business site and the adjacent land to the west of the Shackleford Road and to the south of the River Wey. These areas lie just to the west of Godalming and south east of Farnham in Surrey. The plan area contains the village of Elstead and is predominantly rural, characterised by agricultural field patterns, small wooded copses and commons. A plan of the designated area is shown in Plan 1-1. Elstead & Weyburn Neighbourhood Plan – Screening Determination under Regulation 1 105 & 106 of the Conservation of Habitats & Species Regulations 2017 September 2019 Plan 1-1: Map of the Designated Area for the Elstead & Weyburn Neighbourhood Plan 1.5. There are around 13 areas of woodland/copses designated as ancient/semi-natural or ancient replanted woodland which are also identified as priority habitat as well as swathes of woodpasture and parkland which is a national Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) designation. Priority habitat designations also include areas of lowland fens and lowland heathland. There are three SSSIs located in the Neighbourhood Plan area, Thursley, Hankley & Frensham Commons SSSI, Hankley Farm SSSI and Charleshill SSSI. The Thursley, Hankley & Frensham Commons SSSI also forms the Thursley, Hankley & Frensham Commons SPA and part of the Thursley, Ash, Elstead & Weyburn Neighbourhood Plan – Screening Determination under Regulation 2 105 & 106 of the Conservation of Habitats & Species Regulations 2017 September 2019 Pirbright and Chobham Special Area of Conservation (SAC), the Wealden Heaths Phase I Special Protection Area and the Thursley & Ockley Bogs Ramsar, internationally designated sites for nature conservation. 1.6. The Thursley, Hankley & Frensham Commons SSSI covers some 1,878ha with 99.89% in favourable or unfavourable recovering status which meets the PSA target of 95% in favourable or unfavourable recovering status. Of the 39 units, units 9, 11, 12, 13, 21, 32 and 40 lie within or partly within the Neighbourhood Plan area and all of these make up part of the Thursley, Ash, Pirbright & Chobham SAC and Wealden Heaths Phase I SPA with Units 21, 32 and 40 also forming part of the Thursley & Ockley Bogs Ramsar. All units in the Neighbourhood Plan area are in a favourable or unfavourable recovering status. 1.7. The single unit of the Hankley Farm SSSI is in a favourable condition as is the single unit at Charleshill SSSI. 1.8. The Puttenham and Crooksbury Biodiversity Opportunity Area (BOA) and the Thursley, Hankley & Frensham Heaths BOA also lie within the Neighbourhood Plan area and are typified by planted wooded commons and contiguous heaths and commons. The Neighbourhood Plan area also lies within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). 1.9. The Neighbourhood Plan area also lies within 2.1km of the Wealden Heaths Phase II SPA, 5.8km of the Thames Basin Heaths SPA and 8.7km from East Hampshire Hangers SAC. 1.10. The draft Elstead & Weyburn Neighbourhood Draft Plan dated July 2018 sets out the vision for the Neighbourhood Plan area which is:- 1.11. ‘Elstead and Weyburn is situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty surrounded by common land hosting rare and protected species. By 2034 we will have preserved our unique rural character and retained our vibrant community spirit. It will remain a pleasant and attractive place to live, work and play, providing improved facilities and enhanced infrastructure that meet the needs of all residents, businesses and visitors.’ 1.12 The draft neighbourhood plan also contains 29 objectives under the headings Homes & Community Facilities, Environment, Heritage & Recreation, Local Employment & Business Support as well as Getting Around Transport & Utilities. Of note are the following objectives: - To designate sites appropriate for new, well-designed homes, within and adjacent to the current settlement area – sufficient to meet the requirements of the Local Plan. To ensure that areas of land dedicated for public access and protected by law and environmental regulations remain available for public use for recreation and secured from damage to wildlife habitats. This includes The Commons, Surrey Hills AONB, the Village Greens and Conservation Areas… To protect and enhance the rural identity of the area around the Weyburn site, ensuring that its rich and diverse wildlife is protected by maintaining the integrity of the 400m Buffer Zone for the Special Protection Area. To improve cycle routes within the village and connect the village and Weyburn with wider cycle route networks. To improve the availability, reliability and accessibility of public transport including links to local rail stations. Elstead & Weyburn Neighbourhood Plan – Screening Determination under Regulation 3 105 & 106 of the Conservation of Habitats & Species Regulations 2017 September 2019 1.13 The Elstead & Weyburn Draft Neighbourhood Plan dated July 2018 contains a total of 21 policies. Policy HC3 gives support for sites which will be allocated in the Waverley Local Plan Part 2 and does not in itself allocate sites. However, a letter dated 5th April 2019 from Elstead Parish Council indicates that the plan will be designating Green Belt and settlement boundaries along with site allocations. The letter postdates the date of the draft Neighbourhood Plan and should be seen as a ‘direction of travel’ to allocate sites in an updated Plan. 1.14 The adopted Waverley Part 1 Local Plan contains the following objective: ‘To protect and enhance Waverley’s biodiversity, including its wildlife species and their habitats, both on designated sites such as the Thames Basin Heaths and Wealden Heaths (Phases 1 and 2) Special Protection Areas’ 1.15 The Spatial Strategy of the Part 1 Local Plan allows for moderate levels of development in and around large villages which includes Elstead, with village boundaries reviewed in the Part 2 Local Plan or Neighbourhood Plans. The Part 1 Local Plan sets a housing requirement over the Plan period (2013-2032) of 11,210 dwellings and removes the Green Belt wash from Elstead village. The Part 1 Local Plan allocates 160 dwellings to the Elstead and Weyburn Neighbourhood Plan area but does not allocate specific sites, leaving this to the Part 2 Local Plan or Neighbourhood Plan. 1.16 The Part 1 Local Plan also contains a number of other general policies covering design, transport and protection of the natural and historic environments and these have been taken into account in the Draft Neighbourhood Plan. 1.17 The Part 2 Local Plan is currently at the preferred options stage of preparation. Annex 3 of the Part 2 Local Plan Preferred Options proposes to allocate 3 sites to the village of Elstead, 2 of which, Land to the rear of the Croft and Sunray Farm are supported in Policy HC3 of the draft Neighbourhood Plan as it currently stands. The Part 2 Local Plan proposes 47 dwellings at these sites. The Part 2 Local Plan also proposes a site for 20 dwellings at Land at Four Trees which is not included in the draft Neighbourhood Plan but could come forward given the intention in the letter dated 5th April 2019 to allocate sites and settlement boundaries. 1.18 The Part 1 Local Plan has been the subject of Sustainability Appraisal (including the requirements for Strategic Environmental Assessment) as well as Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA). 1.19 The HRA accompanying the adopted Part 1 Local Plan identifies a number of potential impact pathways including urbanisation, recreational pressure, atmospheric pollution, water abstraction and water quality to the following European Sites: - Wealden Heaths Phase I (Thursley, Hankley & Frensham Commons SPA, Thursley, Ash, Pirbright & Chobham SAC and Thursley & Ockley Bogs Ramsar) - Thames Basin Heaths SPA - Wealden Heaths Phase II 1.20 The Part 1 Local Plan HRA also considers a number of European sites which sit outside of