HRA Assessment – Quantech Systems Ltd
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MAGIC software – HRA assessment – Quantech Systems Ltd. http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/MAGICMap.aspx The following document has been prepared for the Hade Edge Fight for the Fields (HEFF) committee to extrapolate and present data from Natural England’s software portal, ‘MAGIC’. The contents presented are acknowledged to come entirely from the MAGIC software portal and relies on the accuracy of the data therein. Quantech Systems can accept no responsibility for the accuracy of the data other than as described by the owners of MAGIC and Natural England who have collated the data from many disparate sources. The sections below relate to the information provided through the MAGIC portal. What is MAGIC? The MAGIC website provides authoritative geographic information about the natural environment from across government. The information covers rural, urban, coastal and marine environments across Great Britain. It is presented in an interactive map which can be explored using various mapping tools that are included. Natural England manages the service under the direction of a steering group who represent the MAGIC partnership organisations. The software portal can be found at www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/ Contact Details For support: [email protected] To provide feedback: [email protected] To speak to Natural England enquiries: Telephone 0300 060 3900 MAGIC Service Manager Natural England 3rd Floor Lateral House 8 City Walk Leeds LS11 9AT Report prepared 09/12/2016 by Quantech Systems Limited, UK, on behalf of Hade Edge Fight for the Fields (‘HEFF’) (Quantech Systems Limited, 11 Abbey Close, Hade Edge, Holmfirth, HD9 2DD. Company registered in England, No. 3423790. Tel: 01484 688861) Page 1 of 24 MAGIC software – HRA assessment – Quantech Systems Ltd. http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/MAGICMap.aspx Introduction: Hade Edge is a small village to the South of Holmfirth and South-East of Hepworth in West Yorkshire, England. It is in the parish of Holme Valley and the metropolitan borough of Kirklees. Although it started as a fairly small hamlet, it grew through the 1980s and 1990s with new housing, and the proposal by Jones Homes of Yorkshire plans to extend the current 175 dwellings by approximately 40% (an additional 66 dwellings). Hade Edge Fight for the Fields (HEFF) is a group of Hade Edge residents, all of whom are concerned about the proposals in the Draft Local Plan (‘DLP’) regarding sites H288A, SL2170A, and SL2170B. HEFF have requested help with analysing the understandably large amounts of data that are available to both the public, and to Kirklees Planning Departments (‘LPA’) when evaluating planning applications. In the absence of detailed HRA assessment material from the developer or local council in relation to sites H288a, SL2170a and SL2170b, the purpose of this report is to undertake a brief assessment of local landscape, habitats and species, and consider the potential for any adverse effects thereon that may need further consideration by Kirklees LPA. The report has been prepared on a ‘best endeavours’ basis by a specialist software consultancy using data from Natural England and their partners. This report does not attempt to provide analysis of visual characteristics which may arise as a result of any proposed development; these are covered elsewhere in specific relation to the planning application. Quantech Systems, as a software and hardware consultancy company have offered to help in collating the disparate sources of data to help identify areas that HEFF felt deserve to be considered as part of the Kirklees Local Plan, and also particularly in relation to the Jones Homes planning proposal (Application number 2016/60/91967/W) Page 2 of 24 MAGIC software – HRA assessment – Quantech Systems Ltd. http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/MAGICMap.aspx 1. It is felt by HEFF that the impact of any development on Peak District Moors (South Pennine Moors Phase 1) (SPA), the South Pennine Moors Special Area of Conservation (SAC), and the Dark Peak Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is not being taken fully into account. This is understandable given the fact that these areas cross into bordering Parishes, Wards and even counties; Hade Edge is unique in that its location is in the furthest South-West corner of the Kirklees boundary. To illustrate why HEFF feel the location is not being given due consideration, information has been drawn from Kirklees own ‘Spectrum’ interactive map for the area, and shows that the area to the immediate South of Hade Edge does not appear to be taken into. These areas fall immediately outside Kirklees boundary, but the importance of this land also needs to be considered in any planning decision. The local plan would not be sound if planning decisions for sites H288a, SL2170a and SL2170b are made without taking full account of the impact on the immediately adjacent SPA, SAC and SSSI sites so close to H288a. Page 3 of 24 MAGIC software – HRA assessment – Quantech Systems Ltd. http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/MAGICMap.aspx 2. MAGIC Overlay showing the Peak Park boundary ( highlig hted yellow fade border), land subject to C ountryside and R ight s of Way Act (light yellow fill) ‘Kirklees Way’ (red diamond) and National Cycle Network (green Dot). Site H288a is highlighted red toward centre of image and clearly falls within 1km of these areas of international importance. Page 4 of 24 MAGIC software – HRA assessment – Quantech Systems Ltd. http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/MAGICMap.aspx 3. MAGIC overlays showing location and distance to Parish and Ward boundaries of Kirklees and Barnsley. Hade Edge is approx. 1km from the administrative boundary of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, and so the standard distance used for ‘zone of influence’ will extend beyond the administrative boundary of Kirklees and into the Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Special Protection Area (SPA) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Failure to include these sites in planning decisions would be to make the local plan unsound. As some of the sites are of international importance and covered by European law, it also suggests that decisions made without due consideration of the surrounding areas could be questionably not legal. Natural England stated in their comments to Kirklees' HRA, that their approach should adopt a 2.5 km buffer zone and not 2km as previously used. Natural England also stated that to not undertake Appropriate Assessments at the planning stage and then at the application stage to find that the site cannot be delivered without adverse effects, would make the Local Plan unsound. Page 5 of 24 MAGIC software – HRA assessment – Quantech Systems Ltd. http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/MAGICMap.aspx 4. Zone of influence. The image below shows 1km and 2.5km zone s of influence that should be taken into account when considering planning application number 2016/60/91967/W. These can clearly be seen to extend into areas that are not covered by KMC Spectrum software, but which will need to be taken into account when making informed planning decisions concerning Hade Edge, due to its unique location so close to protected areas. Kirklees borders here with Barnsley Council whose HRA identified the risk of potentially negative effects on protected sites from proposed housing allocations within 2 km buffer zone; concluding further assessment required. Therefore in-combination effects with Kirklees Council Local Plan proposed allocation for H288a are possible. Page 6 of 24 MAGIC software – HRA assessment – Quantech Systems Ltd. http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/MAGICMap.aspx 5. MAGIC overlay showing highlighted areas for SSSI, SPA and SAC areas. Hade Edge can be seen to be within 1km of protected areas that fall outside the Kirklees parish boundary, and into adjoining LPA areas. These regions have to be taken into account during the planning process due to the national requirement for cross-boundary cooperation in such locations. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes it clear that there should be cooperation between councils, and it is understood that this lack of engagement was one of the factors given for rejection of the original draft Kirklees Local Plan. Page 7 of 24 MAGIC software – HRA assessment – Quantech Systems Ltd. http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/MAGICMap.aspx Page 8 of 24 MAGIC software – HRA assessment – Quantech Systems Ltd. http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/MAGICMap.aspx 6. There are further important areas identified within the Defra/Rural England datasets for ‘valuable heathland ’. The Priority Habitats’ Inventory (PHI) project began in April 2012 and combines the existing individual BAP habitat inventories into one national polygon layer; this is presented below, and again clearly shows the close proximity of Hade Edge to these areas (highlighted green below). Also highlighted below are the ‘SSSI Impact Risk Zone of influence’ contours, clearly showing that Hade Edge falls between 1km and 1.5km of the influencing zone for the SSSI/SPA/SAC areas mentioned on previous slide. Development site in red. Page 9 of 24 MAGIC software – HRA assessment – Quantech Systems Ltd. http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/MAGICMap.aspx 7. Within 1 km North -East of Hade Edge, there is significant ancient woodland area of Moreton Woods – the whole of this valuable and important area of woods is within a 2.5km zone of influence, and is a likely source for bats that make use of the site H288a in the summer months. Page 10 of 24 MAGIC software – HRA assessment – Quantech Systems Ltd. http://www.natureonthemap.naturalengland.org.uk/MAGICMap.aspx 8. The most important sites for bird s ar e known as ‘Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas ’ (IBAs). The IBA Programme of BirdLife International is a worldwide initiative aimed at identifying and protecting a network of sites, critical for the conservation of the world's birds.