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Habitat Regulations Assessment for Planning Applications If a Likely Significant Effect Cannot Be Dismissed

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Habitat Regulations Assessment for Planning Applications If a Likely Significant Effect Cannot Be Dismissed East Northamptonshire Local Plan Habitats Regulations Assessment East Northamptonshire District Council December 2020 East Northamptonshire Local Plan East Northamptonshire District Council Quality information Prepared by Checked by Verified by Approved by Amelia Kent Dr James Riley CEnv Max Wade CEcol FCIEEM Dr James Riley CEnv Senior Ecologist (ACIEEM) MCIEEM Technical Technical Director MCIEEM Technical Director Director Revision History Revision Revision date Details Authorized Name Position 0 05/10/20 Draft JR James Riley Technical Director 1 15/12/20 Draft JR James Riley Technical Director 2 08/01/20 Final JR James Riley Technical Director Distribution List # Hard Copies PDF Required Association / Company Name Prepared for: East Northamptonshire District Council AECOM East Northamptonshire Local Plan East Northamptonshire District Council Prepared for: East Northamptonshire District Council Prepared by: Amelia Kent Senior Ecologist (ACIEEM) AECOM Limited Midpoint, Alencon Link Basingstoke Hampshire RG21 7PP United Kingdom T: +44(0)1256 310200 aecom.com © 2020 AECOM Limited. All Rights Reserved. This document has been prepared by AECOM Limited (“AECOM”) for sole use of our client (the “Client”) in accordance with generally accepted consultancy principles, the budget for fees and the terms of reference agreed between AECOM and the Client. Any information provided by third parties and referred to herein has not been checked or verified by AECOM, unless otherwise expressly stated in the document. No third party may rely upon this document without the prior and express written agreement of AECOM. Prepared for: East Northamptonshire District Council AECOM East Northamptonshire Local Plan East Northamptonshire District Council Table of Contents 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 5 Background to the Project ....................................................................................................................................... 5 Legislation ............................................................................................................................................................... 5 Report Layout.......................................................................................................................................................... 6 2. Methodology .................................................................................................... 7 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................. 7 A Proportionate Assessment ................................................................................................................................... 7 The Process of HRA ............................................................................................................................................... 8 The Geographic Scope ......................................................................................................................................... 10 The ‘in Combination’ Scope .................................................................................................................................. 11 3. Impact Pathways ........................................................................................... 13 Urbanisation .......................................................................................................................................................... 13 Recreational Pressure ........................................................................................................................................... 14 Functionally Linked Land ...................................................................................................................................... 16 Water Quality and Resources ............................................................................................................................... 17 Atmospheric Pollution (Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition) .................................................................................... 18 4. Test of Likely Significant Effects .................................................................... 20 Introduction to the Plan ......................................................................................................................................... 20 Potential Impacts Associated with Increased Development within East Northamptonshire District ....................... 20 Summary of Test of Likely Significance “Alone” .................................................................................................... 23 Summary of Test of Likely Significant “In-combination” ......................................................................................... 24 5. Appropriate Assessment: Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits SPA/Ramsar site ...................................................................................................................... 26 Disturbance and Recreational pressure ................................................................................................................ 26 Functionally-linked land ......................................................................................................................................... 30 6. Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 36 Appendix A European Sites Background .................................................................. 37 Rutland Water SPA and Ramsar ........................................................................................................................... 37 Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits SPA and Ramsar .................................................................................................. 39 Orton Pit SAC........................................................................................................................................................ 40 Barnack Hills and Holes SAC ................................................................................................................................ 41 Appendix B Policy Screening Table .......................................................................... 42 Tables Table 1: Physical Scope of the HRA ...................................................................................................................... 10 Table 2: Main sources and effects of air pollutants on habitats and species ......................................................... 18 Table 3: Appropriate assessment of other allocated sites regarding recreational pressure and disturbance ........ 28 Table 4: Threshold for determining whether a given land parcel supports a significant population of SPA/Ramsar birds ...................................................................................................................................................................... 31 Table 5: Appropriate assessment of other allocated sites regarding functionally-linked land ................................ 32 Prepared for: East Northamptonshire District Council AECOM East Northamptonshire Local Plan East Northamptonshire District Council 1. Introduction Background to the Project 1.1 AECOM has been appointed by the East Northamptonshire District Council to assist in producing a report to inform the councils Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) of the potential effects of East Northamptonshire Local Plan on the Natura 2000 Network and Ramsar sites. The objectives of the assessment are to: • Identify any aspects of the Local Plan that would cause an adverse effect on the integrity of Natura 2000 sites, otherwise known as European sites (Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs), protected SPAs (pSPAs) and, as a matter of Government policy, Ramsar sites), either alone or in combination with other plans and projects; and • To advise on appropriate policy mechanisms for delivering mitigation where such effects were identified. 1.2 The HRA of the East Northamptonshire Local Plan is required to determine if there are any realistic linking pathways present between a European site and the Local Plan and where Likely Significant Effects cannot be screened out, an analysis to inform Appropriate Assessment to be undertaken to determine if adverse effects on the integrity of the European sites will occur as a result of the Local Plan alone or in combination. Legislation 1.3 The need for HRA is set out within the Conservation of Habitats & Species Regulations 2017 (Box 1). European sites (also called Natura 2000 sites) can be defined as actual or proposed/candidate Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) or Special Protection Areas (SPA). It is also Government policy for sites designated under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar sites) to be treated as having equivalent status to Natura 2000 sites. Box 1: The legislative basis for Appropriate Assessment Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (as amended) The Regulations state that: “A competent authority, before deciding to … give any consent for a plan or project which is likely to have a significant effect on a European site … must make an appropriate assessment of the implications for the plan or project in view of that site’s conservation objectives… The competent authority may agree to
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