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For Residential Development Upon the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area

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For Residential Development Upon the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area Impact Avoidance Strategy (including local and strategic measures) for Residential Development upon the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area April 2010 Wokingham BC – TBH SPA Impact Avoidance Strategy (Apr 2010) Contents 1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 1 Map 1.1: Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area and locations requiring mitigation ........................................................................................... 2 Map 1.2: Location of Impact Avoidance Zones in Wokingham Borough .......... 3 2 Legislative Background ............................................................................. 4 Stage 1 Test ................................................................................................. 4 Potential impacts of development upon the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area ......................................................................................... 4 Information regarding recreational use of the Special Protection Area ..... 5 Research Report - Visitor Access Patterns on the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area ............................................................................ 5 Implications of population change around the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area ............................................................................ 5 Conclusions on stage 1 test ...................................................................... 6 Stage 2 Test ................................................................................................. 6 Why the Council is preparing a Strategy ................................................... 6 3. The Solution .............................................................................................. 7 Thames Basin Heaths Joint Strategic Partnership Board ............................. 8 Research Report - The Quality of Green Space features that attract people to open spaces in the Thames Basin Heaths area ....................................... 8 Conclusion.................................................................................................... 9 4 Options for a SANG within Wokingham Borough ...................................... 9 Map 4.1 – Location of proposed SANG at Rooks Nest Farm, Barkham Ride, Finchampstead .............................................................................................. 11 5 SANG at Rooks Nest Farm, Barkham Ride, Finchampstead North ........ 12 Table 5.1: Cost of delivering a SANG at Rooks Nest Farm, Barkham Ride ................................................................................................................ 12 Map 5.1 – 4km zone around Rooks Nest Farm SANG .................................. 13 Calculation of a Tariff for Financial Contributions ....................................... 14 6 Extent proposed SANG will address impacts. ......................................... 14 Distances from closest SSSI in the SPA to the proposed Rooks Nest Farm SANG ............................................................................................ 14 7 Strategic SPA-wide access management and monitoring ...................... 15 Table 7.1 – Summary financial calculations for delivering strategic access management and monitoring .................................................................. 15 8 Implementing the Interim Avoidance Strategy ........................................ 16 9 Reviewing the Interim Avoidance Strategy ............................................. 17 Appendix 1 – Information on the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area ............................................................................................................... 18 Qualifying Features and conditions ......................................................... 18 Table A1.1: Urban Effects on Lowland Heaths and their Wildlife. ........... 19 Conservation Objectives ......................................................................... 20 Activities likely to cause harm to sites condition ..................................... 22 Significance of impacts of development upon the SPA ........................... 22 Conclusions on recreational impacts of residential development upon the Thames Basin Heaths SPA .................................................................... 25 i Wokingham BC – TBH SPA Impact Avoidance Strategy (Apr 2010) Appendix 2 - Development proposed within the authorities surrounding the Thames Basin Heaths SPA ........................................................................... 26 Appendix 3 – Natural England’s SANG quality standards .............................. 27 Appendix 3A: Site Quality Checklist – for a suite of SANGS ..................... 32 Appendix 3B: Site Quality Checklist – for an individual SANGS ................ 34 Appendix 3C: Background ......................................................................... 36 Appendix 3C: Background ......................................................................... 36 Appendix 4 – Details of how proposed SANG comply with Natural England Site quality checklist ....................................................................................... 37 Appendix 5 – Details of the Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Project ............................................................................................................ 40 Appendix 5A – Further detail on the cost of delivering the Access Management and Monitoring Service ......................................................... 42 Appendix 6 – Potential Section 106 Agreement regarding the delivery of either Simons Wood or Rooks Nest Farm SANG .................................................... 43 ii Wokingham BC – TBH SPA Impact Avoidance Strategy (Apr 2010) 1 Introduction 1.1 The Thames Basin Heath Special Protection Area (the SPA) was designated by the Secretary of State on 9 March 2005 under the Wild Birds Directive (79/409/EEC)1 (the Birds Directive). The SPA comprises an area of lowland heath and woodland and is a habitat protected under UK and European law supporting a characteristic landscape and distinctive flora and fauna under threat and in decline. It is referred to as a "European Site" in The Conservation (Natural Habitats & c) Regulations 19942 (the 1994 Regulations) (see below at 2.1). 1.2 The SPA extends over a number of local planning authorities in Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire and comprises a network of 13 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) of predominantly lowland heathland and woodland. The extent of the SPA is illustrated in map 1.1. The SPA was designated due to the presence of breeding populations of three bird species: Dartford Warblers, Woodlarks and Nightjars. These birds nest on or near the ground and as a result they are very susceptible to predation of adults, chicks and eggs (particularly by cats, rats and crows) and to disturbance from informal recreational use, especially walking and dog walking. 1.3 The location of the heaths, being to the south west of London between the M4 and A3 corridors, has historically resulted in the area being subject to high development pressure. The Thames Basin Heath is an area in decline; between 1904 and 2003, 53% of the heathland has been lost with the remaining heath fragmenting from 52 main blocks to 192 smaller blocks over the last century (Land Use Consultants 2005). These heaths hold a considerable number of the endangered birds (Nightjars, Woodlarks and Dartford Warblers). When studies have been carried out on the Thames Basin, urban effect has been shown as contributing to their decline (Hall 1996, Liley 2004, Terence O’Rouke 20043 ). 1.4 Natural England’s visitor survey found that 70% of visitors to the SPA came from within 5km of the site (see map 1.1). The South East Plan envisages the completion of at least 40,000 net additional dwellings within 5km of the SPA between 2006 and 2026 which is likely to lead to between 6 and 8% increases in population. This increase in population is likely to lead to more visits to the SPA. Consequently, proposals for residential development on sites within 5km of the SPA are likely to result in in-combination impacts upon the site. Map 1.2 indicates that whilst no part of the SPA lies within the borough, there are areas that are within 400m and around a third is within 5km (both distances linear). 1.5 This Impact Avoidance Strategy (IAS) primarily relates to proposals for residential development within 5km4 of the SPA, although it could cover some schemes within 7km (see paragraph 9.1). There are likely to be some cases where non-residential development could also have a significant effect on the integrity of the SPA. To address the requirements of the Habitat Regulations such development may therefore require an ‘appropriate assessment’. 1 See http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/legislation/birdsdirective/index_en.htm 2 See http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1994/Uksi_19942716_en_1.htm 3 A number of studies are referred to in English Nature Research report, The Quality of Greenspace: features that attract people to open space in the Thames Basin Heaths area, Liley et al, 2004. 4 All references to distances within this document are linear 1 Wokingham BC – TBH SPA Impact Avoidance Strategy (Apr 2010) Map 1.1: Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area and locations requiring mitigation 2 Wokingham BC – TBH SPA Impact Avoidance Strategy (Apr 2010) Map 1.2: Location of Impact Avoidance Zones in Wokingham
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