Appendix E: SEA of the Revocation of the North East Regional Strategy Introduction Appendix E sets out the collated contextual and baseline information, on a topic-by- topic basis, for each of the 10 assessment topics: 1. Biodiversity and Nature Conservation (including Fauna and Flora) 2. Population including demographics, socio-economics 3. Human health 4. Soil including geology and land use 5. Water quality (including surface and ground water quality and availability) 6. Air quality 7. Climatic Factors including climate change and adaptation and flood risk 8. Material Assets including waste management and minerals 9. Cultural Heritage – including architectural and archaeological heritage 10. Landscape and Townscape The information for each topic is structured as follows in compliance of the SEA Directive Annex I (b) – (g) requirements: Annex I SEA Directive Requirements Sub-section in the Topic Chapter Introduction - provides an overview and definition of the topic. e) The environmental protection, Summary of national and regional plans and programmes - provides an overview of the policy context in which the objectives, established at revocation plan sits and identifies the environmental protection, international, Community or objectives, established at international, Community or national national level, which are relevant to level that are relevant to the Regional Strategy. the plan or programme and the way those objectives and any environmental, considerations have been taken into account during its preparation. b) The relevant aspects of the current Overview of the baseline - provides an overview of the relevant aspects of the current state of the environment at a state of the environment and the national and regional level and the key topic specific baseline likely evolution thereof without factors which will need to be considered as part of the implementation of the plan or assessment. programme. The likely evolution of these baseline conditions without the implementation of the revocation plan - provides an overview of how the baseline is likely to change in the absence of the revocation plan, an understanding of this is key to understanding the effects of the revocation plan on the topic area; c) The environmental characteristics The environmental characteristics of areas likely to be significantly affected – provides a summary of those key of areas likely to be significantly aspects of the region most likely to be affected by the plan. affected. 1 Appendix E November 2012 Appendix E: SEA of the Revocation of the North East Regional Strategy Annex I SEA Directive Requirements Sub-section in the Topic Chapter d) Any existing environmental Current problems in areas of particular environmental importance (such as those designated under the Wild Birds problems which are relevant to the and Habitats Directives and further expanded upon in plan or programme including, in Appendix G). Given the focus on European designated particular, those relating to any conservation sites this sub-section on appears in biodiversity. areas of a particular environmental importance, such as areas designated pursuant to Directives 79/409/EEC and 92/43/EEC. f) The likely significant effects on the Assessing significance –provides an outline of the illustrative guidance used to assess the potential effects for each topic. environment, including on issues such as biodiversity, population, Assessment of likely significant effects of retention, human health, fauna, flora, soil, revocation and partial revocation - including information on the likely significant effects. water, air, climatic factors, material assets, cultural heritage including architectural and archaeological heritage, landscape and the interrelationship between the above factors. (Footnote: These effects should include secondary, cumulative, synergistic, short, medium and long-term permanent and temporary, positive and negative effects) g) The measures envisaged to Proposed mitigation measures – including proposed measures identified. prevent, reduce and as fully as possible offset any significant adverse effects on the environment of implementing the plan or programme; 2 Appendix E November 2012 Appendix E: SEA of the Revocation of the North East Regional Strategy 1. Biodiversity and Nature Conservation 1.1 Introduction The overview of plans and programmes and baseline information contained in this section provides the context for the assessment of potential effects of the Revocation Plan on biodiversity and nature conservation. Information is presented for both national and regional levels. Biodiversity in this context is defined by the Convention on Biological Diversity1 as ‘the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.’ Biodiversity is integral to the functioning of ecosystems and these, in turn, provide ‘ecosystem services’ which include food, flood management, pollination and the provision of clean air and water. There are links between the biodiversity and nature conservation topic and other topics in the SEA, including water, soil and geology, land use, and climate change. 1.2 Summary of Plans and Programmes 1.2.1 International The UK is a signatory (along with another 189 parties) to the Convention on Biological Diversity , Nagoya, Japan, 2010 which sets out a conservation plan to protect global biodiversity, and an international treaty to establish a fair and equitable system to enable nations to co-operate in accessing and sharing the benefits of genetic resources. The new global vision is: ‘By 2050, biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored and wisely used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people.’ The parties also agreed a shorter-term ambition to ‘Take effective and urgent action to halt the loss of biodiversity, [so] that by 2020 ecosystems are resilient and continue to provide essential services, thereby securing the planet’s variety of life, and contributing to human well-being, and poverty eradication’. In March 2010, the EU agreed to an EU vision and 2020 mission for biodiversity: 1 The convention uses this definition to describe ‘biological diversity’ commonly taken to mean the same as biodiversity. 3 Appendix E November 2012 Appendix E: SEA of the Revocation of the North East Regional Strategy • By 2050, European Union biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides – its natural capital – are protected, valued and appropriately restored for biodiversity’s intrinsic value and for their essential contribution to human wellbeing and economic prosperity, and so that catastrophic changes caused by the loss of biodiversity are avoided; • Halt the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020, and restore them insofar as is feasible, while stepping up the EU contribution to averting global biodiversity loss. The European Commission adopted a new EU Biodiversity strategy to help meet this goal. The strategy provides a framework for action over the next decade and covers the following key areas: • Conserving and restoring nature; • Maintaining and enhancing ecosystems and their services; • Ensuring the sustainability of agriculture, forestry and fisheries; • Combating invasive alien species; • Addressing the global biodiversity crisis. There are a number of EU Directives focusing on various types of wildlife and habitat that provide a framework for national action and international co-operation for conservation on land and in the sea. In particular the Habitats Directive and Birds Directive include measures to maintain or restore important natural habitats and species including through the designation of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs). These Directives are transposed into British law through a number of regulations and planning policy documents. Under the Ramsar Convention, wetlands of international importance are designated as Ramsar Sites. As a matter of policy, Ramsar sites in England are protected as European sites. The vast majority are also classified as SPAs and all terrestrial Ramsar sites in England are notified as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). The Freshwater Fish Directive includes measure on the quality of fresh waters needing protection or improvement in order to support fish life. The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC) requires Member States to develop a marine strategy, including determining Good Environmental Status (GES) for their marine waters, and designing and implementing programmes of measures aimed at achieving it by 2020, using an ecosystem approach to marine management. It takes account both of socioeconomic factors and the cost of taking action in relation to the scale of the risk to the marine environment. Draft regulations establish a legal framework which assigns duties to the Secretary of State, Welsh and Scottish Ministers 4 Appendix E November 2012 Appendix E: SEA of the Revocation of the North East Regional Strategy and the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland have been published for consultation. 1.2.2 National UK The Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) is the main UK legislation relating to the protection of named animal and plant species includes legislation relating to the UK network of nationally protected wildlife areas: Site