Habitats Regulations Assessment of Local Plan Review Pre-Submission
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HRA of Purbeck Local Plan Revised Housing Options Habitats Regulations Assessment of Local Plan Review pre-submission Durwyn Liley, Phil Saunders and Zoe Caals FOOTPRINT ECOLOGY, FOREST OFFICE, BERE ROAD, WAREHAM, DORSET BH20 7PA WWW.FOOTPRINT - ECOLOGY.CO.UK 01929 552444 Footprint Contract Reference: 542 Date: 27h May 2021 Version: Final Recommended Citation: Liley, D., Saunders, P., and Caals, Z. (2020). Habitats Regulations Assessment of the at pre-submission. Unpublished report by Footprint Ecology. 2 R e v i e w Summary This report provides the Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Local Plan Review at pre-submission. The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (as amended) require local authorities to assess the impact of their local plan on the internationally important sites for biodiversity in and around their administrative areas. Together, these Special Protection Areas, Special Areas of Conservation and Ramsar sites are known as European sites. The task is achieved by means of a Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA). An HRA asks very specific questions of a plan. Firstly, it ‘screens’ the plan to identify if there is a risk that certain policies or allocations may have a ‘likely significant effect’ on a European site, alone or (if necessary) in-combination with other plans and projects. If the risk of likely significant effects can be ruled out, then the plan may be adopted but if they cannot, the plan must be subjected to the greater scrutiny of an ‘appropriate assessment’ to find out if the plan will have an ‘adverse effect on the integrity’ of the European sites. Following an appropriate assessment, a Plan may only be adopted if an adverse effect on the integrity of the site can be ruled out. If necessary, a plan should be amended to avoid or mitigate any likely conflicts. The King’s Lynn and West Norfolk area holds a number of European sites and these support a wide range of qualifying features. The screening for likely significant effects identified likely significant effects relating to: • Loss of supporting habitat/functionally-linked land (Breckland SPA, Ouse Washes SPA/Ramsar, the North Norfolk Coast SPA/Ramsar and the Wash SPA/Ramsar); • General urban effects and avoidance of buildings by Stone Curlew (Breckland SAC/SPA, North Norfolk Coast SPA/SAC/Ramsar, Ouse Washes SPA/Ramsar) • Recreation impacts (Breckland SPA/SAC, Ouse Washes SPA/Ramsar, Norfolk Valley Fens SAC, Roydon Common & Dersingham Bog SAC, Roydon Common Ramsar, Dersingham Bog Ramsar, The Wash SPA/Ramsar, North Norfolk Coast SAC/SPA/Ramsar and The Wash & North Norfolk Coast SAC) • Water-related impacts (River Wensum SAC, Ouse Washes SAC/SPA/Ramsar, the Norfolk Valley Fens SAC, Breckland SAC, Roydon Common and Dersingham Bog SAC, Roydon Common Ramsar, Dersingham Bog Ramsar, North Norfolk Coast SAC/SPA/Ramsar, The Wash & North Norfolk Coast SAC and the Wash SPA/Ramsar); • Air quality (Roydon Common & Dersingham Bog SAC, Dersingham Bog Ramsar, North Norfolk Coast SAC/SPA/Ramsar, The Wash and North Norfolk Coast SAC, Breckland SAC/SPA and the Ouse Washes SAC/SPA). 3 R e v i e w These topics were taken to appropriate assessment. With respect to the loss of supporting habitat/functionally-linked land, there are a number of wide ranging bird species that are qualifying features of a number of European sites within or close to the Borough. There are risks from development leading to loss of supporting habitat that is functionally linked to the European site. We identify two locations where a need for project level HRA has been identified and is highlighted in the Plan. With the protective wording in place, adverse effects can be ruled out alone and in-combination given the scale of development and the allocation sites, all of which have been checked using GIS, knowledge of the relevant areas and the ecology of the bird interest. General urban effects and avoidance of buildings by Stone Curlews relates to issues with development in close proximity to European site boundaries. In terms of Breckland SPA and Stone Curlews, the avoidance of areas by birds due to the effect of buildings is addressed in Policy LP27 which limits growth within 1500m of the SPA unless particular criteria are met, such as the development is fully within an existing urban area. Only two allocations are within 1500m of the SPA; these are both at Feltwell (G35.1 and G35.3), and comply with the protective policy. A review of allocations outside the 1500m zone but within the potential area where development could impact on Stone Curlews that are using areas outside the SPA boundary indicates no risks. The policy ensures cumulative impacts are addressed and ensures in-combination effects can be ruled out. Checks for all relevant European sites for housing growth within 400m indicates very low levels of growth and all allocation sites have been checked. The scale of growth and locations involved mean that adverse effects on integrity from urban effects can be ruled out for all European sites, alone or in-combination. There is no need for mitigation. In terms of impacts from increased recreation, adverse effects on integrity in the absence of any mitigation could not be ruled out for Breckland SPA/SAC; Roydon Common & Dersingham Bog SAC, Roydon Common Ramsar, Dersingham Bog SAC; The Ouse Washes SPA/SAC/Ramsar; The North Norfolk Coast SAC/SPA/Ramsar, the North Norfolk Coast & the Wash SAC, The Wash SPA/Ramsar. Risks relate to the overall quantum of growth within the Plan and the potential in-combination effects. It is therefore necessary for the Local Plan Review to ensure there is sufficient mitigation. The county-wide mitigation strategy ‘RAMs’ provides the means to provide and secure the necessary mitigation. Without the RAMs in place there is no means to address the effects from the overall quantum of growth within the Plan. It is therefore essential that the RAMs is formally in place and running smoothly by the time the plan is adopted. Various European sites have water-dependent qualifying features which could be affected by development. Adverse effects on integrity from water-related impacts are ruled out alone or in-combination for the: River Wensum SAC, Ouse Washes SAC/SPA/Ramsar, the Norfolk Valley Fens SAC, Breckland SAC, North Norfolk Coast SAC/SPA/Ramsar, The Wash & North Norfolk Coast SAC and the Wash SPA/Ramsar. Adverse effects on integrity for all these sites are eliminated due to the scale of growth, the locations in relation to the European sites and qualifying features and through protective measures established through the review of consent/licensing of abstraction and management of water quality as controlled by the statutory agencies. For Roydon Common and Dersingham Bog SAC protective wording has been included within the plan in relation to three allocations in close proximity (around 1km from the SAC): G29.1; 4 R e v i e w G29.2; G41.2. The wording identifies the need for project level Habitats Regulation Assessment and provision of suitable mitigation where necessary. This ensures necessary hydrological checks are made and any issues relating to drainage or hydrology adequately resolved in the site design before development can be allowed to proceed. With respect to air quality, the issues are complicated as there is a general trajectory of improving air quality and vehicle emissions are improving. Likely significant effects were for sites where there are roads within 200m. Detailed assessment rules out adverse effects on integrity for North Norfolk Coast SAC/SPA/Ramsar, The Wash and North Norfolk Coast SAC, Breckland SAC/SPA and the Ouse Washes SAC/SPA. There is no need for mitigation. With respect to Roydon Common & Dersingham Bog SAC/Dersingham Bog Ramsar some uncertainty remains and in the absence of mitigation, it is not possible to rule out adverse effects on integrity as a result of plan-led growth and increased traffic flows along the A149. The risks relate to a single short section of road and further evidence gathering is required in order to identify any necessary mitigation and ensure this is in place. A strategy is being produced by the Council. This strategy is referred in Policy LP27 and policy wording ensures any development is dependent on the strategy. With this ‘break’ in place adverse effects on integrity from air quality can be ruled out for Roydon Common & Dersingham Bog SAC/Dersingham Bog Ramsar. 5 HRA of Purbeck Local Plan Revised Housing O p t i o n s Contents Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 3 Contents ......................................................................................................................................... 6 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... 9 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 10 Context ......................................................................................................................... 10 Habitats Regulations Assessment process ................................................................... 10 European sites ........................................................................................................................ 11 Role of the competent authority .........................................................................................