HRA for East Hertfordshire District Plan Scenarios Screening Report
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HRA for East Hertfordshire District Plan Scenarios Screening Report Final December 2012 Prepared for East Hertfordshire District Council East Hertfordshire District Council District Plan Scenarios Revision Schedule HRA Screening Report December 2012 Rev Date Details Prepared by Reviewed by Approved by 01 08/10/12 Draft HRA Dr Graeme Down Dr James Riley Dr James Riley Screening Ecologist Principal Ecologist Principal Ecologist Report 02 17/12/12 Final Screening Dr Graeme Down Dr James Riley Dr James Riley Report Ecologist Principal Ecologist Principal Ecologist incorporating transport and air quality calculations URS Infrastructure & Environment UK Ltd Scott House Alençon Link Basingstoke Hampshire RG21 7PP Tel 01256 310200 Fax 01256 310201 www.ursglobal.com East Hertfordshire District Council District Plan Scenarios Table of Contents 1 Introduction ...................................................................................... 1 1.1 Legislation ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Scope and Objectives ...................................................................................................... 2 2 Methodology ..................................................................................... 3 2.1 Key Principles ................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 A Proportionate Assessment ............................................................................................ 3 2.3 Process ............................................................................................................................ 4 2.4 Likely Significant Effects (LSE) ........................................................................................ 4 2.5 Physical Scope of the Assessment .................................................................................. 5 2.6 Principal Other Plans and Projects ................................................................................... 6 3 Ecological Information Regarding the European Sites ................ 8 3.1 Epping Forest SAC ........................................................................................................... 8 3.2 Lee Valley SPA and Ramsar .......................................................................................... 10 3.3 Wormley-Hoddesdonpark Woods SAC .......................................................................... 15 4 Screening Tables for Scenarios .................................................... 19 4.2 Water quality at Lee Valley SPA/Ramsar site ................................................................ 26 4.3 Water resources ............................................................................................................. 27 4.4 Air quality ........................................................................................................................ 29 4.5 Recreational activity at Wormley Hoddesdonpark Woods SAC ..................................... 29 4.6 Other plans and projects ................................................................................................ 30 5 Overall conclusion ......................................................................... 31 East Hertfordshire District Council District Plan Scenarios 1 Introduction 1.1 Legislation 1.1.1 The need for Habitat Regulations Assessment is set out within Article 6 of the EC Habitats Directive 1992, and interpreted into British law by the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010. The ultimate aim of the Directive is to “maintain or restore, at favourable conservation status, natural habitats and species of wild fauna and flora of Community interest” (Habitats Directive, Article 2(2)). This aim relates to habitats and species, not the European sites themselves, although the sites have a significant role in delivering favourable conservation status. 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. 1.1.2 The Habitats Directive applies the precautionary principle to protected areas; plans and projects can only be permitted having ascertained that there will be no adverse effect on the integrity of the site(s) in question. This is in contrast to the SEA Directive which does not prescribe how plan or programme proponents should respond to the findings of an environmental assessment; it simply says that the assessment findings (as documented in the ‘environmental report’) should be ‘taken into account’ during preparation of the plan or programme. In the case of the Habitats Directive, plans and projects may still be permitted if there are no alternatives to them and there are Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest (IROPI) as to why they should go ahead. In such cases, compensation would be necessary to ensure the overall integrity of the site network. 1.1.3 All the European sites mentioned in this document are shown in Figure 1. In order to ascertain whether or not site integrity will be affected, an HRA should be undertaken of the plan or project in question. HRA Screening Report 1 December 2012 NOTES Ramsar CENTRAL Special Protection Area BEDFORDSHIRE Special Area of Conservation NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE DISTRICT BUNTINGFORD UTTLESFORD DISTRICT STEVENAGE DISTRICT Copyright C ontains Ordnance Survey Data © Crown Copyright and database right 2012 BISHOP'S STORTFORD SAWBRIDGEWORTH Revision Details Check WARE By Suffix Check Date Purpose of Issue DRAFT WELWYN GARDEN A414 Client LEE EAST HERTFORDSHIRE CITY HERTFORD 14 VALLEY A4 A DISTRICT COUNCIL d 41 x 4 (SPA/ Project Title m . s e t A 4 RAMSAR) i ST. ALBANS 4 A41 s 1 4 HARLOW n WORMLEY- a DISTRICT e p o HARLOW r HODDESDONPARK EAST HERTFORDSHIRE HRA u E DISTRICT – 1 WOODS WELWYN e r u g HATFIELD i (SAC) Drawing Title F \ s DISTRICT D X M EPPING \ S I A FOREST G 4 c r 14 EUROPEAN SITES A DISTRICT \ e r i h s 14 d 4 r A o f t r Drawn Checked Approved Date e H t JW JR JR 19/12/2012 s a E BROXBOURNE URS Internal Project No. Scale @ A3 4 4 8 DISTRICT LEE 47064844 1:150,000 4 6 0 This document has been prepared in accordance with the scope of URS' appointment with 7 VALLEY 4 \ its client and is subject to the terms of that appointment. URS accepts no liability for any s use of this document other than by its client and only for the purposes for which m (SPA/ e it was prepared and provided. Only written dimensions shall be used. t s © URS Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited y S RAMSAR) n URS Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited o i t a Scott House m Alençon Link, Basingstoke r o 2 f Hampshire, RG21 7PP 1 n HERTSMERE I 0 Telephone (01256) 310200 - 2 c 4 DISTRICT Fax (01256) 310201 e 0 EPPING 0 www.ursglobal.com D 5 \ 9 : I 1 : : LONDON BOROUGH FOREST Drawing Number Rev e 0 2 4 6 8 10 e t m a a OF ENFIELD D N (SAC) t km e o l FIGURE 1 l i P F East Hertfordshire District Council District Plan Scenarios Box 1. The legislative basis for Habitat Regulations Assessment Habitats Directive 1992 Article 6 (3) states that: “Any plan or project not directly connected with or necessary to the management of the site but likely to have a significant effect thereon, either individually or in combination with other plans or projects, shall be subject to appropriate assessment of its implications for the site in view of the site's conservation objectives.” Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 (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 … shall make an appropriate assessment of the implications for the site in view of that sites conservation objectives”. 1.2 Scope and Objectives 1.2.1 URS has been appointed by East Hertfordshire District Council to assist in undertaking a Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA) of the potential effects of the seven District Plan (CS) housing scenarios on the Natura 2000 network. This work builds upon a high-level HRA Screening exercise undertaken by Scott Wilson Ltd (now URS) on the District Plan Issues and Options in 2010. 1.2.2 The CS will define the strategic planning framework for the protection of the environment, sustainable transport priorities, and the scale, pattern and location of development within East Hertfordshire. HRA Screening Report 2 December 2012 East Hertfordshire District Council District Plan Scenarios 2 Methodology 2.1 Key Principles 2.1.1 This section sets out the basis of the methodology for the HRA. URS has adhered to several key principles in developing the methodology – see Table 1. Table 1 - Key principles underpinning the proposed methodology Principle Rationale Use existing information We make the best use of existing information to inform the assessment. This will include information gathered as part of the SA of the emerging Plan and information held by Natural England, the Environment Agency and others. Consult with Natural England, the Environment We will ensure consultation with Natural England Agency and other stakeholders for the duration of the assessment. We will ensure that we utilise information held by them and others and take on board their comments on the