Habitat Regulations Assessment Thorpe Neighbourhood Plan June 2020 Habitat Regulations Assessment Thorpe Neighbourhood Forum Quality information Prepared by Checked by Verified by Approved by Hannah Corrigan Dr James Riley Max Wade Dr James Riley Ecologist Technical Director Technical Director Technical Director Amelia Kent Senior Ecologist Revision History Revision Revision date Details Authorized Name Position 0 04/11/19 Draft JR James Riley Technical Director 1 05/11/19 Final following JR James Riley Technical Director consultation with group 2 02/03/20 Update for JR James Riley Technical Director Submission Version Plan 3 1/04/20 Minor updates JR James Riley Technical Director 4 09/06/20 Final updates JR James Riley Technical Director following Runnymede Council review Distribution List # Hard Copies PDF Required Association / Company Name Prepared for: Thorpe Neighbourhood Forum AECOM Habitat Regulations Assessment Thorpe Neighbourhood Forum Prepared for: Thorpe Neighbourhood Forum Prepared by: 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: Thorpe Neighbourhood Forum AECOM Habitat Regulations Assessment Thorpe Neighbourhood Forum Table of Contents 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 6 Scope of the Project.......................................................................................................................................... 6 Legislation ........................................................................................................................................................ 6 2. Methodology .................................................................................................... 8 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 Likely Significant Effects (LSE) .......................................................................................................................... 9 HRA Task 2 – Appropriate Assessment (AA) ...................................................................................................... 9 HRA Task 3 – Avoidance and Mitigation ........................................................................................................... 10 Confirming Other Plans and Projects that may act ‘In combination’ ................................................................... 10 3. Internationally Designated Sites .....................................................................11 South West London Waterbodies SPA and Ramsar .......................................................................................... 11 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 11 Reasons for SPA Designation .......................................................................................................................... 11 Reason for Ramsar Designation ...................................................................................................................... 11 Historic Trends and Current Pressures ............................................................................................................ 11 Windsor Forest and Great Park SAC ............................................................................................................... 12 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 12 Reasons for Designation ................................................................................................................................. 12 Historic trends and current pressures .............................................................................................................. 12 Thursley, Ash, Pirbright and Chobham SAC ..................................................................................................... 12 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 12 Reasons for designation.................................................................................................................................. 12 Historic trends and current pressures .............................................................................................................. 13 Thames Basin Heaths SPA ............................................................................................................................. 13 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 13 Reasons for Designation ................................................................................................................................. 14 Historic trends and current pressures .............................................................................................................. 14 4. Likely Significant Effects ................................................................................ 15 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 15 5. Consideration of Effect ‘in combination’ ......................................................... 20 6. Appropriate assessment ................................................................................ 21 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 21 Air quality ....................................................................................................................................................... 21 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 21 Windsor Forest and Great Park SAC ............................................................................................................... 22 Thursley, Ash, Pirbright and Chobham SAC ..................................................................................................... 23 Water quality................................................................................................................................................... 24 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 24 Surface runoff and groundwater flow ............................................................................................................... 24 Abstraction for public water supply .................................................................................................................. 25 Recreational pressure and disturbance ............................................................................................................ 25 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 25 Mechanical/Abrasive Damage and Nutrient Enrichment ................................................................................... 26 Disturbance .................................................................................................................................................... 26 Discussion ...................................................................................................................................................... 26 South West London Waterbodies SPA and Ramsar .......................................................................................... 26 Thames Basin Heaths SPA ............................................................................................................................. 28 7. In Combination Assessment of Thames Basin Heaths SPA .......................... 30 Prepared for: Thorpe Neighbourhood Forum AECOM Habitat Regulations Assessment Thorpe Neighbourhood Forum 8. Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 33 Figures Figure 1: Four-Stage Approach to Habitats Regulations Assessment (Source: CLG, 2006) .................................. 9 Figure 2. Modelled contribution from BLP to nitrogen deposition at Windsor Forest and Great Park SAC taken from Windsor & Maidenhead Local Plan HRA, shows increased nitrogen at the roads sides for vehicles............ 22 Tables Table 1. Other projects and plans that may act 'in-combination' to the development