Statement to Inform Habitat Regulations Assessment Screening and Appropriate Assessment of Melton Borough Council Core Strategy (Publication Draft) January 2012 Prepared for Melton Borough Council HRA /AA Report Revision Schedule Statement to Inform Habitat Regulations Screening and Appropriate Assessment of Melton Borough Core Strategy (Publication Draft) January 2012 Rev Date Details Prepared by Reviewed by Approved by 01 November Issue 1 Leila Payne James Riley Anita Longworth 2011 Ecologist Principal Ecologist and Principal Planner HRA Specialist Gail Quartly-Bishop Principal Ecologist 02 November Revised Gail Quartly-Bishop Anita Longworth 2011 following client Principal Ecologist Principal Planner comment 03 November Revised Gail Quartly-Bishop Steve Muddiman Steve Muddiman 2011 following client Principal Ecologist Associate Associate comment 04 January Issue 2 Graeme Down Anita Longworth 2012 Ecologist Principal Planner URS/Scott Wilson Brunel House 54 Princess Street Manchester M1 6HS Tel: 0161 907 3500 Fax: 0161 907 3501 www.urs.com www.urs-scottwilson.com Melton Borough Council HRA /AA Report Limitations URS Infrastructure and Environment UK Ltd (“URS”) has prepared this Report for the sole use of Melton Borough Council (“Client”) in accordance with the Agreement under which our services were performed (P200201 17th June 2011 and 24th August 2011). 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Melton Borough Council HRA /AA Report Table of Contents 1 Introduction ..................................................................................... 1 1.1 Habitat Regulations Assessment .................................................................................... 1 1.2 Structure of this HRA/AA Report ..................................................................................... 2 1.3 Melton Core Strategy ...................................................................................................... 2 2 Methodology .................................................................................... 4 2.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 4 2.2 A Proportionate Assessment .......................................................................................... 4 2.3 The Process of HRA ....................................................................................................... 5 2.4 Evidence Gathering ........................................................................................................ 6 2.5 Likely Significant Effect Test (Screening) ........................................................................ 7 2.6 Appropriate Assessment and Mitigation .......................................................................... 7 2.7 Consultation with Statutory Bodies ................................................................................. 8 2.8 Physical scope of the HRA ............................................................................................. 8 2.9 The „in combination‟ scope ........................................................................................... 11 3 Pathways of Impact ....................................................................... 14 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 14 3.2 Disturbance .................................................................................................................. 14 3.3 Atmospheric pollution ................................................................................................... 19 3.4 Water resources ........................................................................................................... 23 3.5 Water quality ................................................................................................................. 26 3.6 Supporting Habitat ........................................................................................................ 27 4 Rutland Water SPA/Ramsar .......................................................... 29 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 29 4.2 Potential Pressures from Melton ................................................................................... 29 4.3 Summary of HRA Screening for Rutland Water SPA/Ramsar ....................................... 30 4.4 Appropriate Assessment ............................................................................................... 34 5 Grimsthorpe SAC .......................................................................... 42 5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 42 5.2 Potential Pressures from Melton ................................................................................... 42 5.3 Grimsthorpe SAC.......................................................................................................... 43 6 Humber Estuary SAC/Ramsar; Humber Flats, Marshes and Coast SPA ...................................................................................... 45 6.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 45 6.2 Potential Pressures from Melton ................................................................................... 45 Melton Borough Council HRA /AA Report 6.3 Humber Estuary SAC/Ramsar; Humber Flats, Marshes and Coast SPA ...................... 46 6.4 Appropriate Assessment ............................................................................................... 50 7 HRA/AA Summaries and Conclusions ......................................... 53 7.1 Summary of Screening ................................................................................................. 53 7.2 Summary of Appropriate Assessment ........................................................................... 53 Figure 3 Melton Borough and European Designated Sites ................... 56 Appendix 1: Screening tables for Core Strategy preferred approaches .................................................................................... 58 Appendix 2: Plan of Melton Borough showing towns and villages mentioned in text ............................................................. 86 Appendix 3: HRA/AA Consultation Responses ..................................... 87 Appendix 4: Traffic data extract ............................................................ 106 Melton Borough Council HRA /AA Report 1 Introduction 1.1 Habitat Regulations Assessment 1.1.1 The Habitats Directive applies the precautionary principle to Natura 2000 Sites (Special Areas of Conservation, SACs, and Special Protection Areas, SPAs; as a matter of UK Government policy, Ramsar Sites1 are given equivalent status). Collectively, such sites are referred to as “European sites”. The need for Appropriate Assessment (AA) 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 (Box 1). 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”