www.gov.uk/englandcoastpath Access and Sensitive Features Appraisal Appraisal of possible environmental impacts of proposals for England Coast Path between Shoreham by Sea and Eastbourne Pier Natural England’s Report to the Secretary of State Contents and arrangement of this report This report records the conclusions of Natural England’s appraisal of any potential for environmental impacts from our proposals to establish the England Coast Path in the light of the requirements of the legislation affecting Natura 2000 sites, SSSIs, NNRs, protected species and Marine Conservation Zones. The report is arranged in the following sections: 1. Summary A summary of our conclusions, including key mitigation measures built into our proposals. 2. Scope In this part of the document we define the geographic extent for the appraisal and the features that are included. 3. Baseline conditions and In this part of the document we identify which features might be sensitive ecological sensitivities to changes in access, and rule out from further consideration those that are not. 4. Potential for interaction In this part of the document we identify places where sensitive features are present and whether there could, or will not, be an interaction with proposed changes in access. 5. Assessment of impact- In this part of the document we look in more detail at sections of coast risk and incorporated where there could be an interaction between the access proposal and mitigation measures sensitive features. We discuss possible risks to sensitive features and explain how these have shaped the design of our proposals and/or led to the inclusion of specific mitigation measures. 6. Conclusions In this part of the document we record our formal conclusions, including those for our Habitats Regulations Assessment. 7. Establishing and In this part of the document we describe how the access proposal would maintaining the England be implemented and arrangements for ongoing management and Coast Path maintenance once coastal access rights are in place. This appraisal should be read alongside Natural England’s related Coastal Access Report in which the access proposal is fully described and explained https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/england-coast-path-from-shoreham-to-eastbourne- comment-on-proposals Page 2 of 38 Table of contents 1. Summary .................................................................................................................................................... 5 1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 5 1.2 Background ........................................................................................................................................ 5 1.3 Our approach ..................................................................................................................................... 6 1.4 Aim and objectives for the design of our proposals .......................................................................... 6 1.5 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 7 1.6 Implementation ................................................................................................................................. 8 1.7 Thanks ................................................................................................................................................ 8 2. Scope ......................................................................................................................................................... 9 2.1 Geographic extent ............................................................................................................................. 9 2.2 Designated sites ................................................................................................................................. 9 2.3 Designated features ........................................................................................................................ 10 2.4 Other features about which concerns have been expressed – where applicable .......................... 11 3. Baseline conditions and environmental sensitivities .............................................................................. 12 3.1 Aggregations of non-breeding birds - variety of passage species ................................................... 12 3.2 Assemblages of breeding birds - Mixed: Lowland heath, Scrub...................................................... 12 3.3 Invertebrate assemblage ................................................................................................................. 13 3.4 Coastal vegetated shingle ................................................................................................................ 13 3.5 Coastal Geomorphology .................................................................................................................. 14 3.6 Isolated bird colony - Kittiwake ....................................................................................................... 14 3.7 Lowland calcareous grassland ......................................................................................................... 15 3.8 Marine Fauna ................................................................................................................................... 16 3.9 Marine Geomorphology .................................................................................................................. 17 3.10 Landscape character ........................................................................................................................ 18 4. Potential for interaction .......................................................................................................................... 19 4.1 Brighton to Newhaven Cliffs SSSI .................................................................................................... 20 4.2 Seaford to Beachy Head SSSI ........................................................................................................... 20 4.3 Beachy Head West MCZ .................................................................................................................. 21 4.4 Beachy Head East pMCZ .................................................................................................................. 22 4.5 Other sites with potential risks to sensitive features ...................................................................... 22 5. Assessment of impact-risk and incorporated mitigation measures ........................................................ 25 5.1 Brighton to Newhaven Cliffs SSSI .................................................................................................... 25 5.2 Seaford to Beachy Head SSSI ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 27 5.3 Beachy Head West MCZ …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 30 5.4 Beachy Head East pMCZ ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..31 5.5 Other sites with potential risks to sensitive features …………………………………………………………………. 32 6. Conclusions .............................................................................................................................................. 34 Page 3 of 38 6.1 Overall conclusion - SSSI .................................................................................................................. 34 6.2 Overall conclusion: Marine Conservation Zone .............................................................................. 34 6.3 Other features about which concerns have been expressed .......................................................... 34 6.4 Certification ..................................................................................................................................... 35 7. Establishing and maintaining the England Coast Path ............................................................................ 36 7.1 Establishment .................................................................................................................................. 36 7.2 Maintenance .................................................................................................................................... 37 7.3 Monitoring ....................................................................................................................................... 37 7.4 Future changes ................................................................................................................................ 37 8. References ............................................................................................................................................... 38 Page 4 of 38 1. Summary 1.1 Introduction Natural England has been asked by government to make proposals for a National Trail that will be a continuous walking route around the coast of England. This report concerns the potential impacts on nature conservation of establishing the new route for the stretch of the west and East Sussex coast between Shoreham by Sea and Eastbourne. We describe the conclusions of our appraisal and how we have modified our proposals to take account of potential impacts. 1.2 Background There are a number of protected sites along this stretch of coast, including SSSI and MCZ designations (see section 2.2 for details of the sites involved). In our appraisal we have