South Humber Bank Energy Centre Project Planning Inspectorate Reference: EN010107 South Marsh Road, Stallingborough, DN41 8BZ The South Humber Bank Energy Centre Order Document Ref: 5.8: Habitats Regulations Assessment Report Applicant: EP Waste Management Ltd Date: March 2021 EP Waste Management Ltd Document Ref 5.8: Habitats Regulations Assessment Report DOCUMENT HISTORY Document ref 5.8 Habitats Regulations Assessment Report Revision 3.0 (updated in response to the ExA’s Further Written Questions and submitted at Deadline 5) Author Jo Atkinson, E Checkley and L Deacon (see Appendix 10 for Qualifications) Signed Date March 2021 Approved By Dr James Riley and Kirsty Cobb (see Appendix 10 for Qualifications) Signed Date March 2021 Document AECOM Owner GLOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONS AND DEFINITIONS Abbreviation Description ACC Air Cooled Condenser AGIs Above Ground Installations CCGT Combined Cycle Gas Turbine CEMP Construction Environmental Management Plan CFA Continuous Flight Auger DCO Development Consent Order ECJ European Court of Justice EcIA Ecological Impact Assessment EfW Energy from waste EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EPH Energetický A Prumyslový Holding EPUKI EP UK Investments Limited EPWM EP Waste Management Limited ES Environmental Statement ExA Examining Authority GWTEs Groundwater Dependant Terrestrial Ecosystems HRA Habitat Regulations Assessment IROPI Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest kV Kilovolt mAOD m Above Ordnance Datum MW megawatt NELC North East Lincolnshire Council NSIP Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project ODPM Office of Deputy Prime Minister PA 2008 The Planning Act 2008 RDF Refuse derived fuel SAC Special Area of Conservation SHBPS South Humber Bank Power Station SHG South Humber Gateway (strategic mitigation approach) March 2021 EP Waste Management Ltd Document Ref 5.8: Habitats Regulations Assessment Report SoS Secretary of State SPA Special Protection Area SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest tpa tonnes per annum March 2021 EP Waste Management Ltd Document Ref 5.8: Habitats Regulations Assessment Report CONTENTS 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................ 1 2.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 2 Overview .......................................................................................................... 2 The Applicant ................................................................................................... 2 The Proposed Development Site ..................................................................... 2 The Proposed Development ............................................................................ 3 Relationship with the Consented Development................................................ 4 The Purpose and Structure of this Document and Version .............................. 5 3.0 SCOPE OF ASSESSMENT .................................................................................... 6 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 6 The Legislative Basis for Determining Likely Significant Effects and for Subsequent Appropriate Assessment, If Required ................................................... 7 European Legislation and Withdrawal from the European Union ..................... 7 Overview of HRA Procedure and Context ........................................................ 7 Consideration of People Over Wind, Peter Sweetman v Coillte Teoranta ECJ Ruling ...................................................................................................................... 10 4.0 BASELINE EVIDENCE GATHERING .................................................................. 12 Proposed Development Description, Need and Alternatives.......................... 12 International Designated Sites Scoped in to HRA Screening ......................... 12 Conservation Objectives ................................................................................ 17 Baseline Bird Usage: Proposed Development Site ........................................ 17 Baseline Bird Usage: Field to the South (Field 37) ........................................ 18 Baseline Bird Usage: Fields to the North (Fields 30 & 31) ............................. 19 Baseline Bird Usage: Pyewipe Mudflats in Humber Estuary SPA/ Ramsar ... 19 5.0 STAGE 1: SCREENING FOR LIKELY SIGNFICANT EFFECTS ......................... 20 LSE Screening: Potential Construction Impacts ............................................ 20 Source-Receptor Pathways Scoped In ................................................................... 20 Source-Receptor Pathways Scoped Out ................................................................ 20 Physical Displacement of Humber Estuary SPA/ Ramsar Birds Due to Loss of Functionally Linked Land ........................................................................................ 21 LSE Screening: Potential Operational Impacts .............................................. 23 Source-Receptor Pathways Scoped In ................................................................... 23 Source-Receptor Pathways Scoped Out ................................................................ 24 LSE Screening: Potential Decommissioning Impacts .................................... 27 Summary of Likely Significant Effects ............................................................ 29 6.0 IN-COMBINATION EFFECTS WITH OTHER PLANS OR PROJECTS ............... 67 7.0 STAGE 2: APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT ......................................................... 76 Introduction .................................................................................................... 76 Construction Impacts ..................................................................................... 76 Loss of Functionally Linked Land for the Humber Estuary SPA/ Ramsar ............... 76 March 2021 EP Waste Management Ltd Document Ref 5.8: Habitats Regulations Assessment Report Noise Disturbance to Humber Estuary SPA/ Ramsar Waterbirds on the Pyewipe Mudflats .................................................................................................................. 77 Noise Disturbance to Humber Estuary SPA/ Ramsar Waterbirds in the Field to the South (Field 37) ...................................................................................................... 79 Noise Disturbance to Arable Fields to the North (Fields 30 and 31) ....................... 81 Visual Disturbance to Arable Field to the South (Field 37) ...................................... 82 Operational Impacts ....................................................................................... 83 Changes in Air Quality - Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) ..................................................... 83 Decommissioning Impacts ............................................................................. 84 In-Combination Impacts (Construction) .......................................................... 84 Losses of Functionally Linked Habitat ..................................................................... 84 In-Combination Impacts (Operation) .............................................................. 86 Changes in Air Quality ............................................................................................ 86 8.0 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................... 89 9.0 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................... 90 APPENDIX 1: PLANNING INSPECTORATE HRA SCREENING MATRICES ............. 91 APPENDIX 2: PLANNING INSPECTORATE HRA INTEGRITY MATRICES ............. 110 APPENDIX 3: KEY ES CHAPTER TEXT CROSS REFERENCED IN TABLE 5.1 LIKELY SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS DURING CONSTRUCTION AND TABLE 5.3 LIKELY SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS DURING DECOMMISSIONING. ......................................... 125 Extracts from ES Chapter 7: Air Quality (Document Ref. 6.2.7) .............................125 Section 7.6: Likely Impacts and Effects .................................................................125 Extracts from ES Chapter 8: Noise and Vibration (Document Ref. 6.2.8) .............125 Section 8.6: Likely Impacts and Effects .................................................................125 Extracts from ES Chapter 10: Ecology (Document Ref. 6.2.10).............................127 Section 10.5: Development Design and Impact Avoidance ...................................127 Section 10.6: Likely Impacts and Effects ...............................................................127 Extracts from ES Chapter 14: Water Resources, Flood Risk and Drainage (Document Ref. 6.2.14) ............................................................................................................135 Section 14.6: Likely Impacts and Effects ...............................................................135 APPENDIX 4: KEY ES CHAPTER TEXT CROSS REFERENCED IN TABLE 5.2: LIKELY SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS DURING OPERATION .......................................... 136 Extracts from ES Chapter 7: Air Quality (Document Ref. 6.2.7) .............................136 Section 7.6: Likely Impacts and Effects .................................................................136 Extracts from ES Chapter 8: Noise and Vibration (Document Ref. 6.2.8) ..............137 Section 8.6: Likely Impacts and Effects .................................................................137