RECORD OF THE HABITATS REGULATIONS ASSESSMENT UNDERTAKEN UNDER REGULATION 61 OF THE CONSERVATION OF HABITATS AND SPECIES REGULATIONS 2010 (AS AMENDED). & ASSESSMENT OF THE PROJECT UNDER ARTICLE 4.7 DEROGATION FOR THE WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE. Project Title: Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay Date: 8th June 2015 1 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................ 5 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................... 5 HABITATS REGULATION ASSESSMENT (HRA) ................................................................................... 6 THE RIES AND STATUTORY CONSULTATION ..................................................................................... 8 DEVELOPMENT DESCRIPTION ......................................................................................................................... 10 ROCHDALE ENVELOPE ............................................................................................................... 13 DEVELOPMENT STAGES .............................................................................................................. 13 Construction ........................................................................................................................ 13 Operation ............................................................................................................................ 15 Decommissioning ................................................................................................................ 15 DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGNATED SITES ........................................................................................................ 17 EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL SITES ......................................................................................... 17 LIKELY SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS TEST .................................................................................................................. 18 POTENTIAL IMPACTS ................................................................................................................. 18 LIKELY SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS (LSE) .............................................................................................. 19 Kenfig SAC ........................................................................................................................... 22 Crymlyn Bog SAC/ Ramsar ................................................................................................... 23 Burry Inlet SPA/ Ramsar ...................................................................................................... 23 Cardigan Bay SAC/ Lundy/ Pembrokeshire Marine and Pen Llyn a’r Sarnau SAC ............... 24 River Wye/ River Usk and Severn Estuary SAC / Ramsar ..................................................... 26 Bristol Channel Approaches recommended dSAC ............................................................... 28 SCOPE OF IN COMBINATION ASSESSMENT ...................................................................................... 29 Transboundary .................................................................................................................... 33 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 34 APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................................... 35 KENFIG SAC ............................................................................................................................ 36 Physical Damage ................................................................................................................. 36 In combination..................................................................................................................... 38 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 39 BURRY INLET SPA AND RAMSAR ................................................................................................. 39 RIVER SEVERN SAC/ RAMSAR, RIVER USK SAC, RIVER WYE SAC ..................................................... 41 River Severn SAC/Ramsar .................................................................................................... 41 River Usk SAC ....................................................................................................................... 42 River Wye SAC ..................................................................................................................... 43 CARDIGAN BAY SAC, LUNDY SAC, PEMBROKESHIRE MARINE SAC AND PEN LLYN A’R SARNAU SAC (GREY SEAL) ..................................................................................................................................... 46 Cardigan Bay SAC ................................................................................................................ 46 Lundy Island SAC.................................................................................................................. 47 Pembrokeshire Marine SAC ................................................................................................. 48 Pen Llyn a’r Sarnau SAC ....................................................................................................... 48 CRYMLYN BOG SAC/ RAMSAR .................................................................................................... 53 BRISTOL CHANNEL REACHES RECOMMENDED DSAC (HARBOUR PORPOISE) ......................................... 54 HABITATS REGULATIONS ASSESSMENT CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................. 60 WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE ASSESSMENT .............................................................................................. 62 BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................................... 62 Impact of the proposed project on the Swansea Bay water body ....................................... 64 Impact of the proposed project on the Tawe Estuary water body ...................................... 66 PRACTICAL STEPS TO MITIGATE THE ADVERSE IMPACTS FROM THE PROJECT .......................................... 72 ALTERNATE LOCATIONS/ MODIFICATIONS FOR THE PROJECT .............................................................. 76 2 ECONOMIC IMPACT .................................................................................................................. 81 Overriding public interest and benefits comparison tests ................................................... 81 Assessment of Overriding public interest test ..................................................................... 81 Assessment of the Benefits Comparison Test ...................................................................... 82 Economic Impacts ................................................................................................................ 83 Social Impacts ...................................................................................................................... 83 Environmental Impacts........................................................................................................ 85 Conclusions and Recommendations .................................................................................... 87 SCOPE OF ARTICLE 4.7 .............................................................................................................. 88 SCOPE OF ARTICLE 4.8 .............................................................................................................. 93 SCOPE OF ARTICLE 4.9 .............................................................................................................. 94 WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................ 96 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................... 97 Table 1 European sites and features considered in the HRA process, from the Applicant’s updated report to inform HRA. ............................................................................................................................. 17 Table 2 Sites and features where an LSE could not be ruled out ......................................................... 22 Table 3 Plans and projects included within the Applicant’s in combination impacts assessment. (Source: table 7.1 Applicant’s updated HRA). ....................................................................................... 30 Table 4 Conservation objectives for Kenfig SAC (CCW, 2008) ............................................................ 36 Table 5 Conservation objectives for Burry Inlet SPA (CCW, 2009) extracted from the Applicant’s HRA. ............................................................................................................................................................... 39 Table 6 Conservation objectives for sea lamprey of the Severn Estuary SAC (Natural England and CCW, 2009) extracted from the Applicant’s HRA.................................................................................. 41 Table 7 Conservation objectives for river lamprey of