Habitats Regulations Assessment for the Eastleigh Borough Local Plan 2016-2036 HRA Report for the Submission Plan June 2019 Habitats Regulations Assessment for the Eastleigh Borough Local Plan 2016-2036 HRA Report for the Submission Plan Client: Eastleigh Borough Council Report No.: UE0247HRA- Eastleigh LP_8_190621 Author: Proofed: Approved: Nick Pincombe BA(Hons) MSc CEnv Giulia Civello BSc(Hons) MSc PIEMA Nick Pincombe BA(Hons) MSc CEnv MIEMA MCIEEM MIEMA MCIEEM Jon Cox BSc(Hons) MCIEEM Laura Legate BSc(Hons) MSc CGeol CSci FGS Giulia Civello BSc(Hons) MSc PIEMA Revision No.: Status/Comment: Date: 0 Draft for comment 25 April 2018 1 Second draft for comment 11 June 2018 2 Final draft 21 June 2018 3 Final 22 June 2018 4 Revised following representations 25 October 2018 5 Client comments 29 October 2018 6 Case law revisions 17 May 2019 7 Final for the Inspector 20 June 2019 8 Minor corrections 21 June 2019 HRA for the Eastleigh Borough Local Plan: Submission stage June 2019 UE0247HRA- Eastleigh LP_8_190621 Contents 0 Executive Summary i 0.1 Introduction i 0.2 Scope of the Assessment i 0.3 Impact Pathways ii 0.4 Summary of Findings ii 0.5 Conclusion iii 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Purpose of this Report 1 1.2 The Eastleigh Borough Local Plan 1 1.3 Habitats Regulations Assessment 1 1.4 Scope and Structure of this Document 2 2 Methodology 5 2.1 Good Practice Guidance 5 2.2 Screening for Likely Significant Effects 6 2.3 The Appropriate Assessment Stage 7 2.4 Counteracting Measures 8 2.5 In Combination Effects 9 3 European Sites, Qualifying Features and Conservation Objectives 11 3.1 European Sites within the Scope of the Assessment 11 3.2 Special Areas of Conservation 15 3.3 Special Protection Areas 16 3.4 Ramsar Sites 19 3.5 Conservation Objectives for SAC and SPA 20 3.6 Conservation Objectives for Ramsar Sites 22 3.7 Condition Status 22 4 European Site Characterisation 25 4.1 SPA Bird Populations and Ecology 25 4.2 Solent and Dorset Coast pSPA 37 HRA for the Eastleigh Borough Local Plan: Submission stage June 2019 UE0247HRA- Eastleigh LP_8_190621 4.3 Qualifying Species of Special Areas of Conservation 39 4.4 Qualifying Habitats of Special Areas of Conservation 43 5 The Eastleigh Borough Local Plan 51 5.1 Introduction 51 5.2 Key Policy Proposals: EBLP Submission Version 51 5.3 Incorporated Mitigation Measures 52 6 Identifying Impact Pathways 59 6.1 Introduction 59 6.2 Atmospheric Pollution 59 6.3 Coastal Squeeze 74 6.4 Disturbance: Strategic Impacts 74 6.5 Disturbance: Site Specific Impacts (Noise and Vibration) 84 6.6 Hydrological Impacts: Strategic Growth Option 89 6.7 Land outside European Site Boundaries: Solent European Sites 99 6.8 Impacts on Otter outside European Site Boundaries 101 6.9 Non-native Species and Site-specific Hydrological Impacts 103 6.10 Water Abstraction 111 6.11 Water Pollution 118 6.12 Bridging the River Itchen SAC 127 6.13 Solent & Dorset Coast pSPA 129 7 Appropriate Assessment 131 7.1 Introduction 131 7.2 River Itchen SAC 131 7.3 Solent Maritime SAC 152 7.4 New Forest SPA 155 7.5 Solent & Southampton Water SPA/Ramsar 156 8 Mitigation Strategy 159 8.1 Introduction 159 8.2 Disturbance: Strategic Impacts 159 8.3 Noise and Vibration 160 8.4 Hydrological Impacts: Strategic Growth Option 160 8.5 Impacts on Otter outside European Site Boundaries 162 HRA for the Eastleigh Borough Local Plan: Submission stage June 2019 UE0247HRA- Eastleigh LP_8_190621 8.6 Non-native Species and Site-specific Hydrological Impacts 163 8.7 Water Abstraction 164 8.8 Water Pollution 165 9 Determining Adverse Effects on Integrity 167 9.1 Introduction 167 9.2 River Itchen SAC 168 9.3 Solent Maritime SAC 169 9.4 New Forest SPA 169 9.5 Solent & Southampton Water SPA/Ramsar 170 10 Summary and Conclusions 173 10.1 Summary of Findings 173 10.2 Conclusion 174 References and Bibliography 175 Appendix I: Screening Matrix A Appendix II: Southern Damselfly Transects in relation to Predicted Air Pollution Contours C Appendix III: Southern Damselfly Transects in relation to Predicted Nitrogen Deposition Fine Contours G Appendix IV: Field Survey Photos K Appendix V: Response to Representations M Appendix VI: Holohan Addendum O Appendix VII: Eastleigh Nitrogen Budget P Appendix VIII: Air Quality Technical Note R Disclaimer S HRA for the Eastleigh Borough Local Plan: Submission stage June 2019 UE0247HRA- Eastleigh LP_8_190621 List of Tables and Figures Table 2.1: Stages of HRA in guidance from Tyldesley & Chapman (2013) & DEFRA (2012) 5 Table 2.2: Screening categories (Source: Tyldesley & Chapman, 2013) 6 Table 3.1: European site qualifying features 13 Table 3.2: Conservation objectives for SAC and SPA 21 Table 4.1: WeBS Core Count data for Dark-bellied Brent Goose 26 Table 4.2: WeBS Core Count data for Black-tailed Godwit 27 Table 4.3: WeBS Core Count data for Common Tern 29 Table 4.4: WeBS Core Count data for Mediterranean Gull 31 Table 4.5: Distribution of Nightjars within SPA in Britain (JNCC, 2001) 33 Table 4.6: Distribution of Woodlarks within SPA in Britain (JNCC, 2001) 34 Table 4.7: Distribution of Dartford Warblers within SPA in Britain (JNCC, 2001) 36 Table 4.8: Distribution of Hen Harriers within SPA in Britain (JNCC, 2001) 37 Table 4.9: Summary of breeding populations of Sandwich tern within SPAs contributing to the foraging population of the Solent & Dorset Coast pSPA 38 Table 4.10: Summary of breeding populations of common tern within SPAs contributing to the foraging population of the Solent & Dorset Coast pSPA 38 Table 4.11: Summary of breeding populations of little tern within SPAs contributing to the foraging population of the Solent & Dorset Coast pSPA 39 Table 5.1: Incorporated mitigation measures 52 Table 6.1: Critical loads for N deposition in Fen, Marsh and Swamp 62 Table 6.2: Critical Levels for Ammonia within Fen, Marsh and Swamp habitats 67 Table 6.3: Critical loads for N deposition in Coastal Saltmarsh 68 Table 6.4: Proposed allocations falling within 5.6km Solent mitigation zone 76 Table 6.5: Proposed allocations falling with noise & vibration zones of influence 87 Table 6.6: Proposed allocations hydrologically connected with River Itchen SAC / Solent Maritime SAC 109 Table 6.7: WFD classifications for river, transitional and coastal water bodies (2015 Cycle) (Source: Amec Foster Wheeler, 2018): Eastleigh borough 120 Table 6.8: Summary of growth pressures on WWTW serving Eastleigh borough (Source: Amec Foster Wheeler, 2018) 125 Table 6.9: Eastleigh Borough Local Plan nitrogen budget 126 HRA for the Eastleigh Borough Local Plan: Submission stage June 2019 UE0247HRA- Eastleigh LP_8_190621 Table 7.1: Length of southern damselfly transects within the 1% threshold contour and >15kg/ha/year (NDep in combination using the ST traffic model) 136 Table 7.2: Population of southern damselfly associated with survey transects within impacted areas of the Itchen Valley. Transects at Ashtrim Nursery, Morris’ Land and Dunford’s Land, Bishopstoke, are outside of the SAC boundary 137 Table 7.3: Assessment against the River Itchen SAC conservation objectives 142 Figure 1.1: Local Plan Key Diagram 3 Figure 3.1: European sites 12 Figure 3.2: SSSI condition status 23 Figure 5.1: Proposed allocations (north-west) 54 Figure 5.2: Proposed allocations (north-east) 55 Figure 5.3: Proposed allocations (mid) 56 Figure 5.4: Proposed allocations (south) 57 Figure 6.1: Ammonia concentrations resulting from traffic modelling within Eastleigh Borough (Ammonia absolute change) 66 Figure 6.2: Solent Maritime nitrogen deposition, absolute changes in-combination and total nitrogen deposition (Defra model): M27 / A27 71 Figure 6.3: Solent Maritime nitrogen deposition, absolute changes in-combination and total nitrogen deposition (sensitivity test): M27 / A27 71 Figure 6.4: Solent Maritime nitrogen deposition, absolute changes in-combination and total Ndep (sensitivity test): M27 / A27, shown with European site boundaries 72 Figure 6.5: Solent Maritime nitrogen deposition, in-combination, total Ndep (sensitivity test): M27 / A27, shown with vegetation and European site boundaries 73 Figure 6.6: Proposed allocations falling within 5.6km Solent mitigation zone 78 Figure 6.7: Strategic Growth Option catchment overview (JBA, 2018) 91 Figure 6.8: Water environment constraints plan (JBA, 2018) 96 Figure 6.9: Proposed allocations affecting Brent goose & wader sites 102 Figure 6.10: Strategic otter corridors linking the River Itchen SAC with adjacent river catchments 104 Figure 6.11: Hampshire South Baseline Supply Demand Balance Dry Year Minimum Deployable Output (MDO) 114 Figure 6.12: Hampshire South Baseline Supply Demand Balance Dry Year Critical Period Planning Scenario (PDO) 114 Figure 6.13: Hampshire South Final Planning Supply Demand Balance Dry Year Minimum Deployable Output (MDO) 117 HRA for the Eastleigh Borough Local Plan: Submission stage June 2019 UE0247HRA- Eastleigh LP_8_190621 Figure 6.14: Hampshire South Final Planning Supply Demand Supply Demand Balance Dry Year Critical Period Planning Scenario (PDO) 117 Figure 6.15: Wastewater treatment catchments in Eastleigh borough 124 Figure 6.16: Cascade upstream of the bridge at Highbridge 128 Figure 6.17: Itchen Navigation downstream of the bridge at Highbridge looking downstream from east bank 130 Figure 6.18: Itchen Navigation downstream of the bridge at Highbridge looking upstream under the bridge from east bank. Note the absence of marginal and emergent vegetation 130 Figure 7.1: River Itchen nitrogen deposition, absolute changes in-combination and total nitrogen deposition (Defra model) 132 Figure 7.2: River Itchen nitrogen deposition, absolute changes in-combination and total nitrogen deposition (ST model) 133 Figure 7.3: Distribution of southern damselfly transects in relation to NDep 15kg/ha/yr critical load for Rich Fen and 1% exceedance contour in the lower Itchen Valley.