Habitats Regulations Assessment for Hartlepool Local Plan 2016 to 2031 Prepared by Graham Megson MSc, Hartlepool Borough Council Revision history Revision Date Details Prepared by Approved by 1 20/05/2016 First draft Graham Megson Sarah Scarr 2 10/11/2016 First revision Graham Megson Matthew King 3 27/07/2017 Second revision Graham Megson Matthew King 4 01/11/2017 Final revision Graham Megson Matthew King Rev 4 Amendments are shown in red. 1. Summary ....................................................................................................................... 7 2. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 9 3. Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA) .......................................................................... 10 3.1 Legislation ............................................................................................................. 10 3.2 HRA - the four stages ............................................................................................ 11 4. The Hartlepool Local Plan - HRA Stage 1 Screening ...................................................... 12 4.1 European Sites considered .................................................................................... 12 Table 1. European Sites considered in the screening process.................................... 12 4.2 Useful supplementary information - underlying SSSIs and condition status of units .................................................................................................................................... 13 4.3 HRA – Stage 1 European Sites – interest features, vulnerabilities & potential for adverse effects from Hartlepool Local Plan policies ..................................................... 14 Table 2. ....................................................................................................................... 14 Table 2a ...................................................................................................................... 16 Table 3. ....................................................................................................................... 16 Table 4. ....................................................................................................................... 17 Table 5. ....................................................................................................................... 18 Table 6. ....................................................................................................................... 19 Table 7. ....................................................................................................................... 21 Table 8. ....................................................................................................................... 22 Table 9. ....................................................................................................................... 22 Table 10. ..................................................................................................................... 23 Table 11. ..................................................................................................................... 25 Table 12. ..................................................................................................................... 25 5. HRA stage 1 screening ............................................................................................... 27 5.1 HRA stage 1 screening – Part A: initial analysis of the Hartlepool Local Plan policies for Likely Significant Effects (LSE) on European Sites. ................................................ 27 Table 13. Screening Analysis of Local Plan policies for potential adverse effects on the integrity of internationally designated sites. See also Appendix 2. .............................. 28 5.2 HRA stage 1 screening – Part B: Further analysis of the Hartlepool Local Plan policies for LSE on European Sites. ............................................................................ 42 4.3 HRA Stage 1 - findings .......................................................................................... 54 6. HRA Stage 2 - Appropriate Assessment of Policies HSG1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, EMP4 and LT1, LT3 ...................................................................................................................... 55 6.1 Bird and recreation studies ........................................................................................ 55 Table 14. Studies used to inform the HRA. ................................................................. 55 6.2 Bird populations – at designation (1995) ................................................................... 56 Table 15. T&CC SPA/ Ramsar Conservation Objectives ............................................. 56 Table 15A. Total number of waterbirds in Tees Estuary during five-year period 2011/2012 to 2015/16. ................................................................................................ 56 Figure 1. Tees Estuary species with BTO alerts and site issues. ................................. 57 6.3 Direct AEOI ............................................................................................................... 58 6.3.1 Direct AEOI on European Sites – habitat loss ..................................................... 58 6.4 Indirect AEOI ............................................................................................................. 59 6.4.1 Indirect AEOI on European Sites - Issue - Atmospheric pollution ........................ 59 6.4.2 Indirect AEOI on European Sites – Issue – nutrient enrichment via dog faeces. 60 6.4.3 Indirect AEOI on European Sites - Issue – Recreational disturbance ................. 60 Table 17. Beach visiting behaviour .............................................................................. 64 Table 18. Popular beaches .......................................................................................... 64 Table 19. Frequency of greenspace visits. .................................................................. 65 Table 20. Preference for types of greenspace. ............................................................ 65 Table 21. Preference of sites visited. ........................................................................... 66 Table 22. Means of travel to the beach. ....................................................................... 66 Table 23. Table of reports available which cover bird and/or recreational surveys in NE England. ...................................................................................................................... 68 Table 24. Percentage of recreation made up by dog walking and percentage of disturbance caused by dogs. ....................................................................................... 69 6.4.4 Indirect AEOI on European Sites - Issue – Loss of functional land ......................... 73 6.5 Indirect AEOI Conclusion .......................................................................................... 76 7. Mitigation ..................................................................................................................... 77 7.1 Actions to avoid and mitigate adverse impacts of Local Plan policies ........................ 77 7.2 Strategic guidance..................................................................................................... 77 7.3 Developer contributions ............................................................................................. 78 Table 25. Hartlepool Local Plan HRA funding formula - £/house. ............................... 79 7.3.1 Example of how mitigation has been secured to date (in the absence of appropriate policy wording). ........................................................................................ 79 Table 26. Recent Hartlepool housing applications. ...................................................... 80 7.3.2 Existing action plans ........................................................................................... 80 7.3.3 Suitable Alternative Natural Green Space .......................................................... 80 7.4 Local Plan Strategic Mitigation and Delivery Plan + monitoring programme .............. 81 7.4.1 Example 1 – access measures ........................................................................... 81 7.4.2 Example 1 - Little tern wardening ....................................................................... 81 7.4.3 Example 2 - Wider SPA wardening ..................................................................... 82 7.5 Hartlepool BC day to day service provision ............................................................... 82 7.5.1 Foreshore Management ..................................................................................... 82 7.5.2 Controlling dogs ................................................................................................. 82 Table 27. Key breeding and roosting sites ................................................................... 83 7.5.3 Public awareness ............................................................................................... 83 7.5.4 Monitoring: bird disturbance study ...................................................................... 84 7.5.5 Additional conservation measures ...................................................................... 84 7.6 Adequacy of mitigation proposals .............................................................................