Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) Strategic Habitat Regulation Assessment (HRA) of the South Hampshire Strategy INTERIM For Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) Project Number: 11718 May 2016 Campbell Reith Hill LLP Raven House 29 Linkfield Lane Surrey RH1 1SS T: +44(0)1737 784500 F: +44(0)1737 784501 E: [email protected] W: www.campbellreith.com Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) Strategic Habitat Regulations Assessment Document History and Status Revision Date Purpose/Statu File Ref Author Check Review s D1 06/11/2015 Draft AHah06112015 AH SMG SMG D2 12/04/2016 Draft AHah-11718- AH SMG SMG 120416- PUSHStrategicHab itatRegulationsAss essment-D2 D3 13/05/2016 D3 AHah-11718- AH SMG SMG 130516- PUSHStrategicHab itatRegulationsAss essment-D3 F1 20/05/16 F1 AHah-11718- AH SMG SMG 1200516- PUSHStrategicHab itatRegulationsAss essment-F1 This document has been prepared in accordance with the scope of Campbell Reith Hill LLP’s (CampbellReith) appointment with its client and is subject to the terms of the appointment. 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The contents of this document are not to be construed as providing legal, business or tax advice or opinion. © Campbell Reith Hill LLP 2016 Document Details Last saved 20/05/2016 09:40 Path AHah-11718-200516-PUSHStrategicHabitatRegulationsAssessment-F1 Author Alice Hoy Project Partner David Innes Project Number 11718 Project Name PUSH Spatial Strategy Structural Civil Environmental Geotechnical Transportation AHah-11718-200516-PUSHStrategicHabitatRegulationsAssessment-F1.docx i Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) Strategic Habitat Regulations Assessment Contents 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1 2.0 Methodology .............................................................................................................................8 3.0 Baseline Study: PUSH area and European Sites ............................................................................10 4.0 European Sites: Impacts and Receptors ......................................................................................23 5.0 Screening ................................................................................................................................. 30 6.0 Consideration of European Designated Sites ................................................................................41 7.0 PUSH Spatial strategy options European Designated Site Appraisal ................................................ 43 8.0 Mitigation ................................................................................................................................. 47 9.0 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................. 54 Appendices Appendix A: PUSH Boundary Appendix B: JNCC Data forms Appendix C: HRA-lite screening-out process Tables Table 1: European Designated Sites within and surrounding the PUSH boundary as outline in the spatial strategy ............................................................................................................................................. 10 Table 2: European Sites screened out in 2009 HRA work in the PUSH region ........................................... 22 Table 3: Air Pollutants and Effects ....................................................................................................... 23 Table 4: Coastal Management Defence Strategies ................................................................................. 25 Table 5: Vulnerabilities for each European Designated Site within the PUSH area ..................................... 27 Table 6: Vulnerabilities for each European Designated site within a 20km radius of the PUSH boundary ..... 28 Table 7: Vulnerabilities outside the 20km radius of the PUSH boundary but still likely to be affected by the PSS. .................................................................................................................................................. 28 Table 8: PUSH policies and associated potential environmental impacts .................................................. 34 Table 9: In-combination effects screening matrix .................................................................................. 40 Table 10: Screened-out sites listed outside of the 20km PUSH radius and sites considered for further screening ........................................................................................................................................... 41 Table 11: Potential Effects and on Screened-in European Sites ............................................................... 42 Table 12: High-level mitigation measures ............................................................................................. 47 AHah-11718-200516-PUSHStrategicHabitatRegulationsAssessment-F1.docx ii Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) Strategic Habitat Regulations Assessment ABBREVIATIONS Acronym Abbreviation AA Appropriate Assessment EcIA Ecological Impact Assessment Ha Hectares Interim Solent Recreation Mitigation ISRMS Strategy NPPF National Planning Policy Framework PP Precautionary Principle PSS PUSH: Spatial Strategy Partnership for Urban South PUSH Hampshire SA Sustainability Appraisal SA Sustainability Appraisal SAC Special Area of Conservation SCI Site of Community Importance SE Plan South East Plan SHRA Strategic Habitat Risk Assessment SPA Special Protected Areas WwTW Wastewater Treatment Works SRMP Solent Recreation Mitigation Strategy NMP National Mitigation Plan iSRMS Interim Solent Management Strategy NE Natural England PR19 Price Review Package AHah-11718-200516-PUSHStrategicHabitatRegulationsAssessment-F1.docx iii Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) Strategic Habitat Regulations Assessment 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1. Overview 1.1.1. Campbell Reith Hill LLP (herein referred to as CampbellReith) have been appointed by the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) to undertake a Strategic Habitat Regulations Assessment (SHRA) in order to assist the process of a spatial strategy for the PUSH region regarding European sites. The guidelines for HRAs have been adopted in order to provide a high level document that will accompany the PUSH Spatial Strategy in order to identify constraints during early stages of planning 1.1.2. Habitat Regulation Assessments are a legal obligation when proposing development within European-designated sites. European designated sites, such as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Areas (SPA) and RAMSAR sites are afforded strict protection under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 (as amended)1. The HRA provides an assessment in identifying any likely significant effects on the European Sites; comprising of screening, scoping and assessing mitigation measures of the site alongside associated policy and legislation to determine the appropriateness of development and validation of site. If any significant effects are identified within the region on EU Designated Sites, full mitigation and avoidance measures will be determined. 1.1.3. The PUSH Spatial Strategy proposes the development of housing whilst encouraging employment which increases recreational pressures; discharging into water courses; noise and air pollution; and disturbance of species and habitats. As the region spreads over many boundaries, PUSH provides coordination between authorities whereby they would often require separate consent. The PUSH boundary can be found in Appendix B. The PUSH Spatial Strategy is a non-statutory document, providing a strategy as opposed to a development plan. The SHRA will assist the Spatial Strategies as constraints can be identified early during the initial stages of proposed development to determine any significant impacts to the European Designated Sites. This adapted Habitat Regulations Assessment will hereafter be referred to as the ‘Strategic Habitat Regulations Assessment’ (SHRA). 1.1.4. This SHRA applies to the PUSH Spatial Strategy Draft Report (2015) 2 . As advised by the Guidance on competent authority coordination under the Habitats Regulations (2012)3 ; the HRA-lite Technical Report4, published in September 2012 by Lepus Consulting has been used as a baseline for this report. 1.1.5. The structure and output of this SHRA is as follows: Assess the background of the SRHA Provide an overview on the PUSH Spatial Strategy and SE Plan Methodology process for the adapted SHRA Undertake a baseline study for European Sites, Local Policy HRA’s and previously screened sites 1 Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations (2010) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/490/contents/made 2 G L Hearn (December, 2015) South Hampshire Spatial Strategy: Draft for Consultation, Partnership for Urban South Hampshire. 3 DEFRA (2012) Guidance on competent authority coordination