Hambleton District Local Plan Habitats Regulations Assessment Hambleton District Council Project Number: 60535354 April 2019 Hambleton District Local Plan Habitats Regulations Assessment Quality information Prepared by Checked by Approved by Amelia Kent Isla Hoffmann Heap Dr James Riley Ecologist (Grad CIEEM) Senior Ecologist Technical Director Revision History Revision Revision date Details Authorized Name Position 0 17/08/18 Draft for client JR James Riley Technical Director review 1 23/10/2018 Final following JR James Riley Technical Director client comments 2 02/05/19 Updated following JR James Riley Technical Director amendments to plan Prepared for: Hambleton District Council AECOM Hambleton District Local Plan Habitats Regulations Assessment Prepared for: Hambleton District Council Prepared by: AECOM Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited Midpoint, Alencon Link Basingstoke Hampshire RG21 7PP United Kingdom T: +44(0)1256 310200 aecom.com © 2019 AECOM Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited. All Rights Reserved. This document has been prepared by AECOM Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited (“AECOM”) for sole use of our client (the “Client”) in accordance with generally accepted consultancy principles, the budget for fees and the terms of reference agreed between AECOM and the Client. Any information provided by third parties and referred to herein has not been checked or verified by AECOM, unless otherwise expressly stated in the document. No third party may rely upon this document without the prior and express written agreement of AECOM. Prepared for: Hambleton District Council AECOM Hambleton District Local Plan Habitats Regulations Assessment Table of contents 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 6 Background to the project ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Legislation ............................................................................................................................................................... 6 Report structure ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 2. Methodology .................................................................................................... 8 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................. 8 A proportionate assessment .................................................................................................................................... 8 The process of HRA ................................................................................................................................................ 9 Physical scope ...................................................................................................................................................... 10 The ‘in-combination’ scope – other plans and projects ......................................................................................... 10 Stage one: likely significant effect test (screening) ................................................................................................ 11 Stage two: appropriate assessment ...................................................................................................................... 11 Air quality impact assessment ............................................................................................................................... 12 3. Pathways of Impact ....................................................................................... 18 Recreational Pressure and Disturbance ................................................................................................................ 18 Loss of Functionally Linked Land .......................................................................................................................... 20 Increased Water Demand and Impacts on Water Quality...................................................................................... 21 Atmospheric Pollution ........................................................................................................................................... 24 4. Likely Significant Effects Test ........................................................................ 27 5. Appropriate Assessment: Recreational Pressure and Disturbance ............... 28 Appropriate Assessment in Combination .............................................................................................................. 28 6. Appropriate Assessment: Loss of Functionally Linked Land .......................... 31 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................... 31 Appropriate Assessment ....................................................................................................................................... 31 7. Appropriate Assessment: Atmospheric Pollution ........................................... 33 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................... 33 Appropriate Assessment ....................................................................................................................................... 33 8. Summary of Conclusions ............................................................................... 36 Appendix A European Designated Sites Background ............................................... 37 North Pennine Moors SAC and SPA ..................................................................................................................... 37 North York Moors SAC and SPA ........................................................................................................................... 39 North Pennine Dales Meadows SAC .................................................................................................................... 40 Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast SPA and Ramsar .............................................................................................. 41 Strensall Common SAC ........................................................................................................................................ 42 River Derwent SAC ............................................................................................................................................... 43 Appendix B Screening Tables .................................................................................. 45 Policies Screening Table ....................................................................................................................................... 45 Allocation Sites Screening Table ......................................................................................................................... 102 Appendix C Air Quality Analysis ............................................................................. 106 Figures Figure 1: Traffic contribution to concentrations of pollutants at different distances from a road (Source: DfT) ...... 13 Figure 2. Areas of water stress within England. ................................................................................................... 22 Prepared for: Hambleton District Council AECOM Hambleton District Local Plan Habitats Regulations Assessment Tables Table 2-1. Physical scope of the HRA ................................................................................................................... 10 Table 2-2. Location of Link Roads analysed within 200m of the European Designated Sites ............................... 13 Table 2-3. The Critical Load for the Target Habitats of the European Designated Site Investigated ..................... 16 Table 3-1: Main sources and effects of air pollutants on habitats and species ...................................................... 24 Table 4-1 Housing numbers within 7km of North York Moors SAC and SPA ......................................................... 28 Table 7-1. Hambleton District Local Plan Policies Screening Table ....................................................................... 45 Table 7-2. Hambleton District Local Plan Allocations Screening Table ................................................................ 102 Prepared for: Hambleton District Council AECOM Hambleton District Local Plan Habitats Regulations Assessment 1. Introduction Background to the project 1.1 AECOM was appointed by Hambleton District Council to assist in undertaking a Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) of the Publication Draft version of the New Local Plan for Hambleton (hereafter referred to as the ‘Local Plan’ or the ‘Plan’). The objectives of the assessment are to: Identify any aspects of the Local Plan that would cause an adverse effect on the integrity of Natura 2000 sites, otherwise known as European Sites which include Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) candidate SACs (cSACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and potential SPAs (pSPAs) and as a matter of Government policy, Ramsar sites, both in isolation and in combination with other plans and projects; and, To advise on appropriate policy mechanism for delivering