The Local Plan 2021-2040 has been subject to Habitat Regulations Assessment throughout, to evaluate the potential effects that Plan policies may have on designated international biodiversity sites within the Borough and beyond, known as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Ramsar sites
About Habitat Regulations Assessment
Throughout the Local Plan process (since 2016), the Local Plan 2021-2040 has been subject to Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA). The current legal framework for HRA is set out in The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (as amended).
The Regulations require local authorities to assess the impact of their Local Plan on the internationally important sites for biodiversity in and around their administrative areas. That is, SACs, SPAs and Ramsar sites, collectively referred to as “European sites”.
The HRA asks specific questions of the Local Plan, through the following process:
- ‘Screening’, to identify if there is a risk that certain policies or allocations may have a ‘likely significant effect’ on a European site, alone or (if necessary) in-combination with other plans and projects.
- If the risk of likely significant effects can be ruled out, then the plan may be adopted but if they cannot, the plan must be subjected to the greater scrutiny of an ‘appropriate assessment’ to find out if the plan will have an ‘adverse effect on the integrity’ of the European sites.
Given that the Local Plan includes significant proposals for growth, it was virtually inevitable that a full HRA would be needed, to meet the requirement for ‘appropriate assessment’.
HRA documents
The Local Plan HRA consists of the following suite of documents (including Examination Library references):
- A4 - Habitats Regulations Assessment (May 2021)
- F97 - GTTS Habitat Regulations Assessment Report, May 2024
- F105 - List of RAMSAR Sites
- F106 - List of Special Areas of Conservation
- F107 - List of Special Protection Areas
- F120 - Habitat Regulations Assessment update July 2024
- F120a - HRA Appendix 3 Addendum
- F124 - Habitats Regulations Assessment of Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Sites (September 2024)
The whole plan was subject to HRA, prior to submission (A4, above). This was supplemented by focused updates prepared for the Local Plan examination process (March 2022 – January 2025) – F97, F105, F106, F107, F120/ F120a and F124.