Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA)
As part of the evidence base to support the Local Plan Review a ‘Habitats Regulations Assessment’ has been produced. Further iterations of the HRA will assess any changes to the Local Plan Review and will be published alongside the Regulation 19 Local Plan and submitted with it for examination by the Planning Inspectorate.
The Habitats Regulations Assessment looks at the impact of the Local Plan Review on the 20 European Habitats Sites within or nearby the South Downs National Park. These are:
- Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) – designated for habitat types and species considered to be most in need of conservation at a European level (excluding birds);
- Special Protection Areas (SPA) – classified for rare and vulnerable birds and for regularly occurring migratory species; and
- Ramsar Sites – wetlands which are of international significance.
The 20 sites are:
- Arun Valley SAC/SPA/Ramsar
- Ashdown Forest SAC and SPA
- Butser Hill SAC
- Castle Hill SAC
- Chichester and Langstone Harbours SPA/Ramsar
- Duncton to Bignor Escarpment SAC
- East Hampshire Hangers SAC
- Ebernoe Common SAC
- Kingley Vale SAC
- Lewes Downs SAC The Mens SAC
- Pagham Harbour SPA and Ramsar
- River Itchen SAC
- Rook Clift SAC
- Shortheath Common SAC
- Singleton and Cocking Tunnels SAC
- Solent and Dorset SPA
- Solent Maritime SAC
- Wealden Heaths Phase II SPA
- Woolmer Forest SAC
Impacts are assessed using ‘impact pathways’. There are seven potential impact pathways which could link to development within the South Downs National Park. These are recreational pressure, atmospheric pollution, water quality, nutrient neutrality, water quantity, loss of functionally linked habitat and urbanisation.
An initial screening process considers impacts without mitigation. If there is a ‘likely significant effect’ then an ‘appropriate assessment’ is carried out to determine whether the Local Plan Review is likely to result in an adverse effect on the integrity of the protected sites alone or in combination with other plans and projects.
Further iterations of the HRA will assess any changes to the Local Plan Review and will be published alongside the Regulation 19 Local Plan and submitted with it for examination by the Planning Inspectorate.