Special Areas of Conservation
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department provides on the assessment of cumulative and in-combination recreational impacts on Special Areas of Conservation where multiple housing developments and associated mitigation schemes are proposed within the same zone of influence; and whether such assessments should take account of (a) cross-use of mitigation areas, (b) shared rights of way and (c) cumulative visitor pressure on the protected site.
Answered by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The overarching policy framework for assessment of development impacts on Special Areas of Conservation is provided by the National Planning Policy Framework. There is also guidance on how to undertake Habitats Regulations Assessments on gov.uk. This policy and guidance make clear that assessment of impact should take into account instances where the impact of a number of projects may act and become significant in combination. It also follows from the guidance that developers and planning authorities will need to consider the multiple uses of land where this affects the likelihood of impacts and effectiveness of mitigation measures.
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