Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and Ramsar sites

NE12: Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and Ramsar sites 1. Proposals are required to demonstrate no adverse effect on the integrity of Habitats sites (Aston Rowant Special Area of Conservation, Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation, Burnham Beeches Special Area of Conservation, Windsor Forest and Park Special Area of Conservation or Southwest London Waterbodies Special Protection Area / Ramsar site), either alone or in combination with other plans or projects, in line with the Habitats Regulations. 2. Development will be required to carry out a Habitats Regulations Assessment and apply the mitigation hierarchy. 3. Where development is located within an identified Exclusion Zone in relation to a Special Area of Conservation, development which could lead to increased recreational pressure will not be permitted. As shown on the Policies Map, the Plan defines a five hundred metres exclusion zone for residential development around Burnham Beeches SAC and Chilterns Beechwoods SAC (Ashridge Commons and Woods SSSI only). 4. Where development is located within an identified Zone of Influence in relation to a Special Area of Conservation, mitigation will be provided in the form of SANG/ Gateway and SAMM requirements, in line with the relevant Mitigation Strategy for that Special Area of Conservation or component part. As shown on the Policies Map, the Plan defines a Zone of Influence for Burnham Beeches SAC and Chilterns Beechwoods SAC (Ashridge Commons and Woods SSSI only). 5. In this plan, project-level SANGs allocations are made as part of the following strategic sites: a) Aylesbury North of A41 b) Aylesbury North NESS c) Aylesbury Land south A41 d) Cheddington NESS e) Land at Horton, Cheddington f) RAF Halton g) Stoke Mandeville NESS h) Wing NESS 6. The following sites, as shown on the Policies Map, are also allocated for strategic Suitable Alternative Natural Green Space: a) Kingsbrook Meadows, Aylesbury b) Land at Bell Lane, Chesham c) Spade Oak Lake, Little Marlow (see policy NE15 Little Marlow Lakes) 7. The following site, as shown on the Policies Map, is allocated for a Gateway: a) Land at Wards Hurst, Ringshall (Gateway – see policy NE14) 7.218 Habitat sites are the common name by which Special Areas of Conservation; Special Protected Areas and Ramsar sites are categorised. Candidate sites to these categories are also covered. Habitat sites have the highest level of environmental protection (see policy NE4). 7.219 Based on the Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) of the plan, the Habitats sites needing consideration as part of the plan are: a) Chilterns Beechwoods SAC – regarding recreational pressure, urbanisation, air quality and impact on functionally-linked habitat for stag beetle b) Burnham Beeches SAC – regarding recreational pressure, urbanisation, water resources (water quality, quantity, level and flow) and air quality c) Aston Rowant SAC – regarding air quality d) Windsor Forest and Great Park SAC – regarding air quality and recreational pressure e) South-West London Waterbodies SPA/Ramsar site – regarding public access/ disturbance, loss of functionally linked land, water resources (quantity, level and flow) and water quality. Figure 32: Map around central and southern Buckinghamshire showing Special Areas of Conservation and Southwest London Waterbodies Special Protection Areas 7.220 Buckinghamshire is home to part of the Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation (CBSAC), an extensive area that is designated and given the highest level of protection for its importance to nature. SACs often have a unique character and draw which can be difficult to replicate. The CBSAC is designated for its beech forests, semi-natural dry grasslands and scrub, and population of stag beetles, and forms part of the national site network 13. 7.221 The Chilterns Beechwoods SAC is made up of nine separate sites that are partly located across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire. a) Ashridge Commons and Woods SSSI (partly in Dacorum Borough Council) b) Aston Rowant Woods SSSI (part in Oxfordshire) c) Bisham Woods SSSI (Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead) d) Bradenham Woods, Park Wood and the Coppice SSSI e) Ellesborough and Kimble Warrens SSSI f) Naphill Common SSSI g) Pullingshill and Hollowhill Woods SSSI h) Tring Woodland SSSI (Dacorum BC) i) Windsor Hill SSSI 7.222 Buckinghamshire is also home to the Burnham Beeches SAC in the southeast of the County and is neighbouring the Aston Rowant SAC west of Stokenchurch, and Windsor Forest and Great Park SAC south of Windsor. They also form part of the national sites network: a) The Burnham Beeches SAC is designated for its beech forests. It is an extensive area of former beech wood-pasture with many old pollards and associated beech and oak forests. Surveys have shown that it is one of the richest sites for deadwood invertebrates in the UK, including 14 Red Data Book species. It also retains nationally important epiphytic communities. b) Aston Rowant SAC is designated for its rare lowland juniper scrub on chalk. It is one of the best remaining examples in the UK. c) Windsor Forest and Great Park SAC are designated for its oak and beech. It has the largest number of veteran oaks Quercus spp. in Britain (and in Europe), a consequence of its management as wood-pasture. It is also designated for the rare violet click beetle (one of only three sites in England). d) The South-West London Waterbodies SPA/Ramsar site are also potentially impacted by in-combination effects of the plan. They are designated is designated due to its internationally important populations of wintering waterbirds, particularly Gadwall and Northern Shoveler. The site comprises a network of reservoirs and former gravel pits that provide critical habitat for these species, especially during the non-breeding season. 7.223 The SACs and SPAs have conservation objectives that are in place to help their conservation and restoration, and to prevent the deterioration or significant disturbance of their qualifying 14 features. SACs also have Site Improvement Plans. 13 Following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, the national site network replaces the Natura 2000 ecological network. 14 i.e. the habitats or species for which they are legally protected. 7.224 We have a legal duty as the ‘competent authority’ under the Habitats Regulations to ensure the integrity of the Aston Rowant SAC, Burnham Beeches SAC and Chilterns Beechwoods SAC are not adversely affected by new planning proposals, either alone or in-combination with other plans or projects. 7.225 In relation to Chilterns Beechwoods SAC, an assessment in 2022 showed Ashridge Commons and Woods SSSI under pressure from recreational visits, affecting its conservation objectives. Ashridge Commons and Woods SSSI, situated on the Hertfordshire/Buckinghamshire border, forms a significant part of the Chilterns Beechwoods SAC, and is part of the Ashridge Estate, managed by the National Trust. 7.226 The Council's approach to protecting Ashridge Commons and Woods SSSI from adverse recreational impacts can be found in the Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation Mitigation Strategy 15, which was prepared in partnership with Natural England, the National Trust and the affected adjoining local authorities, Dacorum Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council and St Albans City and District Council. The Council continues to work collaboratively with the partner authorities to coordinate implementation and delivery. 7.227 The strategy sets out the types of development proposals that will be 'screened in' through the first stage of the Habitats Regulations Assessment and will require an Appropriate Assessment (stage 2). It also establishes an Exclusion Zone, a Zone of Influence, and mitigation measures that will be delivered through: a) Implementing a Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Strategy (SAMMS) at Ashridge Estate by the National Trust; and b) The provision of new or enhanced green space across the area comprising either Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace that absorbs recreational pressure, or a Gateway site, (see policies NE13 and NE14) that deflects recreational pressure away from Ashridge Commons and Woods SSSI. 7.228 The SAMMS measures are designed to directly manage, avoid, mitigate and monitor identified issues at Ashridge. The SAMMS tariff for each net new home built can be found on the Council's website. 7.229 The SAMMS measures and related charge will be reviewed every 5 years, in line with the Mitigation Strategy Cooperation Agreement. The National Trust is also preparing a spatial plan to guide the future management of the Ashridge Estate. 7.230 At Burnham Beeches, a similar issue relating to adverse recreational impacts requires mitigation in the form of alternative SANG and SAMM payments. Hydrological pathways are also a potential concern. The Council is working with partners and is developing a revised Mitigation Strategy for Burnham Beeches, to provide consistency across the former district areas. The policy defines an Exclusion Zone for residential development and refers to a Zone of Influence of 5.6km Within the ZOI, development that would result in adverse effect to the SAC is required to mitigate its impacts by providing SANG and SAMMs contributions. In time the mitigation strategy will replace the adopted Burnham Beeches SPD. 15 Chiltern Beechwoods SAC Mitigation Strategy 7.231 Key evidence studies drawn upon in preparing the Plan's policy comprise: a) Submitted Dacorum Borough Council Local Plan, associated Habitats Regulations Assessment of the Dacorum Local Plan (October 2024) and examination supporting evidence. b) Habitats Regulations Assessment Appropriate Assessment for this local plan c) Buckinghamshire Chilterns Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation Mitigation Strategy. d) Visitor survey16, recreation impact assessment and mitigation requirements for the Chilterns Beechwoods SAC and the Dacorum Local Plan, 2022. e) Burnham Beeches Supplementary Planning Document (2020). f) Visitor surveys Burnham Beeches 7.232 The Local Plan for Buckinghamshire Habitats Regulations Assessment has concluded that avoidance and mitigation should be considered where increased recreational use is predicted to cause adverse impacts on a site (all Habitats sites apart from Aston Rowant SAC). Avoidance of recreational impacts at Habitat sites involves locating new residential development further away (where possible). Strategic plans, such as Local Plans provide the mechanism for this. Where avoidance of impacts is not possible, mitigation will usually involve a mix of access management, habitat management and provision of alternative recreational space. The HRA concluded that the plan would not result in adverse effects given the plan policy framework and subject to the mitigation strategies being implemented. 7.233 The Plan allocates Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspaces (SANG) both as part of key strategic sites and as standalone strategic SANGs, as well as a Gateway site. The Plan also sets out SANG and Gateways principles for these – and others – to come forward within the lifetime of the Plan. In doing so, the Plan provides a strong strategic framework, to sufficiently mitigate any potential adverse effects on the designated sites, alone and in combination with other plans and projects. Project levels HRAs will still be required as part of the planning process. 7.234 We will continue to monitor the SACs over the lifespan of the Plan and update the Chilterns Beechwoods SAC Mitigation Strategy and Burnham Beeches SAC Mitigation Strategy to reflect updated evidence. This may include adding mitigation measures for further impact pathways or component sites of the SAC. 7.235 In relation to recreational impacts at other sites, the HRA concludes no adverse effects arising from the plan alone or in combination. 7.236 In relation to the other potential impact pathways, the HRA of the Plan concludes that there are no adverse effects arising of the plan alone or in combination with respect to Functionally Linked Land and Air quality. 7.237 The HRA also concludes that Policy IN2 ensures that there will be adequate wastewater treatment provision for all development that could potentially impact Southwest London Waterbodies SPA/Ramsar. Additionally, Policy NE1 Water quality requires development to not 16 New surveys are being prepared, and outputs are expected to be available in March 2026. adversely affect the water quality of surface or underground water bodies. This existing legal requirement and policy framework ensures that there will not be an adverse effect of the LDFP on Burnham Beeches SAC with regards to this impact pathway. 7.238 The Burnham Beeches Hydrology Study has defined a catchment area within which reductions in permeability may impact the water quantity and level within the SAC. There are no sites allocated for development within this hydrological catchment. Given this it is concluded that the LPFB will have no adverse effects on integrity of the Habitats site following appropriate analysis via this impact pathway.