Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area

On 9 March 2005 the Government designated areas of heathland within the Thames Basin as the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area under the Conservation (Natural Habitats & c) Regulations 1994 (Habitats Regulations), in compliance with the European Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds 79/409/EEC (Birds Directive) and the Directive on the Conservation of natural habitats and species 92/43/EEC (Habitats Directive). It has been identified as an internationally important habitat for three rare species of ground nesting birds - the Dartford Warbler, Nightjar and Woodlark - and covers areas of heathland across 11 local authority areas in Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire. Within Elmbridge the area covers Chatley Heath, part of the Ockham and Wisley Commons Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This heathland lies to the south of the Borough, in an area located between the M25, the A3 and the Borough boundary.

• |Map showing the whole extent of the SPA
• |Map showing the extent of the SPA within Elmbridge

How does the Thames Basin Heaths SPA affect Elmbridge?

Natural England, who is the Government's adviser on issues concerning England's natural environment, consider that the intensification of residential development up to a distance of 5km away from the Special Protection Area (SPA) would result in a range of pressures with adverse effects on the protected habitat. As a consequence, within 400m (linear) of the SPA it is not considered possible to avoid or mitigate the impacts of new development, and as such there will be a presumption against new housing development within this zone. Between 400m to 5km (linear) of the SPA, mitigation must accompany new residential development in the form of the provision of Suitable Accessible Natural Greenspace (SANG) to attract informal recreation users, such as walkers and dog walkers, away from the SPA. This can be in the form of new open space, or the improvement of existing open space to increase its capacity for informal recreation to a minimum standard of 8 hectares per 1,000 population. This is combined with access management and monitoring measures to manage recreational pressure on the SPA itself. Without mitigation, planning applications for new housing development between 400m and 5km of the SPA would be refused.

A Joint Strategic Partnership Board (JSPB) was set up to take forward, agree and deliver the mitigation and avoidance measures identified. The board comprises representatives of the affected local authorities, Natural England, Wildlife Trusts, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, landowners, amongst others. In 2009, the Board agreed a |Joint Delivery Framework, which sets out details of mitigation and avoidance measures to avoid adverse impact on the SPA.

How are we working to address the SPA issue in Elmbridge?

In view of the need to put in place mitigation measures as soon as possible the Council produced an Interim Mitigation Strategy. Following consideration of the Draft Interim Mitigation Strategy for Elmbridge by the Council's Planning Committee in November 2006, the Strategy was made available for public comment for a four week period (November/December 2006). An analysis of the responses received, and amendments to the Interim Mitigation Strategy consequent upon the consultation responses, were considered by the Councils Planning Committee at its meeting on 20 February 2007, when it was recommended that, inter alia, the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area Interim Mitigation Strategy for Elmbridge be approved by Council.

The Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area Interim Mitigation Strategy for Elmbridge was adopted by Council on 11 April 2007. The Interim Mitigation Strategy sets out the Council's approach to mitigating the adverse effects of new residential development on the SPA through the provision of SANG funded by way of a tariff applied to all new dwellings within 5km of the SPA.

• |Interim Mitigation Strategy
• |Interim Mitigation Strategy - Appendix 1
• |Interim Mitigation Strategy - Appendices 2-4

An Addendum to the Interim Mitigation strategy has been produced to deliver the second element of mitigation - strategic access management and monitoring on the SPA itself (Addendum 1). This project has been developed through the Access Management Partnership which was set up through the JSPB. It is coordinated strategically and jointly funded through developer contributions by way of a tariff applied to all new dwellings within 5km of the SPA, collected across the 11 affected authorities. The Addendum was subject to consultation in summer 2010 and was adopted by the Council on 6 October 2010. At the same time some minor changes were agreed to the SANG tariff contained in the Interim Mitigation Strategy to align it with the approach to calculating contributions taken in the Addendum and the Planning Obligations and Infrastructure SPD (Addendum 2). This replaces the tariff set out in the current Interim Mitigation Strategy.

• |Addendum 1 - Addition of tariff for Strategic Access Management and Monitoring
• |Addendum 2 - Revised SANG tariff

What next

The composite Interim Mitigation Strategy will be reviewed and updated in due course to fully incorporate information on access management and monitoring contributions and to ensure it covers the period up to 2026. This will be produced as part of the Infrastructure and Affordable Housing Delivery Plan. For more information see the |Local Development Scheme.