Greater Norwich Food Enterprise Zone Local Development Order Habitat Regulations Assessment (hra) Screening

1. 
   Introduction
   

1. 
   This Screening Assessment has been undertaken in order to support the Greater Norwich Food Enterprise Zone Local Development Order (LDO) which is proposed to be designated by Broadland District Council under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015
   

1.2 The aim of this screening is to assess whether there might be any potential impacts on ‘European Sites’ that may be affected by the proposed LDO. This report assesses, as far as practicable, whether there are any likely significant impacts on European Sites within relative proximity to the LDO area.

2. 
   Policy background
   

1. 
   Paragraph 19 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) states that “The Government is committed to ensuring that the planning system does everything it can to support sustainable economic growth. Planning should operate to encourage and not act as an impediment to sustainable growth. Therefore significant weight should be placed on the need to support economic growth through the planning system.” The NPPF also requires that investment in business should not be over-burdened by the combined requirements of planning policy expectations and that local planning authorities should consider using Local Development Orders to relax planning controls where impacts are acceptable, and in particular where this would promote economic, social or environmental gains for the area, such as boosting enterprise (Paragraph 199).
   

2. 
   Policy 5 of the Joint Core Strategy for Broadland, Norwich and South Norfolk (JCS) states that the rural economy and diversification will be supported by the development of a flagship food and farming hub serving the needs of Norfolk and supporting the agri-food sector in and around greater Norwich.
   

3. 
   Guidance for the delivery of a Food and Agriculture Hub for Broadland and South Norfolk Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) has been adopted. This identifies approximately 10ha of land being delivered as Phase I of the development.
   

3. 
   Description of development
   

1. 
   The area subject to the LDO comprises not more than 20 hectares of net developable area on what is currently agricultural fields bounded by landscaping/hedgerows.
   

2. 
   The land is situated approximately 7 miles west of Norwich city centre. The site lies west of Easton and south of the A47. The western boundary is defined by Blind Lane. The northern and eastern site boundaries are marked by hedgerows and isolated trees. The boundary to the south is defined by Church Lane recent planting has taken place along this boundary. See Appendix 1.
   

3. 
   Vehicular access to the site will be derived via a new spine road linking the development site to the Easton roundabout by reinstating art of the old A47 south of St Peters church. See Appendix 1.
   

4. 
   It is envisaged that this development represents Phase I in the creation of a ‘Greater Norwich Food Enterprise Zone’ which will be a major strategic development to support the agri-food sector both locally and within the wider UK food economy. The following uses are likely to be considered acceptable:
   

• 
  Agri-tech businesses which make use of the local agri-science base.
  
• 
  Processing of agricultural produce.
  
• 
  Manufacture of food products.
  
• 
  Storage and distribution of agricultural produce.
  
• 
  Storage and distribution of agricultural products (i.e. have undergone processing).
  
• 
  Storage and distribution of agricultural equipment, machinery and supplies.
  
• 
  Storage and distribution of livestock (eg. livestock market).
  
• 
  Haulage services related to the above storage and distribution.
  
• 
  Veterinary services.
  

4. 
   Legislative Basis
   

1. 
   Guidance for the delivery of a Food and Agriculture Hub for Broadland and South Norfolk Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) has been adopted. This identifies approximately 10ha of land being delivered as Phase I of the development.
   

2. 
   Article 6(3) of the EU Habitats Directive states that:
   

3. 
   The purpose of the Habitat Regulations Assessment is therefore to ensure the protection of European (Natura 2000) sites. These sites are designed to form an ecologically coherent network of designated sites across the whole of Europe. Referred to as ‘European Designated Sites’, Natura 2000 sites include Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas for Conservation (SAC). As a matter of policy the government also expect authorities to treat Ramsar sites, candidate SAC (cSAC) and proposed SPAs (pSPA) as if they are European sites for the purpose of considering development proposals that may affect them.
   

4. 
   As regards the LDO it is necessary to Screen for likely significant effects on European Sites. An LDO may not grant planning permission for development which is likely to have a significant effect on a European site or a European offshore marine site (either alone or in combination with other plans or projects); unless it is directly connected with or necessary to the management of the site (The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 Regulation 78). ‘European sites’ and ‘European offshore marine sites’ are defined in Regulation 8; principally Special Areas of Conservation and candidate Special Area of Conservation; Special Protection Area and candidate Special Protection Area; and Ramsar site and candidate Ramsar sites. A “European offshore marine site” means a European offshore marine site within the meaning of Regulation 15 of the 2007 Regulations (meaning of European offshore marine site) (Offshore Marine Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 2007).
   

5. 
   Planning permission granted by an LDO may be granted either unconditionally or subject to conditions or limitations as specified in the order (1990 Act Section 61C (1) and (2)). Therefore, if there are concerns relating to potential impacts on European Sites, it may be feasible and appropriate to address these through conditions applied to the LDO.
   

5. 
   Screening Assessment
   

1. 
   The Screening Assessment is carried out with regard to the Conservation Objectives of the European Sites considered to be within relative proximity to the LDO area.
   

2. 
   The first step of the screening process involves the identification of European Sites that are considered within close proximity of the LDO area. There is just one European site in relatively close proximity to the LDO area, the River Wensum SAC. Further afield are 3 other European sites: the Broadland SPA, the Broadland Ramsar and The Broads SAC. Full details of these sites can be found in Appendix 2 at the end of this report. None of these European Sites are within or adjacent the LDO site, the nearest being the River Wensum SAC approximately 2km distant (though a tributary of the Wensum, the River Tud, is some 800m away). Also the River Yare is some 2Km away. The River Wensum connects with the River Yare and this runs through the Broads SAC / Broadland SPA / Broadland Ramsar). The LDO site is adjacent the Natural England identified Impact Risk Zone related to the European Sites. As all these sites are based on water environments the potential impact on water flows or quality is a particular consideration.
   

3. 
   The LDO is intended to give permission in principle for future employment (B1, B2 and B8 uses) and ancillary development, specifically related to food and agriculture. Therefore, the assessment is to determine whether there is the potential for such uses to have an impact on the European Sites.
   

4. 
   The table below assesses whether there is a likely significant impact, direct or indirect on European Sites.
   

6. 
   Conclusion
   

1. 
   The Assessment above indicates that there is likely to be no significant effect of the LDO on the European Sites, and therefore a full Appropriate Assessment is not required. However, this may be subject to the inclusion of appropriate conditions within the LDO e.g. requiring that a water use and water disposal strategy.
   

1. 
   Site Description & Qualifying Features
   

• Water courses of plain to montane levels with the Ranunculion fluitantis and Callitricho-Batrachion vegetation.

• White-clawed (or Atlantic stream) crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes;

• Desmoulin`s whorl snail Vertigo moulinsiana;

• Brook lamprey Lampetra planeri, and;

• Bullhead Cottus gobio.
(ii) Conservation Objectives

The conservation objectives are to maintain in favourable condition, the:

• Water course of plain to montane levels with Ranunculion fluitantis and Callitrico-Batrachion vegetation.

and to maintain in favourable condition the habitats for the populations of:

• Bullhead;

• Brook lamprey;

• White-clawed crayfish, and;

• Desmoulin’s whorl snail.

This SAC is vulnerable to alterations in the channel form which may affect habitat diversity, and further development on the flood plain which might alter the flow regime of the river. The river's ecology is also at risk from input of silt and chemicals as a result of arable farming practices, from eutrophication, and may be threatened by water abstraction.

• Swamp

• ReedBed

• Fen meadow with ditches and water bodies, and

• Lowland wet grassland with ditches and water bodies.

via the Broads Plan. Efficient drainage within much of the reclaimed parts of the wetland has reduced the wildlife value.

and fen meadow. The region is important for recreation, tourism, agriculture and wildlife.

open water and woodland, and important associated plant species including the fen orchid, Liparis loeselii.

invertebrate fauna, and many Red Data Book and Nationally Scarce species occur here.

• 
  Hard oligo-mesotrophic waters with benthic vegetation of Chara spp.;
  
• 
  Natural eutrophic lakes with Magnopotamion or Hydrocharition-type vegetation;
  
• 
  Transition mires and quaking bogs;
  
• 
  Calcareous fens with Cladium mariscus and species of the Caricion davallianae, Priority feature;
  
• 
  Alkaline fens;
  
• 
  Alluvial forests with Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior (Alno-Padion, Alnion incanae, Salicion albae) Priority feature, and;
  
• 
  Molinia meadows on calcareous, peaty or clayey-silt-laden soils (Molinion caeruleae).
  

• 
  Desmoulin`s whorl snail Vertigo moulinsiana, and;
  
• 
  Otter Lutra lutra.
  

• 
  Open water;
  
• 
  Swamp, and;
  
• 
  Fen.
  

wetland, and works are currently proceeding under the Environment Agency Broads Strategy.