Recommended Habitats Regulations Assessment /

appropriate assessments 2010

The list of recommended HRA/AA reports below was compiled as follows: Riki Therivel e-mailed several hundred people in early January 2011, asking for recommendations for good HRA/AAs and compiled the responses. No attempt was made to specify in advance what is meant by ‘good practice’, or to vet the recommendations. Consultants were encouraged to – and often did – recommend reports prepared by their consultancies. The recommender’s name is shown in the final column. Inclusion of reports in this list does not mean that they are necessarily Habitats Directive/Regulations compliant, or even that the section being recommended is compliant!

It is hoped that the reports will give readers ideas for carrying out good HRA/AAs and inspiration for further improving the HRA/AA process. Feel free to share them and use them however you want. Please send any comments and/or your own recommendations to riki@levett-therivel.co.uk . This list, with active[1] web-links, is available on www.levett-therivel.co.uk, under ‘Appropriate assessment’.

A separate list of recommended strategic environmental assessments / sustainability appraisals has also been compiled. It is available from the same website.

AA/HRA is particularly good because…	AA/HRA for	Web-link to AA/HRA report	Recommended by…
	Ceredigion Local Development Plan	http://www.ceredigion.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=16076
	Regional Spatial Strategy for the North East: Addendum – Assessment of Further Proposed Changes and Final Conclusions	http://www.strategyintegrationne.co.uk/displaypagedoc.asp?id=1260	Congella McGuire, Clare County Council
1 (too long to include here – see below)	Hindhead concept statement*	http://www.waverley.gov.uk/downloads/CRA_Dec_10_1_.pdf	Roger Buisson, RPS
This AA is included as an exemplar in SNH HRA guidance http://www.snh.gov.uk/docs/B698695.pdf	Nigg Masterplan	http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourenvironment/planning/nigg.htm	Halcrow
It represents an extremely thorough, and succinct, analysis of the potential impacts on Natura 2000 sites, with its conclusions firmly backed up by detailed evidence.	Breckland District Council	http://80.82.124.74/sites/default/files/legacy_files/env.1.pdf	James Dawkins, RSPB
Possibly the first HRA in Bulgaria, prepared for a gold mine	Assessment on the Compatibility of Conservation Objectives of the Protected Zone Eastern Rhodope and Protected Zone Krumovitza with the Investment Proposal "Extraction and Processing of Gold-Bearing Ore from the Krumovgrad Exploration Area"		Martin Broderick, Golder Associates
Uses spatial mapping to highlight areas of potential impact to aid future decision making.	Carmarthenshire County Council Local Development Plan Preferred Strategy	http://www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/english/environment/planning/planning%20policy%20and%20development%20plans/local%20development%20plan/pages/habitatsregulationsassessment.aspx	Jacobs (Iona Pearson)
Given limited information it adopted a proactive approach (supported by NE) to making recommendations throughout the development of LTP3.	West Yorkshire’s Local Transport Plan 3 (LTP3)	http://www.wyltp.com/NR/exeres/9A7BE642-50F4-4439-B916-50870C0A9197	Amec Entec
Tracks complex sub-regional biodiversity issues over a lengthy plan-making period in a context of regional policy uncertainty, rapidly changing evidence base and absence of formal assessment guidance	Havant Borough Core Strategy HRA	http://www.havant.gov.uk/havant-10802	Nick Pincombe (UE Associates)
Comprehensive screening stage helps resolve potential impacts through policy amendments, avoiding likelihood of significant effects	South Buck District Core Strategy HRA	http://www.southbucks.gov.uk/includes/documents/cm_docs/2010/h/1_habitats_regulations_assessment.pdf	Nick Pincombe (UE Associates)
The AA is thorough and comprehensive, with a good summary of potential impacts, qualifying interests, conservation objectives and threats to each site, as well as acknowledge-ment of the data gaps in relation to SAC conservation plans and SPA status and threats (a main issue in the Republic of Ireland).	Draft Clare County Development Plan 2011-2017	http://www.clarecoco.ie/planning/publications/draft-clare-county-development-plan-2011-2017-volume-3-draft-habitats-directive-assessment-4878.pdf	Ainhoa González
It is a good example of integration with DPD preparation. Natural England supported the process and findings in its first consultation response.	Bournemouth Core Strategy and AAP	http://www.bournemouth.gov.uk/Residents/Planning_Development/Planning_Policy/Local_PLanning/LDF/CoreStrategy.asp http://www.bournemouth.gov.uk/Library/PDF/Living/Planning/Environment/Urban_Renewal_and_Design/AAP/Evidence/AAP-HRA-Report-091110.pdf	Land Use Consultants
	Atherton Reservoir	http://www.planning.colchester.gov.uk/WAM/doc/BackGround%20Papers-937617.pdf?extension=.pdf&id=937617&appid=1001&location=VOLUME1&contentType=application/pdf&pageCount=1	Stewart Thompson, Oxford Brookes University
Good use of “Source – Pathway – Receiver” to identify and assess the potential effects on European Sites.	Stratford upon Avon Core Strategy	http://www.stratford.gov.uk/files/seealsodocs/10830/Habitats%20Regulations%20Assessment%20for%20Consultation%20Core%20Strategy%20-%20March%202010.pdf	Rob Gardner – C4S
2 (too long to include here – see below)	Appraisal of Sustainability (AoS) for Defra’s Marine Policy Statement (MPS)	http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/marine-policy/100721-marine-policy-hra-report.pdf	Sophie Goodall, Senior Environmental Assessment Advisor, Environment Agency

1. Hindhead concept statement

"Particular features about it are:

· It is the assessment of a plan for the regeneration of a local area - not a whole planning authority's district and not a specific project.  With the Coalition Government's proposed planning law changes to promote local area/neighbourhood plans there may be an increasing need for assessment of plans at this local scale.

• It clearly explains the responses from Natural England during the several stages of iteration of the assessment - that iteration is a very important feature of the process that is downplayed in most guidance (other than Dodd et al 2007 The Appropriate Assessment of Spatial Plans in England: a guide to why, when and how to do it. The RSPB, Sandy)  and poorly recorded in many assessments - often they report on the final output omitting intermediate steps.
• Its evidence base is clearly set out and linked to the potential impacts and the assessment.  It avoids the crude and opaque 'traffic light tables' that in my opinion are really only adequate for the screening stage. 
• It recognises the current form of legislation produced by consolidation and amendment (the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010)  and adopts a new terminology of "Conservation Regulations Assessment" to reflect better the title of the current legislative form applying to England (the regulations apply to species as well as habitats)."

2. Marine Policy Statement

• Defra actively engaged with the responsible authorities throughout the AoS process and sought their expert advice and feedback
• Defra employed experienced, competent, sustainability consultants to develop the AoS – Hartley Anderson, Hyder and Levett-Therivel
• Defra held a very useful AoS Scoping workshop where they sought expert advice from the responsible authorities and other key stakeholders, therefore identifying & solving any major issues and differences of opinion early on
• Defra treated the AoS as a transparent process informally sharing several drafts of the AoS report with the responsible authorities, giving them the opportunity to help improve the AoS
• Defra and their consultants listened to expert advice and were open to suggestions for improvements from the responsible authorities. They took the majority of comments on the AoS scoping report and draft versions of the AoS report on board and made changes to the AoS process and final AoS and MPS documents as a result
• The AoS report was a clear, well written and effective document, which made helpful recommendations to improve the MPS
• The approach Defra and their consultants took for the AoS process was sound and met the requirements of the SEA Directive
• The assessment of alternatives within the AoS was very thorough

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[1] SA/SEA reports often have a fleeting e-life. Working web-link does not mean active web-link!