Supporting Documents for Download

Support

Representation ID: 26834

Received: 23/09/2021

Respondent: Natural England

We are satisfied that the methodology and baseline information used to inform the report appears to meet the requirements of the SEA Directive [2001/42/EC] and associated guidance. Furthermore the SA of the main modifications contains a robust assessment of the environmental effects of plan policies and allocations on statutorily (and non-statutorily) designated sites and landscapes including the Orwell Estuary SPA, SSSIs and the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB and has taken into account both our advice and the findings of the HRA.
We also wish to state that we support the recommendation for a coherent GI network, which would improve have multiple beneficial effects including improving access to nature, mitigation for recreational impacts on designates sites and improvements to local biodiversity.

Support

Representation ID: 26835

Received: 23/09/2021

Respondent: Natural England

Natural England notes that your authority, as competent authority, has undertaken an appropriate assessment of the proposal in accordance with regulation 63 of the Conservation of Species and Habitats Regulations 2017 (as amended). Natural England is a statutory consultee on the appropriate assessment stage of the Habitats Regulations Assessment process.
Your appropriate assessment concludes that your authority is able to ascertain that the proposal will not result in adverse effects on the integrity of any of the sites in question. Having considered the assessment, and the measures proposed to mitigate for all identified adverse effects that could potentially occur as a result of the proposal, Natural England advises that we concur with the assessment conclusions, providing that all mitigation measures are appropriately secured in any related planning permissions given.

Support

Representation ID: 26836

Received: 23/09/2021

Respondent: Natural England

In our previous consultation response on the above (dated 24th September 2021, our ref: 361910), we advised that:
• ‘having considered the assessment, and the measures proposed to mitigate for any adverse effects, it is the advice of Natural England that it is not possible to ascertain that the plan will not result in adverse effects on the integrity of the sites in question.’
• ‘the assessment does not currently provide enough information and/or certainty to justify the assessment conclusion and that your authority should not adopt the plan at this stage.’

The council has since provided further information and clarification on how this advice had already been captured by their core strategy policy DM8 and their active Suffolk Coast RAMS SPD. The council highlighted that the residential planning policies within the ‘Site Allocations and Policies (Incorporating IP-One Area
Action Plan) DPD’ outline site constraints only and compliance with the core strategy policy DM8 and RAMS SPD are sufficient to provides the necessary safeguards with respect to this issue.

On this basis, we agree with the councils reasoning and are now satisfied that the Plan will not result in adverse effects on the integrity of any of the European sites in question, providing that all mitigation measures are appropriately secured in any related planning permissions, consistent with the Plan policy. As such this advice supersedes our previous consultation letter (dated 24th September 2021, our ref: 361910).