Greater Cambridge Local Plan HRA Scoping Report

Comment

Representation ID: 50214

Received: 24/02/2020

Respondent: Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE)

The Town Hall, Market Hill, The Old Riverport, St Ives, Cambs. PE27 5AL
01480 396698 www.cprecambs.org.uk
Registered charity number 242809
Responses To Consultation.
Greater Cambridge Local Plan Habitats Regulations Assessment Scoping Report
1. CPRE finds the Habitats Regulations Assessment Scoping Report to be comprehensive and clear.
2. Statutory Habitats Regulations Assessment is limited to impact upon wildlife sites of international designation and importance and these appear to have been correctly identified in the Scoping Report.
3. However, Cambridgeshire contains many important and complementary wildlife sites with national designations. For example the Berry Fen SSSI near Earith which is used by species from the Ouse Washes RAMSAR site.
For a full list of SSSIs in Cambridgeshire, see below:
• Alder Carr
• Aversley Wood
• Balsham Wood
• Barnack Hills & Holes
• Bassenhally Pit
• Bedford Purlieus
• Berry Fen
• Bonemills Hollow
• Brackland Rough
• Brampton Meadow
• Brampton Racecourse
• Brampton Wood
• Buff Wood
• Caldecote Meadows
• Cam Washes
• Carlton Wood
• Castor Flood Meadows
• Castor Hanglands
• Cherry Hinton Pit
• Chettisham Meadow
• Chippenham Fen and Snailwell Poor's Fen
• Delph Bridge Drain
• Dernford Fen
• Devil's Dyke
• Dogsthorpe Star Pit
• Elsworth Wood
• Ely Pits and Meadows
• Eversden and Wimpole Woods
• Fleam Dyke
• Fowlmere Watercress Beds
• Fulbourn Fen
• Furze Hill
• Gamlingay Wood
• Godmanchester Eastside Common
• Gog Magog Golf Course
• Grafham Water
• Great Stukeley Railway Cutting
• Great Wilbraham Common
• Hardwick Wood
• Hayley Wood
• Hemingford Grey Meadow
• Hildersham Wood
• Holland Hall (Melbourn) Railway Cutting
• Holme Fen
• Houghton Meadows
• Kingston Wood and Outliers
• L-Moor, Shepreth
• Langley Wood
• Little Catworth Meadow
• Little Paxton Pits
• Little Paxton Wood
• Madingley Wood
• Monks Wood and The Odd Quarter
• Nene Washes
• Orton Pit
• Orwell Clunch Pit
• Ouse Washes
• Out and Plunder Woods
• Overhall Grove
• Papworth Wood
• Park Wood
• Perry Woods
• Portholme
• Roman Road
• Sawston Hall Meadows
• Snailwell Meadows
• Soham Wet Horse Fen
• Southorpe Meadow
• Southorpe Paddock
• Southorpe Roughs
• St Neots Common
• Stow-Cum-Quy Fen
• Sutton Heath and Bog
• Ten Wood
• Thriplow Meadows
• Thriplow Peat Holes
• Upware North Pit
• Upwood Meadows
• Wansford Pasture
• Warboys and Wistow Woods
• Waresley Wood
• Weaveley and Sand Woods
• West, Abbot's and Lound Woods
• Whitewater Valley
• Whittlesford - Thriplow Hummocky Fields
• Wicken Fen
• Wilbraham Fens
• Woodwalton Fen
• Woodwalton Marsh
• Adventurers' Land
• Barrington Chalk Pit
• Barrington Pit
• Ely Pits and Meadows
• Eye Gravel Pit
• Histon Road
• Shippea Hill
• Traveller's Rest Pit
• Upware Bridge Pit North
• Upware South Pit
• Warboys Clay Pit
4. Cambridgeshire contains 51 City Wildlife Sites and 368 County Wildlife Sites. Many of these locally designated sites are significant for protection of rare and endangered species. Full details of these locally designated sites can be obtained from the County Council web site: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/libraries-leisure-culture/arts-green-spaces-activities/nature-conservation-sites
5. Whilst CPRE fully understands that these sites will not be considered by a statutory HRA Assessment, we do consider that a list of those which are likely to be affected by the GCP Local Plan should be constructed and the potential effects upon them should be assessed by a competent body such as part of the next stage of the Local Plan process.
6. CPRE is very aware of the positive effects upon wildlife (and residents) of dark skies and tranquility. Note CPRE’s national Tranquility Resources at https://www.cpre.org.uk/resources/tranquility-map-england/ . We consider that the negative effects of the proposed GCP Local Plan on both tranquility and dark skies should be considered in both the statutory HRA and national/local wildlife site risk assessment.
7. Although not a statutory requirement, CPRE considers that any impacts on the proposed UNESCO designation of the Fens Biosphere https://fenlandbiosphere.wordpress.com/the-fenland-biosphere-journey/ should also be considered as part of the HRA process.
8. Habitat assessors should avail themselves with information from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Environmental Records Office to help them to ensure comprehensive studies are undertaken.
9. The effects of proposed businesses, schools, shops etc. on strategic habitats should also be considered. Current practice is to focus assessment on the number of dwellings.