Ecological Mitigation in EIA Developments

Transcription

1 Ecological Mitigation in EIA Developments Tick-box exercise or ecological opportunity?

2 Outline Introduction to EIA & EcIA Introduction to ecological mitigation Assessing ecological mitigation in EcIA Chapters On Site Monitoring Implications What can be done?

3 EcIA Foundations EIA Directive (1985), Article 3 identify, describe and assess the effects of a project on: (a) human beings, fauna and flora; (b) soil, water, air, climate and the landscape; (c) material assets and the cultural heritage; (d) the interaction between these factors.

4 EcIA Building Blocks EIA Directive (1985), Annex IV A description of the measures envisaged to prevent, reduce and where possible offset any significant adverse effects on the environment.

5 Purpose of ecological mitigation Policy National Planning Policy Framework Natural Environment White Paper Biodiversity 2020 Strategy Legislation EIA Directive Transposed EIA legislation NERC Act CRoW Act Wildlife & Countryside Act No net loss of biodiversity Guidance CIEEM EcIA Guidelines Protected species / habitats guidelines Mitigation hierarchy

6 Checking that it works EcIA Chapter Including mitigation Detailed descriptions Estimates of likely success On Site Implementation Effectiveness

7 EcIA Chapters Submitted between Development sites in England Granted planning permission Any development sector Any planning authority 112 EcIA Chapters

8 Changes over time Review Study (chronological order) Spellerberg & Minshull (1992) Treweek et al. (1993) EcIA Year Range No. of EcIAs Geographic Distribution of EcIAs Planning Application Status UK All N/A UK All Comments Road EcIA chapters only RSPB (1995) UK All N/A Thompson et al. (1997) UK All N/A Treweek & Mitigation UK All Thompson (1997) only Byron et al. (2000) UK All Drayson (2012) England Granted permission Road EcIA chapters only N/A

9 Percentage of EcIA chapters (%) EcIA chapters including descriptions of proposed mitigation (1 of 3) Treweek et al. (1993) Thompson et al. (1997) Treweek & Thompson (1997) Review in time order Byron et al. (2000) Drayson (2012)

10 Percentage of EcIA chapters (%) EcIA chapters with detailed descriptions of any mitigation measures (2 of 3) Treweek et al. (1993) Thompson et al. (1997) Byron et al. (2000) Drayson (2012) Review in time order

11 Percentage of EcIA chapters (%) EcIA chapters indicating likely success of any proposed mitigation measures (3 of 3) Treweek et al. (1993) Thompson et al. (1997) Treweek & Thompson (1997) Byron et al. (2000) Drayson (2012) Review in time order

12 On Site Development Name Development Sector Determining Authority Year of Submission Lower Mill Estate Housing Cotswold District Council 1998 Oakley Vale Housing Corby Borough Council 1998 Kingsway Housing Gloucester City Council 2000 Whitemoor Phase 1 Transport Cambridgeshire County 2003 Council Enderby Park and Ride Transport Leicestershire County Council 2006 Caroline Chisholm School Education Northamptonshire County 2001 Council Midpoint Park II Industry / Business Birmingham City Council 2005

13 A picture is worth a thousand words The Good the Bad and the Ugly.

14 Implementation 15.8% 18.8% Fully implemented Partially implemented Not implemented 65.3%

15 Effectiveness (1 of 2) Of the 85 EcIA chapters I reviewed that proposed habitat mitigation measures,56.5% specified grassland creation, re-creation or restoration

16 Ecological management plan habitat description Effectiveness (2 of 2) Very poor similarity Poor similarity Fair similarity Acid grassland Calcareous grassland Marshy grassland Marshland Marginal Wet grassland Neutral grassland Reedbed Species-rich wet grassland Unimproved neutral grassland OV19 Poa annua-matricaria perforata MG5 Cynosurus cristatus-centaurea nigra OV19 Poa annua-matricaria perforata OV25 Urtica dioica - Cirsium arvense MG9 Holcus lanatus-deschampsia cespitosa MG6 Lolium perenne-cynosurus cristatus MG6 Lolium perenne-cynosurus cristatus S4 Phragmites australis MG6 Lolium perenne-cynosurus cristatus MG6 Lolium perenne-cynosurus cristatus Similarity Score using MATCH

17 Percentage of EcIA chapters (%) What about a monitoring programme? Treweek et al. (1993) RSPB (1995) Review in time order Drayson (2012)

18 Vicious circle Substandard EcIA chapters Little monitoring or enforcement LPAs with no / little ecological expertise Poor mitigation implementation Poor planning conditions / obligations

19 What can be done? CIEEM EcIA Guidelines EcIA library Periodic EcIA chapter review

20 Any Questions?