nutrient management plans for natura 2000 sites presentations/dp18/1.3.2 steve mustow.pdfnatura 2000...
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Nutrient Management Plans for Natura 2000 SitesBalancing the requirement for nutrient pollution control with the need for new development
Dr Steve MustowDirector – Head of Environmental Planning, WYG18 July 2018
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Outline
• Background to NMPs for Natura 2000 Sites
• Overview of NMPs for
– Hampshire Avon
– River Wye
– River Clun
– River Mease
– Poole Harbour
• How new development is addressedin these NMPs
• Conclusions
2
NMP
Legislative Background to NMPs for Natura 2000 Sites
Primary driver
To provide evidence for Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA)
Secondary driver
To provide the evidence to underpin a strategy to achieve the wider Habitats / Birds Directives & WFD targets
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Further Background to NMPs for Natura2000 Sites
• Improvement Programme for England’s Natura 2000 Sites (IPENS) has developed a Site Improvement Plan (SIP) covering each Natura 2000 site
• An Integrated NMP is recorded in eight SIPs
• NMP provides a mechanism for tackling water pollution where excessive nitrogen and / or phosphorus loading requires a combined approach that addresses diffuse sources AND point discharges
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Natura 2000 Sites Where Water Pollution is an Issue
Source: Improvement Programme for England’s Natura 2000 Sites (IPENS) Planning for the future. Programme Report – a summary of the programme findings, Natural England, 2015
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River Avon SAC NMP for Phosphorus
Date of publication 2015
Natura 2000 Site(s) River Avon SAC (Avon Valley SPA)
Nutrients of concern Phosphorus
Key Issues Phosphorus preventing favourable conservation status being achieved
across the catchment
Key measures
proposed
Point sources:
• Further action on point sources to be considered during the next
round of the periodic review of the water industry in 2019
• Measures relating to fish farms and cress farms
Diffuse sources:
• Range of agri-environmental measures
River Avon Special Area of Conservation Nutrient Management Plan for Phosphorus
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River Wye SAC NMP
Date of publication 2014
Natura 2000 Site(s) River Wye SAC
Nutrients of concern Phosphorus
Key Issues Reaches where the levels of phosphate exceed the target level in the
conservation objectives
Key measures
proposed
Point sources:
• Develop a suite of schemes for submission to AMP7
• Investigate effects of preventing infiltration to the sewer network
• Retrofit SuDS feasibility study
Diffuse sources: Range of measures, e.g.
• Promote the development of integrated soil, water and nutrient
management plans for farms
• Encourage the use of winter storage reservoirs within the horticultural
sector
River Wye SAC Nutrient Management Plan Evidence Base and Options Appraisal. Environment Agency & Natural England. 14th May 2014.
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River Clun SAC NMP
Date of publication 2014
Natura 2000 Site(s) River Clun SAC
Nutrients of concern Phosphorus, Nitrogen (and Sediment)
Key Issues SAC is designated for freshwater pearl mussel. However, surveys since 1995
have shown that the population is non-functioning
Key measures
proposed
Point sources:
• 75% reduction of catchment phosphate loads from STW effluent
Diffuse sources:
• Reversion to semi natural vegetation in half of the Clun catchment to
meet the long term phosphate target of 0.01mg/l
• Key agri-environmental measures identified through use of FARMSCOPER
(a large compliance gap is still predicted for nitrogen even after
implementation of these measures)
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River Mease SAC NMP
Date of publication 2011
Natura 2000 Site(s) River Mease SAC
Nutrients of concern Phosphorus
Key Issues Excessive levels of phosphate preventing the achievement of favourable
condition
Key measures
proposed
Point sources:
• Delivery of AMP phosphate removal schemes and where appropriate use
new technologies for P removal
• Promotion of capital schemes to reduce phosphate from CSOs in the
catchment
Diffuse sources: Range of measures, e.g.
• Sewer misconnections rectified
• Monitoring and research to identify other measures
River Mease SAC Water Quality (Phosphate) Management Plan
Document Ref: MWQ(P)MP Version: 1.0
Author: Environment Agency, Natural England Date: 27th June 2011
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Poole Harbour SPA NMP & SPD
Date of
publication
2013 (NMP), 2017 (SPD)
Natura 2000
Site(s)
Poole Harbour SPA
Nutrients of
concern
Nitrogen
Key Issues Increasing nitrogen levels from sewage and
agriculture contributing to the growth of algal mats
in the harbour.
Key measures
proposed
Point sources:
• New development not resulting in a net
increase in nitrogen input/load
• New development must provide mitigation for
the additional 25% of the N entering Poole
Harbour from new development that Wessex
Water is not required to remove
• Improve / introduce nitrogen stripping at STWs
Diffuse sources:
• Produce an implementation plan to meet
nitrogen reduction targets for different rural
land uses
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How New Development is Addressed in the NMPs
NMP Restrictions on Development Process to Facilitate Development
Avon NMP allowed development within existing
headroom of STWs. EA/NE now advise that
development must be phosphate neutral as
targets in NMP unlikely to be met by 2021.
Post 2025 assumed that upgraded STWs
will remove additional P. Joint MoU
provides for interim mitigation which will
be funded primarily through Community
Infrastructure Levy (CIL).
Wye NMP states that taking planned measures into
account, new development within existing
water discharge permits can take place.
Apparently no specific process. The NMP
Board is co-ordinating NMP actions.
Clun NMP states that there is little or no
environmental capacity within the river to
accept additional phosphate without other
actions for phosphate management.
Apparently no specific process. The NMP
Board is co-ordinating NMP actions.
Mease New development can only take place if it
contributes to the Developer Contribution
Scheme (DCS) so as to be phosphate neutral.
Laid out in ‘River Mease Water Quality
Management Plan: Developer
Contributions Scheme DCS’.
Poole
Harbour
New development can only take place if it
mitigates 25% of the additional nitrogen it
produces.
SPD lays out process for councils to secure
mitigation from CIL and Section 106
agreements.
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River Mease Process for Developers
DCS contributions from residential development coming forward in the first development window calculated as follows:
Size of
dwelling
DCS contribution (£)
Non-sustainable
home
Sustainable home
(level 3/4)
1 bed 126 98
2 bed 186 145
3 bed 250 195
4 bed+ 350 272
Contributions from non residential development calculated as follows:
Contribution (£) = P load to river (mg/day) x 0.8
River Mease (from River Mease SSSI/SAC Restoration Plan)
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Poole Harbour Process for Developers
SPD provides example calculations of nitrate loads for
different development types and mitigation options.
The developer has up to four choices for the Section
106 agreement, including to:
• provide alternative technologies to remove the remaining nitrogen
• increase the size of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspaces (SANGs) on agricultural land
• agree with the council a change to the management of agricultural land in the wider landholding in perpetuity
• purchase agricultural land elsewhere within the catchment and use it for mitigation
Algal mats in Poole Harbour (from SPD)
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River Avon Process for Developers
• In the MoU LPAs commit to a precautionary approach and to put in place measures to remove, mitigate or offset the phosphate load from qualifying developments.
Hampshire Avon (from EA Catchment Data Explorer site)
• The measures operate within the legal and policy framework of the planning system, such as governing the use of planning conditions, CIL and s106 obligations.
• An Annex to the NMP will be published providing detail on the mitigation measures and monitoring arrangements.
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Conclusions
• Nutrient management is important for protecting sensitive European sites
• Potentially complex / unclear situation for developers
• This could limit development of new housing and commercial development, with significant economic and social impact
• Upgrading STWs is often the most effective measure, but this relies on the AMP process and developers cannot contribute to it
• NMPs and related documents should be regularly updated with clear procedures for development
• The Poole Harbour SPD is a good example as it:
– provides a standard method to calculate nutrient discharges
– a suite of options for mitigation
– a split between the developer’s and sewerage company’s responsibilities
If you would like any more information, please visit www.wyg.com