Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area

In March 2005, the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (SPA) was classified under the EC Birds Directive.  It includes areas of heathland across Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire, covering 11 different local authorities, including Woking.  The sites in Woking are parts of Horsell Common, Sheets Heath and Brookwood Heath.

The SPA has been identified as an internationally important breeding habitat for three rare species of bird - the Dartford warbler, woodlark and nightjar.

Natural England (formerly English Nature) has demonstrated that the new population arising from housing developments at a distance of up to 5km away from this SPA can cause significant disturbance to the breeding success of these rare bird populations.  This is because of the impacts recreational activities of residents, particularly walking and walking with dogs.  As a result, all housing developments within 5km of the SPA will now be subject to stringent tests and impact assessments.

As a statutory consultee on planning applications within 5km of an SPA, Natural England has the right to object to applications which it considers will have a negative impact on an SPA.  However, it has established that impacts on the SPA can be avoided through the provision of suitable accessible natural greenspaces to divert recreational pressure away from the SPA.  These alternative greenspaces can either be new or improved existing greenspaces.

Natural England has produced standards for the provision of suitable accessible natural greenspaces and Woking Borough Council has applied these to produce a strategy to enable housing developments to continue.

Woking's Interim Strategy

The South East England Regional Assembly has co-ordinated a long-term Delivery Framework for avoiding impacts on the SPA from development for all 11 Local Authorities effected by the SPA which the Council will be expected to adopt, applicants should use Woking's Interim Strategy when applying for planning permission which will be altered in line with the above Delivery Framework, in due course.

The Interim Strategy states that the tariff set out within in will be subject to annual review in line with the Retail Price Index.  This document sets out the increases from 2006 to 2009.

The Interim Strategy establishes that in order to avoid harm to the SPA current planning applications for residential development would be expected to financially contribute towards works to improve existing greenspaces within the Borough. In producing this Strategy officers have worked closely with Natural England.

The key elements of the Interim Strategy are as follows:

• Identification of suitable accessible natural green spaces

• A schedule of improvements to the identified sites is set out through a detailed timetable of works with costs. This enables a developer to demonstrate that they will clearly avoid harm to the SPA by linking their development to specific work to improve the sites. A financial contribution will then be sought from the developer, through the completion of a section 106 agreement, to ensure the improvements are undertaken.

• The improvements will be provided at 16 hectares of open space per 1000 additional residents within 2km of the SPA, and 8 hectares of open space per 1000 additional residents between 2km and 5km of the SPA, for at least five years. This is in accordance with Natural England's requirements.

• It will be open to a developer to provide alternative open space directly rather than make a financial contribution. This open space will be assessed against Natural England's standards.

The Joint Strategic Partnership Board

The Joint Strategic Partnership Board (made up of the local authorities including Woking, The Regional Assembly, Government Office, Natural England, Homebuilders Federation, RSPB, Open Spaces Society and the Wildlife Trusts) has produced a Delivery Framework. It is proposed that each affected authority will adopt the framework.  The amended strategy will work on the same basis as Woking's Interim Strategy through the provision of suitable accessible natural greenspaces as an alternative recreational area to the SPA and impacts reduced.  In addition, access management measures on the SPA will also be introduced to inform visitors about the impacts of their impacts on the rare birds encouraging changes in behaviour.

Further information
For more information on Special Protection Areas visit the Joint Nature Conservation Committee website.

Advice is also available from Cath Laing at Natural England on 01273-476595 or email Natural England.