Revised strategy

1. Strategy Remit and Duration

Rationale

1.1 The Solent coastline provides a haven for thousands of protected birds every winter, making the area of worldwide importance to wildlife. Each winter, more than 125,000 waders and wildfowl travel thousands of miles here from their summer breeding grounds, including 10 percent of the global population of dark-bellied brent geese. During the summer, several protected species choose to breed and raise their chicks on our shores.

1.2 Over winter they need to be able to feed and rest undisturbed if they are to survive and fly back to their summer breeding grounds. In the summer, species such as terns and gulls need to be left undisturbed so they can successfully breed and raise their young.

1.3 3 Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for birds along the Solent coastline have been established and are recognised under UK law.

1.4 These protected areas are safeguarded by legislation, namely, the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (the Habitats Regulations) as amended. This means that mitigation must be provided for any proposed development that is likely to have any significant effects on an SPA. Local Planning Authorities must ensure necessary mitigation will be provided before planning permission is granted. (The Habitats Regulations allow for compensatory measures to be provided in exceptional circumstances, however this lies outside the scope of Bird Aware Solent’s work.)

1.5 The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 consolidate all the various amendments made to the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 and The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 in respect of England and Wales. The 1994 Regulations transposed Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (EC Habitats Directive) into national law.

The Partnership

1.6 Bird Aware Solent (previously known as the Solent Recreation Mitigation Partnership) is delivering a strategy which aims to ensure the requirements of the Habitats Regulations are met in terms of the impact of increased recreational pressure on the Solent SPAs as a result of new residential development. Some of the partnership’s work to date is showcased on the Bird Aware Solent’s Our successes web page.

1.7 Bird Aware Solent’s strategy aims to provide mitigation for the duration of the impact, that is, for the lifetime of the additional dwellings in the Solent (‘in perpetuity’), in line with the Habitats Regulations. Throughout this period, regular strategic reviews will take place every 5 years; or more frequently if changes in the legislation or local evidence indicate this is needed.

1.8 Research ( Liley, D. & Tyldesley, D. (2013). Solent Disturbance and Mitigation Project: Phase III. Towards an Avoidance and Mitigation Strategy) indicates that mitigation should be required from all dwellings built within 5.6 kilometres of the boundaries of the SPAs. This is the zone from which 75% of coastal visits originate. The zone boundary is defined by using straight line distances from the inland SPA boundary and is shown in map 1. The area within this is referred to as the zone of influence.

1.9 The areas within which protected winter and breeding birds occur differ, with breeding birds cited at 2 of the 3 SPAs. This, and the resulting zones of influence as depicted in the map below.

Map: Developer contribution winter and summer zones

1.10 New housing developments require mitigation to address the ‘in combination’ effects that increased numbers of residents in the region, and therefore increased numbers of visits to the coastal SPAs, will have on the protected bird species. This mitigation is required to comply with the Habitats Regulations.

1.11 Bird Aware Solent’s Partners, made up of Natural England, 3 wildlife conservation groups and 15 local authorities, have devised a strategic approach to the provision of the mitigation of additional recreational impacts. This is to ensure an impactful, cost-effective approach and to make the delivery of mitigation measures more straightforward to process and oversee. Developers can opt into this scheme in order to meet the mitigation requirements related to their proposed developments.

1.12 Governance is provided by the Partnership for South Hampshire (PfSH). Bird Aware Solent regularly reports to PfSH, as well as having its own Project Board and Steering Group to oversee the strategic direction and day-to-day delivery of the project.

1.13 Extensive research was undertaken during 2009-2013 to assess the impact of recreational activity on wintering birds on the Solent coast. This work was known as the Solent Disturbance Mitigation Project and formed part of the Solent European Marine Sites (SEMS) Scheme of Management. This work included recording the response of birds to disturbance, face-to-face surveys of visitors at the coast, and a postal survey of households living around the Solent. Computer modelling using that information predicted the number of additional recreational visits which would be generated by planned housebuilding. The results of this modeling predicted that additional recreational disturbance would lead to
increased bird mortality at the SPAs.

1.14 The original strategy drew heavily on the recommendations of this research and was later updated in 2020 with a Strategy Review which was able to incorporate practical experience and lessons learnt from delivering the first few years of the project.

1.15 This updated and revised strategy further enhances the original approach by drawing on the recommendations of the independent 5 Year Review undertaken in 2023 and incorporating further insights and experience gained from the delivery of the strategy.
Furthermore, it takes into consideration the findings of a report commissioned by PfSH in 2023 which considered the likelihood of impacts on breeding birds around the Solent from increasing recreational disturbance from new housing.

1.16 It is envisaged that this Strategy will be further reviewed and revised in later years, to keep it as effective as possible throughout the lifetime of the Partnership.

1.17 The strategic approach allows a housebuilder to pay a developer contribution to cover the costs of providing mitigation over a wider area instead of needing to provide bespoke mitigation themselves. A developer can still choose to provide their own mitigation, if they have the ability to do so, but the vast majority are likely to opt to pay towards the Strategy instead. This is an approach which is used across the country and provides clarity and certainty for both developers and local authorities as it has been proven to be robust through the planning process.

1.18 Subsequent to the 5 year review, which identified increased levels of anticipated housebuilding in the region, the Strategy has been extended to take into account the approximately 147,500 planned houses in the Solent between now and 2050. It has also been extended to provide mitigation to breeding birds around the Solent. As before, the Strategy includes the provision of in-perpetuity mitigation, this will now be delivered until 2130. This in-perpetuity element deals with the duration of the impact, which has been calculated as 80 years and accepted by Natural England as such.

1.19 Summary of changes from original to revised strategy:

• The duration of the Strategy has been extended to provide mitigation for proposed housing developments until 2050 (was previously 2034), with the inperpetuity element provided until 2130 (was previously 2114).
• The proposals are structured to provide mitigation for around 147,500 dwellings predicted to come forward during the period. It remains an opt-in Strategy and developers are still able to provide their mitigation requirements through a bespoke scheme if they choose.
• In response to new evidence that came forward during the initial Strategy period, these proposals have, for the first time, taken on board the needs of the breeding SPA birds and now provide mitigation for the entire year (was previously 6 months).
• The Team has been expanded from 10 staff to 19 to address the additional workload associated with providing mitigation for more planned housing and for breeding birds. This includes a Team Manager to oversee the delivery of the expanded strategy, a Volunteer Coordinator to trial the use of volunteers, Rangers for the expansion to summer breeding, as well as additional staff for dog initiatives, communications and monitoring as outlined below.
• The resources focused on dog initiatives have been greatly increased, both in terms of staff allocated to this work, and budget available to them (£10k increases to £30k per annum), to allow Coast and Country Canines to fully reach its potential and become a valuable resource for the dog walking community.
• In recognition of the key role of communications to support all areas of mitigation work, resources to this area of work have also been increased. These resources consist of additional staff and budget available for this area of work (£10k increases to £30k per annum). This work will remain central to all Bird Aware Solent’s mitigation efforts and will now be better resourced to facilitate this.
• Effective monitoring allows the Team to use resources in the most efficient way: it allows for baseline data to be created and comparisons to be made before and after mitigation interventions. This information is then fed back into future resource planning and allows for the most efficient use of resources. It also allows the Team to quickly identify changes in coastal use patterns and reallocate resources in a timely and cost-effective way to meet these. Staff resources for this vital part of the Strategy will increase.

1.20 Alongside these changes, the Partnership will continue to promote:

• Wildlife Aware guides (previously called Codes of Conduct)
• Site-specific visitor management measures
• Suitable alternative natural greenspaces (SANGs) where people can enjoy recreation away from the coast.