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Spatial Planning Guides for north west England
We comment on all major wind farm developments across the north west and submit detailed responses on dozens of wind farm related planning applications each year.
We have been concerned for some time that the areas lying outside statutory nature conservation designated areas, ie Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI's) and Special Protection Areas (SPA's), which support important populations of birds have not been accurately mapped and are not adequately protected through the planning system. This has become an issue especially with the large number of on-shore wind energy proposals in north west England.
Some areas without statutory nature conservation designated areas are 'functionally linked' to an SSSI/SPA because the bird species which are associated with the SPA cannot be sustained from within the SPA alone and birds regularly occur without the protected area network. A good example of this are wintering geese and swans, which roost within an SPA (there are several along the north west coast) and feed on surrounding (non-designated) farmland.
Such areas can often extend several kilometres away from an estuary. Such functionally linked areas come under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 (the Habitats Regulations), as they often support internationally important numbers of qualifying bird species of adjacent SPA's.
The aim of the Spatial Planning Guides is to identify areas of the north west that support important populations of bird species (plus deep peat areas) sensitive to wind farm developments or biomass energy crop plantings.
A series of 'alert' maps have been produced (based upon existing data sources) which have been developed to trigger detailed consultations between developers, local authorities, statutory agencies and other agencies, including the RSPB.
Four Spatial Planning Guides have been produced to date:
- On-shore wind: Cumbria
- Deep peat: Cumbria
- On-shore wind and deep peat: Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire (produced in partnership with the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and north Merseyside).
- Biomass energy crop production: North West
The documents are supported by Natural England and the data is included in Biodiversity Evidence Bases.
As well as important bird areas, areas of deep peat (one metre deep or more) have been mapped to illustrate areas where deep peat occurs and where there may be associated areas of high nature conservation interest which maybe undesignated, for example the West Pennine Moors.
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Last modified: 03 October 2011