Appropriate Assessments or Screening Assessments (AASR’s) and Natura Impact Assessments (NIA’s) are now an integral part of planning permission for sites located close to a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) or Special Protection Area (SPA).
The four stages in the Appropriate Assessment process...
This step consists of examining the likely potential impacts of a project or plan, alone or in combination with other projects, upon a Natura 2000 site or sites, and considers whether these impacts may be considered significant.
If no significant impacts are foreseen, then a ‘finding of no significant effects’ (FONSE) statement is issued to the appropriate authority, and the process is complete.
If the effects are considered significant or their significance is unknown, then the process moves on to Stage 2.
Where the screening process has identified potential impacts, which are considered significant or unknown, this process examines these potential impacts in detail, in relation to the conservation interests of the Natura 2000 site or sites.
Mitigation measures may be suggested to reduce the likelihood or severity of these impacts.
If the impacts are still considered to be significant or unknown after this stage is complete, then alternative solutions must be considered (Stage 3).
This step consists of examining the likely potential impacts of a project or plan, alone or in combination with other projects, upon a Natura 2000 site or sites, and considers whether these impacts may be considered significant.
If no significant impacts are foreseen, then a ‘finding of no significant effects’ (FONSE) statement is issued to the appropriate authority, and the process is complete.
If the effects are considered significant or their significance is unknown, then the process moves on to Stage 2.
If significant negative impacts on the Natura 2000 site are unavoidable, and no alternative solutions may be found, then this stage involves the consideration of whether the project or plan may go ahead despite these effects, for ‘imperative reasons of overriding public interest’ (IROPI).
We have vast experience preparing ecological reports to encompass the requirements of the EU habitats directives while accomplishing planning permission.
Each project is discussed with the client and we will give an individual plan of what surveys and reports are required, which may also include:
- Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW)
- Ecological Impact Assessments
- Habitat Surveys & Mapping
- Protected Species Surveys
- Invasive Species Surveys
- Tree surveys
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