Other policy documents
Waste and minerals local plans and transport policy documents are also produced for Stroud District. Neighbouring authorities produce local plans which may result in impacts upon areas within Stroud District.
Stroud District Council has also produced mitigation strategies where necessary to comply with the Habitats Regulation Assessment.
Waste and minerals
Gloucestershire County Council is the local planning authority for waste and minerals planning matters within Stroud District.
The following documents are, or will, form part of the development plan for Stroud District:
Please contact Gloucestershire Council for further information regarding these documents.
Transport
Gloucestershire County Council is the local highway authority for Stroud District.
HRA Mitigation Strategies
Under the Habitats Directive, Stroud District Council has a duty to ensure that all the activities the Council regulates have no adverse effect on the integrity of any of the Natura 2000 sites. Together Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) make up the network of Natura 2000 sites. The effect of the Directive is to require the Council as local planning authority to ensure that no likely significant adverse effects arise from any proposed development scheme or Local Plan.
Habitat Regulation Assessments (HRA) have concluded that proposed residential growth identified in the Local Plan within the catchment of Rodborough Common SAC and Severn Estuary SAC/SPA/Ramsar could have a likely significant effect, in the absence of appropriate mitigation.
The Council has therefore worked in partnership with Natural England, landowners and other bodies to devise appropriate strategies for these two areas to avoid potential impacts.
The strategies allow the promoters of schemes for residential development within the identified catchment zone to meet planning requirements by making a financial contribution per net additional dwelling to fund a project designed to avoid an increase in recreation impact or to mitigate the effects of increased recreational activity on the designated area. Alternatively, promoters of schemes can put forward their own bespoke mitigation measures to satisfy planning requirements.
Proposals for non-residential development will continue to be considered on their individual merits.
The following documents set out the process whereby mitigation measures are secured during the planning application process.
Rodborough Common SAC
The Council has worked in partnership with Natural England, the National Trust, the Commons Graziers and Stroud Valleys Project to devise an agreed Interim Impact Avoidance Strategy for housing within an identified catchment of Rodborough Common. This was formally adopted in March 2015 (Agenda item 10).
This Strategy has been reviewed and updated with an identified 3.9km catchment of Rodborough Common and was adopted in October 2022.
The updated cost per net additional dwelling is currently £994.
UU Rodborough Common SAC (3 Houses or less)
The RCCP Partnership in 2017 published the following advisory leaflet for users of Rodborough Common to increase understanding of the issues facing the Common.
Rodborough Environmental Baseline Report
Stroud Valleys Project Rodborough Common Surveys Report 2021
Severn Estuary SAC/SPA/Ramsar
The Council has: worked with a range of stakeholders including Natural England, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Severn Estuary Partnership, ASERA and Severn Estuary Stakeholders to develop an understanding of recreational pressure and to develop appropriate mitigation proposals.
In 2016 a Visitor Survey Report concluded that Likely Significant Effects on the conservation status of the SPA could not be ruled out. The study recommended that development within an identified core catchment zone may be required to contribute funding towards impact avoidance and mitigation measures.
A Mitigation Strategy was formally adopted in December 2017, which has an identified Core Catchment area of 7.7km.
The cost per net dwelling is currently £385 based upon the cost of the projects shared amongst the total amount of development within the catchment zone.
Relevant background documents
- Rodborough Common Partnership Agreement
- Local Plan Habitat Regulation Assessment (2013)
- NE HIGH TIDE ROOST STUDY LINK
- ASERA GUIDANCE USERS
Beechwoods SAC
The Council has been working with partners including our neighbouring authorities, Gloucester, Cheltenham as well as Cotswold and Tewkesbury to develop a strategy that sets out a strategic approach to mitigate recreation impacts, associated with new housing growth, on the Cotswold Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The SAC is part of a national network of sites that are of the highest importance for nature conservation and subject to strict legal protection.
The overall objective is to provide a framework under which applications for development likely to have a significant effect on the Cotswold Beechwoods SAC can be permitted, with measures in place to ensure that adverse effects on the integrity of the SAC can be ruled out. This enables development, while ensuring sufficient protection in place for the SAC. The strategy applies to larger developments, which may affect the integrity of these sites alone, and smaller developments where cumulative effects may be the critical factor.
The Mitigation Strategy mitigation strategy was adopted in October 2022, with a zone of influence of 15.4km from the Cotswold Beechwoods.
The cost per net dwelling is currently £673 based upon the cost of the projects shared amongst the total amount of development within the catchment zone.
Draft Beechwoods SAC UU template