Decision details

This report seeks authority from the Director of Planning and Regeneration for the Council to enter into a legal agreement with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIOWWT) and the Isle of Wight Council (IOWC) in respect of land at Little Duxmore Farm on the Isle of Wight.

In February last year, Natural England updated its advice to local councils to reflect recent European case law and now recommends an Appropriate Assessment is undertaken within the Borough of Fareham for every application for new dwellings.

Natural England has highlighted that increased levels of nitrates entering the Solent (because of increased amounts of wastewater from new dwellings) is likely to have a significant effect upon European Protected Sites (EPS).

Where developers are not able to demonstrate that their proposals maintain or reduce the levels of nitrates leaving their site, mitigation measures need to be identified. The majority of residential planning applications will need to mitigate for increased levels of nitrates entering The Solent; in most instances’ developers are unable to provide this mitigation on their development site.

HIOWWT are bringing forward land at Little Duxmore Farm on the Isle of Wight for the purposes of wildlife enhancements. The opportunity also exists to use the same land as mitigation for nitrates arising from new residential development within the catchment area.

Authority is sought from the Director of Planning and Regeneration for the Council to enter into a legal agreement with HIOWWT and IOWC, to secure nitrate mitigation at Duxmore Farm in connection with residential planning permissions granted within the Borough of Fareham.

RESOLVED that the Director of Planning and Regeneration enter the Council into a legal agreement with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and Isle of Wight Council to secure nitrate mitigation at Little Duxmore Farm in connection with residential planning permissions granted within the Borough of Fareham.