Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and Zones of Influence (ZOI)
Case reference EIR2023/02044
Published 22 December 2023
Request
Under the terms of the Freedom of Information (FOI) act, I am writing to you with 8 requests for information:
1. Have you received communication from Natural England, or consultants on behalf of Natural England, concerning recreational impacts in Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) as a result of new housing development?
2. Has Natural England designated any part of this local authority a Zone of Influence (ZOI)?
3. If yes, how much land (km) is currently designated a ZOI?
4. Have you been advised to implement an exclusion zone due to the impact of net increases in development?
5. If yes, how large is the boundary of the exclusion zone?
6. Have you been advised to implement a presumption against net increases of residential development in specified areas of the local authority due to a ZOI?
7. How many homes are currently help up as a result of the interim position?
8. Have you worked with any developers to agree a recreational impact mitigation scheme and allow home building to resume?
Response
Under the terms of the Freedom of Information (FOI) act, I am writing to you with 8 requests for information:
1. Have you received communication from Natural England, or consultants on behalf of Natural England, concerning recreational impacts in Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) as a result of new housing development?
A. No.
2. Has Natural England designated any part of this local authority a Zone of Influence (ZOI)?
A. We have been unable to find any designation for a "Zone of Influence", however, Natural England have declared some "Recreational Impact Zones" around some specific national sites, including some National Parks and key beauty spots. None impact Herefordshire that we have been made aware of.
3. If yes, how much land (km) is currently designated a ZOI?
A. None.
4. Have you been advised to implement an exclusion zone due to the impact of net increases in development?
A. No.
5. If yes, how large is the boundary of the exclusion zone?
A. N/A
6. Have you been advised to implement a presumption against net increases of residential development in specified areas of the local authority due to a ZOI?
A. N/A
7. How many homes are currently help up as a result of the interim position?
A. N/A
8. Have you worked with any developers to agree a recreational impact mitigation scheme and allow home building to resume?
A. N/A
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.