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Humber Strategic Access Management and Mitigation Strategy

The Humber Strategic Access Management and Mitigation Strategy (SAMMs) has been published alongside the Emerging Local Plan Update. The document provides a strategic mitigation solution to allow development to overcome the in-combination impact of recreational pressure from planned growth around the Humber Estuary Special Protection Area, which is a European designated habitat site.

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Why is the Humber Strategic Access Management and Mitigation Strategy needed?

The Humber Estuary, particularly its mudflats, shingle, saltmarshes and surrounding functional agricultural land provide essential winter feeding and roosting grounds for birds that spend the winter here. The wide range of recreational activities that take place on the estuary’s shoreline can result in disturbance to the birds, albeit often unintentional. Human disturbance of the birds can have several impacts on their populations and habitats.

Prior to mitigation, the council’s Habitat Regulation Assessment of its Emerging Local Plan Update cannot rule out the recreational impacts of new residential and visitor accommodation along the Humber Estuary from having a likely significant ‘in combination’ effect on the Humber Estuary Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar sites. Visitor surveys undertaken on the Humber Estuary identified residential and tourism accommodation development within 11.5 kilometres of the Humber Estuary SPA and Ramsar sites, which could contribute to further recreational impact. Consequently, avoidance and mitigation measures are required for all development that results in a net increase in residential or tourism accommodation to rule out adverse recreational impacts on the Humber Estuary international (habitats) sites.

The Humber Strategic Access Management and Mitigation Strategy (SAMMs) has been published alongside the Emerging Local Plan Update. The document has been prepared to provide a strategic mitigation solution to overcome the in-combination impact of recreational pressure from planned growth around the Humber Estuary SPA, which is a European designated Habitat Site.

The Humber SAMMs is available to view below:

Humber Strategic Access Management and Mitigation Strategy (pdf 763kb)

What is a European Designated Habitat Site?

European designated sites have the highest level of environmental designation in the UK. They are nature conservation sites established under the Habitats and Birds Directives. This includes:

  • Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)
  • Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and
  • RAMSAR Sites.

What does the Humber Strategic Access Management and Mitigation Strategy do?

The Strategic Access Management and Mitigation Strategy (SAMMs) provides a mechanism to avoid and mitigate the lifetime recreational impacts of new residential and tourism accommodation development around the Humber Estuary international (habitats) sites. The implementation of this strategy ensures new accommodation development complies with the Habitats Regulations. Therefore, new development accommodation within 11.5km of the Humber Estuary is required to make a financial contribution to the SAMMs.

These contributions are used to implement a range of measures which mitigate the recreational impacts of new development on the designated sites and help protect and maintain their integrity. Contribution to the SAMMs will enable applicants to secure the appropriate avoidance or mitigation measures and enable the council to conclude, through appropriate assessment, that development results in no adverse effects on the integrity of the Humber Estuary SPA from recreational pressure.

Where does the Humber Estuary Strategic Access Management and Mitigation Strategy apply?

The Zone of Influence (ZOI) is the area where increased residential and tourism development will result in increased recreational pressure on the Humber Estuary Special Protection Area.

This pressure will lead to likely significant effects to the detriment of the conservation objectives of the Humber Special Protection Area. The Humber Zones of influence are available to view online here. Residential and tourism development should make contributions if located within the Zones of Influence of the Humber Estuary SPA.

How will the Humber Estuary Strategic Access Management and Mitigation Strategy be funded?

Developments fund the Humber SAMMs mitigation measures by way of financial contributions on a per dwelling unit basis. These financial contributions are secured by planning obligation through the planning application process. All net increases in residential and tourism development within the Humber SAMMs zones of influence are required to mitigate the effects of the development and show how this will be achieved before approval of planning permission.

The tariff applies to all net new residential and tourism-related growth, including:

  • market and affordable housing
  • student accommodation
  • specialist elderly accommodation that provides complete residential dwelling but excludes specialist bed units such as nursing homes
  • hotels, guest houses, B and Bs, lodges, static caravans, touring pitches and campsites.

Please see the following document for further information:

Guidance on types of development requiring mitigation (pdf 152kb)

The tariff applies to all types of planning application, such as:

  • full applications
  • outline applications
  • permission in principle applications
  • reserved matters applications where no contribution was made at the outline stage.

Please note: for outline and permission in principle applications where the number of proposed dwellings are unknown, the maximum tariff will be required. Any refund due will be made at the reserved matters or technical details consent stage once the number of dwellings is known and approved.

How do I contribute towards the SAMMs?

The Habitats Regulations require any development, plan or project considered likely to significantly affect a European site be subject to an appropriate assessment. Therefore, development that falls within the Humber SAMMs zone of influence is required to complete the appropriate assessment form linked below:

Humber Estuary Special Protection Area - Residential Development Appropriate Assessment Template (word 91kb)

Tourism sites will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis and will be required to consider their in combination impact through Habitat Regulation Assessment.

There is the option for tourism accommodation units to make a contribution towards the SAMMs. This would start at a rate of £320 per accommodation unit in both zone of influence 1 and 2.

This reflects the increased likelihood of tourists making use of the estuary from further afield. Types of development and their location will need to be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Their contribution will add to the SAMMs fund for Site Specific Visitor Management Projects, which are considered and agreed by the SAMM working group.

How much is the Humber SAMMs mitigation?

Residential and tourism accommodation units pay a fee calculated on a per unit basis. Appendix 2 of the Humber SAMMs (pdf 1.2mb) sets how to calculate your development’s contribution.

Zone of Influence Residential Cost Per Unit Tourism Cost Per Unit
Humber SAMMs Zone 1 £320 £320
Humber SAMMs Zone 2 £160 £320
Spurn Zone of Influence Site-specific Habitat Regulation Assessment Required

How to pay your SAMMs contribution

If a contribution towards habitat mitigation is required, payment will need to be made prior to your planning application being determined. This payment is non-refundable, except in cases where the application is withdrawn or refused.

Please have your application number to hand and continue to this link to make payment.

Make payment for contribution towards habitat mitigation

Payment can be deferred until commencement of development for another suitable trigger as may be agreed by the Planning Case Officer, however this will require a legal agreement or unilateral undertaking to secure the payment, entered into prior to the grant of planning permission.

If you wish to defer payment please get in touch with your Planning Case Officer instead of filling out this form.

Is there an alternative method of providing mitigation on the Humber Estuary?

Applicants are not precluded from assessing the potential impact of their proposals on the designated sites and devising their own appropriate mitigation measures. When considering these measures, the evidence presented will need to allow the Authority to rule out adverse effects from the proposed development throughout its lifetime on the designated sites.

Applicants will need to provide sufficiently detailed information about the potential impacts of their proposed development on the designated features, species, and habitats of all the internationally protected sites and the effect of their proposed mitigation measures to demonstrate conclusively to the Authority that it will comply with the Habitat Regulations. This will need to take into consideration the conclusions of the HRA of the Local Plan Update (see document below) and the proposal’s potential impacts in combination with all other planned development within the East Riding and its surrounding areas.

HRA of the Local Plan Update (pdf 5mb)

Under a precautionary principle, if the applicant does not demonstrate with certainty that the development, including any proposed mitigation, will not impact the integrity of the site, permission will be refused.

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