Commissioned by Priory Land Limited UK carried
out an ecological Appropriate Assessment and a
Flood Risk Assessment for a two unit housing
development adjacent to New Mill, in Eversley,
Berkshire.
Natural England required an Appropriate
Assessment to be undertaken for this development
due to its proximity to Bramshill, a European
protected site that forms part of the Thames Basin
Heaths. The majority of this site has been
designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) under
the Birds Directive (79/409/EEC).
The aim of this Appropriate Assessment was to
provide information for Wokingham District
Council that would identify any potential adverse
effects that might be associated with this
development, and which could compromise the
integrity of the Special Protection Area.
The site was located within 120m of the SPA
boundary, and therefore classified as Zone A.
Recommendations were made to mitigate for the
recreational disturbance associated with new
residents of the development.
The Flood Risk Assessment identified that the
development would lie within Zone 3 (high
probability of flooding) according to the
Environment Agency Flood Map.
Investigations showed that the depth of flood
water in a 1 in 100 year flood is likely to be 100mm
or less, however the development would be raised
300mm above ground level. In addition, the
development would not exacerbate the flood risk
downstream, as a flood compensation scheme had
already been implemented to offset more than the
amount of storage lost as a result of the proposed
development. Accordingly, it was deemed that the
development has passed the Exception Test and is
therefore appropriate for the development site
area.
Visit the ACCON UK Ltd website for more information on New Mill, Eversley