Natural England are advising that there is a likely significant effect on the Solent’s European designation sites due in part to the increase in wastewater from new housing and hotels. Due to a Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) judgement, generally known as the Dutch Case2, and consequent revisions to Natural England’s (NE) advice on planning applications, now means that achieving nutrient neutral development has become an immediate and critical issue.
There is evidence of high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in the Solent water environment along with eutrophication at some designated sites. This must be addressed as required by the Habitats Regulations.
Natural England’s current position of not issuing planning permission is likely to have a significant potential impact on current and future housing delivery. The advice from Natural England applies to all sites, which do not have planning permission. This has implications for meeting local housing needs and on being able to maintain a five-year housing supply and meeting government targets for housing delivery. This also has a consequent impact on the future health and resilience of the construction industry, particularly for small and medium sized enterprise (SME) developers.
Source: PfSH Nitrate-Neutrality-Update