Exe Estuary/Dawlish Warren Habitat Mitigation

Mitigation for recreational impact from dwellings or tourism within 10k of these site

Any housing or tourist accommodation developments within 10km of the Exe Estuary/Dawlish Warren must provide appropriate mitigation. We have worked with Exeter City Council, East Devon District Council, Natural England and others, and determined that housing and tourist accommodation developments will have an impact (called a Likely Significant Effect) on the Exe Estuary SPA and Dawlish Warren SAC through impacts from recreational use. The impacts are highest from developments within 10km of the SPA/SAC. You can use our Map of 10k Zone to see if your site is within 10km of the SPA/SAC boundaries.

Mitigation for recreational impacts can take the form of access management within the European sites, or provision of substantial alternative recreation locations to draw users away from the European sites. To make it easier for developers to 'deliver' such mitigation, in many cases we will accept a financial contribution per new house or holiday unit. Alternatively, a developer may choose to provide their own mitigation measures rather than pay the contribution.

Mitigation for other types of development affecting the sites

Applications for development other than accommodation, which create a recreational impact on the Exe Estuary or Dawlish Warren or non-recreational impacts, eg. discharge of surface water to the SPA or disturbance during construction, will all require Appropriate Assessments. In such instances additional information may be needed from the applicant before the Appropriate Assessment can be completed and hence before a decision can be issued. If any mitigation is required this will be separate from recreation-mitigation under the Joint Approach. For instance a SUDS may be used to mitigate impacts from surface water discharge.

South East Devon Habitat Regulations Executive Committee

Teignbridge, East Devon District Council and Exeter City Council have joined together to form the South East Devon Habitat Regulations Executive Committee that works across the three authority areas to protect the Exe Estuary, Dawlish Warren and the East Devon Pebblebed Heaths for future generations to enjoy. This new Committee is working with partners including Natural England, Clinton Devon Estates, National Trust, RSPB, Exe Estuary Management Partnership and Devon Wildlife Trust to off-set the effects of new developments and population growth on these protected conservation sites.

Funding will come from developer contributions on new residential housing or tourism accommodation within a 10km "zone of influence" from the protected sites.