A 44-house development on a field next to an Isle of Wight village could have a ‘harmful effect’ on environmentally-protected sites, a national public body has warned.
Natural England said further information is required to determine the impacts of Onyx Development Finance’s plan to construct a residential estate to the east of Birch Close in Freshwater.
Spruce Town Planning previously said the 44 homes will make an ‘important contribution’ to the Island’s identified housing need and contribute to Freshwater’s vibrancy and vitality.
Natural England said:
“The proposed development has the potential to have a harmful effect on terrestrial Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and those Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) or Ramsar sites that they underpin.
“This development site is within the catchment of a European Site (habitats site) vulnerable to nutrient impacts.
“Within this location, proposals with the potential to affect water quality may have a likely significant effect on the qualifying features of the European Site (habitats site) through adverse nutrient impacts.”
SSSIs often contain important habitats such as grasslands, parkland and woodland and have high conservation value, according to the Woodland Trust.
Spruce Town Planning’s submitted Planning Statement said from an environmental perspective the proposal will make an ‘efficient’ use of underutilised land while ensuring the development delivers a ‘true net gain’ in biodiversity.
