Recreational disturbance

• What is recreational disturbance
• Recreational disturbance and new development
• How to mitigate recreational distance

What is recreational disturbance

Recreational disturbance refers to someone taking part in an activity that can make wildlife:

• change their behaviour;
• causes damage to habitat, or;
• physical harm (injury to death) to wildlife.

Chichester and Pagham Harbours are both areas that are home to a wide variety of wildlife, protected birds. this includes the important habitats to support them.

These harbours are designated at a European level due to their importance for wildlife and biodiversity. The harbours are designated:

• Special Areas of Conservation (SAC);
• Special Protection Areas (SPA), and;
• Ramsar sites.

An increase in people using these harbours for recreational purposes can impact upon the wildlife and their habitat. This could be activities such as walking in the areas surrounding the harbours. In particular, walking with dogs running off the lead can disturb birds when they are feeding or resting. This can be very harmful to birds.

Recreational disturbance and new development

New developments that include overnight accommodation increases the footfall around the harbours. This includes tourist accommodation. This increase in activity can cause recreational disturbance.

The growing population in the area increases use of the coastline and harbour for recreation, too. This leads to increases in the disturbance of the feeding and breeding birds in the harbours.  It is important that new development includes measures to mitigate this harm. Planning policies in the Chichester Local Plan 2021 - 2039 sets our how the effect on protected birds in the harbour can be mitigated. 

Recreational disturbance is known as a Habitat Regulations issue. The council must meet the requirements of the conservation of habitats and species regulations 2017 (opens new window) when dealing with planning applications. If the effects of new development are not mitigated then planning permission cannot be granted.

How to mitigate for recreational disturbance

As most new residential developments are not large enough to set up and sustain their own bespoke schemes of mitigation, schemes of Strategic Access Management and Monitoring (SAMM) have been set up by relevant planning authorities in order to facilitate the delivery of their local plans.

Chichester and Langstone Harbour SPA forms part of the Solent-wide project called the Solent Recreational Mitigation Partnership. This partnership delivers the Bird Aware Solent Scheme (opens new window). Developments pay a fixed contribution per net new dwelling. This contribution is used to fund a package which includes:

• wardens
• education
• green infrastructure improvements
• monitoring

Pagham Harbour SPA has a similar but smaller SAMM set up by Chichester and Arun Districts. The RSPB site managers provide wardens. The scheme also pays for education and monitoring activities.

For both schemes there is a zone of influence within which contribution are required from new developments.  Based on visitor survey evidence these are set at:

• 5.6km from SPA boundary for Chichester and Langstone Harbour SPA and;
• 3.5km from boundary for Pagham.

The Local Plan contains a map showing where policies 50 and or 51 apply.