Southwest Environmental Limited

Shadow Habitats Regulation Assessment

Here to help: If you need a Shadow Habitat Regulation Assessment please email for a quotation, phone numbers are at top of page if you prefer.

A Shadow Habitats Regulation Assessment (SHRA) report is written in compliance with the requirements of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (as amended). This piece of legislation is often referred to as the ‘Habitats Regulations’.

If you require a Shadow Habitats Regulation Assessment please call / email us for a quote.

Typical Contents of a Shadow Habitats Regulation Assessment

A Shadow Habitat Regulation Assessment is a form of Risk Assessment. Typically it will follow the source, pathway, receptor model. It can be qualitiative, or can include some quantitative information.

A typical list of chapter may include:

1.0       Introduction  

2.0       Guidance and Policy when Assessing the Potential Effects of a Plan or Project  

3.0       Details of the Plan or Project  

4.0       Information about the Somerset Levels and Moors Ramsar Site  

5.0       Stage 1 - Screening of the Plan or Project  

6.0       Stage 2 - Appropriate Assessment  

7.0       Conclusions

When does a Project Require a Shadow Habitats Regulation Assessment?

If a project has the potential to impact on a designated site such as a RAMSAR or SSSI then a Shadow Habitats Regulation Assessment may be required. The reuirement can be triggered via a broad variety of potential environmental impacts such as:

• Nutrient Pollution
• Noise Pollution
• Dust Pollution
• Light Pollution

Typically a Shadow Habitats Regulation Assessment will be informed by one or more of the above assessments.

Cumulative Impacts

The language used in Habitats Regulation Assessment is different to that used in Standard Impacts Assessments. For example Cumulative Impacts are described as "in-combination" impacts.

Shadow Habitats Regulation Assessment Results

Any supporting reports should ideally show zero impact to designated sites, and the flora or fauna within them. It is always better to prove zero impact with a quantitative assessment.

For example following on from the above examples:

• Calculate before and after Nutrient Loadings, and provide mitigation to ensure zero impact to habitat.
• Calculation noise levels at habitat receptor location. They should not exceed current background levels.
• Use an atmospheric model to predict deposition of dust at habitat receptor edge.
• Model proposed lighting and show spill in relation to habitat receptor edge.

Shadow Habitats Regulation Assessment - Case Study - Housing

With the nutrient neutrality issues now widespread across the UK, we have been asked for Shadow Habitats Regulation Assessment to be submitted alongside Neutrality Assessments or Phosphate Assessments.

This was the case of a residential site in Somerset, where we completed a Neutrality Assessment in 2021. However, some time in 2023 we heard from he client, and they requested that we complete a Shadow Habitats Regulation Assessment for the project.