The Assessor considering Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (TBH SPA) and Natural England's (NE's) draft Delivery Plan for the South East Plan Examination in Public (EiP) published his Report in February 2007. The Government Office for the South East (GOSE) submitted an Addendum Statement in which they asked the EiP Panel whether they endorsed the Assessor's short term recommendations. The Panel responded to the effect that they considered these to be effectively directed to CLG/DEFRA and that that they had no basis on which to question, endorse or seek to amend the short term recommendations. They stated that there was no reason to delay work on progressing an interim strategic Delivery Plan pending publication of the Panel Report.

PINS has been asked whether the Assessor's short term recommendations can be given more weight in the light of the response from the Panel. We can confirm that PINS' position on the current status of the Assessor's Report remains the same as set out in TBH SPA Advice Note 2, though obviously with the passage of time certain of the actions envisaged therein have taken place. The submission of the Assessor's report to the Panel is only one step in the process of considering the SPA issue, and the process will not be concluded until the Secretary of State (SoS) has issued her decision on the draft Plan. It is possible that the content of the SoS's decision in relation to the SPA issue may not reflect the Assessor's recommendations, so all decision makers need to consider whether it would be premature at this stage to rely on those recommendations as representing the final position on those elements of the SPA issue. Parties are advised to monitor progress on the SE Plan as shown on the SEERA website: http://www.southeast-ra.gov.uk/southeastplan/index.html

GOSE'S Addendum Statement

EiP Panel Response

Guidance

Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area - Advice Note 3 South East Plan Examination in Public Panel Report and Statement of Common Ground 22kb

Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area - Advice Note 2 implications for casework in PDF 78kb

Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area - Advice Note 1 Revised Approach to casework in PDF 42kb

Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area advice for Inspectors

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