Abstract
THE ECOLOGICAL MITIGATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN (EMMP) IS PRINCIPALLY INTENDED TO PROVIDE AN AGREEMENT ON THE DETAIL OF THE VARIOUS ECOLOGICAL MEASURES ABOVE AND BELOW MEAN HIGH WATER SPRINGS (MHWS), NEEDED TO SAFEGUARD THE INTEGRITY OF THE SWALE SPA AND RAMSAR. RESPONSIBILITY FOR ENFORCING MITIGATION BELOW MHWS FALLS TO DEFRA, WHILST ABOVE MHWS IT IS TO BE SWALE BOROUGH COUNCIL (SBC).
THE CONSENT APPLIED FOR BY NATIONAL GRID UNDER SECTION 37 ELECTRICITY ACT 1989 WILL ALSO INCLUDE A REQUIREMENT FOR AN EMMP. FOR CONSISTENCY, THIS EMMP HAS BEEN PREPARED TO INCLUDE ONSHORE THE REQUIREMENTS ANTICIPATED UNDER SECTION 37. WHILST NO FURTHER CHANGES ARE ANTICIPATED, THE EMMP WILL BE CHECKED FOR COMPLETENESS ON ISSUE OF THE CONSENT, AND CONFIRMATION OF THIS (OR THE DETAILS OF ANY AMENDMENTS) INCLUDED WITHIN A SUBMISSION TO SWALE BOROUGH COUNCIL IN DISCHARGING THE EMMP SECTION 37 CONDITION.
THE EMMP DOES NOT INCLUDE REFERENCE TO THOSE MITIGATIONS WHICH ARE APPLIED TO THE MAIN OFFSHORE ELEMENTS OF THE LONDON ARRAY PROJECT, RELATING FOR EXAMPLE TO THE RED THROATED DIVER (GAVIA STELLATA) AND MORE GENERALLY TO THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT. THESE MITIGATIONS ARE ALREADY CAPTURED IN THE FEPA LICENCE.