Local planning authorities need to give careful consideration to development which affects a habitats site or is EIA development. For EIA development or development which was subject to EIA screening, local planning authorities should pay particularly attention to whether applications would lead to developments having significant environmental impacts which have not been assessed or to developments which had been now wrongly screened out of needing an environmental statement. For development affecting a habitats site, local planning authorities should pay particular attention to whether applications would lead to developments having significant environmental impacts which have not been assessed or to developments which had been now wrongly screened out of needing further assessment. Local planning authorities should satisfy themselves that:
there is no doubt or real risk of significant effects on a habitats site (providing it is not directly connected with or necessary to the site’s management) whether in combination with other plans or projects or alone, and without reliance on mitigation measures; or
any appropriate assessment remains free of any gaps and contains complete, precise and definitive findings and conclusions capable of dispelling all reasonable scientific doubt as to the effects of the proposed works on protected habitats sites (including in relation to both the baseline for the development to be assessed, and the effectiveness of mitigation measures).