Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Strategy (SAMMS)

Development has been found to disturb the birdlife of the North Kent Marshes Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar sites (areas of conserved wetland).

To overcome this, The Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Strategy (SAMMS) Phase I - Bird Disturbance Report (PDF 3.3MB) prepared for the North Kent Environmental Planning Group by Footprint Ecology sets out a strategy for resolving the additional disturbances to the area’s wintering and migrating birds.

Find out how new housing developments could impact the bird populations in North Kent in the Strategic Access Monitoring Report (PDF 4.9MB).

Further details can also be found in the Adopted Local Plan (PDF 11.2MB), with reference to Policies CP 7 and DM 28.

Additional dwellings

Additional dwellings, including houses in multiple occupation and student accommodation can cause disturbances and impact protected areas. Other developments such as hotels, guest houses, residential care homes, institutions and camps and caravan sites will be assessed on a case by case basis.

Find out more about the types of developments that cause disturbances in Natural England’s further letter of advice (PDF 297KB).

Planning applications

If you are planning a development of one or more dwellings within 6km of an SPA or Ramsar site, your planning applications must contain enough information so that the local planning authority can carry out an appropriate assessment under the Habitats Regulations. Find out if you’re within the 6km buffer here

Swale Borough Council will expect a financial contribution of £328.27 per dwelling (this is subject to an indexation and will increase annually). You can pay this fee using our online payment portal.

Alternatively, developers can gather their own evidence for a Habitats Regulations Assessment and implement the necessary bespoke mitigation measures in perpetuity (or demonstrate that none are required). Such an assessment would have to consider the impact of the proposal in combination with all other proposed development in north Kent..

The North Kent SAMMS Board is a partnership of local authorities and conservation organisations, working together under the brand name Bird Wise to deliver strategic measures to mitigate recreational disturbance.

More information is available on the Bird Wise website Bird Wise North Kent - Wising Up to Bird Disturbance.