To seek the Planning Policy and Local Plan Committee’s comments on, and agreement to the adoption of the revised Essex Coast Recreational Disturbance Avoidance and Mitigation Strategy (Essex Coast RAMS) and associated tariff, and to set out the changes from the original 2018 RAMS strategy. The report also seeks the Committee’s agreement to the updated governance framework supporting Essex Coast RAMS, including the withdrawal of the existing Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and its replacement with a Technical Advice Note (TAN).

The Committee considered a report (A.3) of the Corporate Director (Planning & Community) which sought the Committee’s agreement to the adoption of the revised Essex Coast Recreational Disturbance Avoidance and Mitigation Strategy (Essex Coast RAMS) and associated tariff, and which set out the changes from the original 2018 RAMS strategy. The report also sought the Committee’s agreement to the updated governance framework supporting Essex Coast RAMS, including the withdrawal of the existing Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and its replacement with a Technical Advice Note (TAN).

Following such approval by the Planning Policy and Local Plan Committee the revised Essex Coast Recreational Disturbance Avoidance and Mitigation Strategy (Essex Coast RAMS) and associated tariff, as attached in Appendix 1, (replacing the existing 2018–2038 Strategy), would be submitted to Cabinet for formal adoption

The Committee was reminded that the Essex Coast RAMS set out how the Council, working in partnership with other Essex authorities, would protect the unique wildlife of the Essex coastline whilst enabling new homes and development to come forward.

It provided a co-ordinated, partnership-led approach to mitigating the recreational impacts of new residential development on protected coastal habitats and bird populations, ensuring that planned housing growth across Essex could take place in a lawful and sustainable way, whilst safeguarding sensitive species and habitats protected by international nature conservation designations.

The strategy established a strategic framework to address the in-combination effects of residential development on internationally designated coastal habitats and enabled the Council, in its role as Competent Authority, to meet its statutory duties under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017(as amended).

It was reported that RAMS funding had already delivered tangible mitigation measures along the Tendring coastline, including the Coastal Ranger Service, targeted visitor engagement and behaviour change initiatives, and partnership projects such as Share Our Shores to protect beach-nesting birds. Those interventions, supported by ongoing monitoring, had demonstrably improved ecological outcomes and were particularly important in managing peak seasonal visitor pressures.

The updated Strategy was supported by a refreshed evidence base, including a new visitor survey, and introduced significant changes to the scale and duration of mitigation required. Most notably, it ensured mitigation was secured for the full lifetime of development and reflected a substantial increase in planned housing growth across the Zone of Influence (ZOI) arising from the Government’s revised mandatory housing targets. As a result, the RAMS tariff was proposed to increase to £476 per dwelling (or qualifying unit), ensuring that the full cost of mitigation was applied in a fair and proportionate manner.

The report also sought approval to withdraw the existing RAMS Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and replace it with a Technical Advice Note (TAN), ensuring the guidance remained up to date and consistent across the Essex Coast RAMS partnership.

At the meeting, the Planning Policy Team Leader, assisted by the Planning Policy Officer, introduced the report.

Officers then responded to the following questions/concerns/queries et cetera from Committee Members:-

·       Was it correct to say that there would be a one off charge and no subsequent charges later on?

Having duly taken all the above information into account and having discussed the matter, it was moved by Councillor Scott, seconded by Councillor Whiteand unanimously:-

RESOLVED that the Planning Policy and Local Plan Committee –

a)      notes the revised and updated Essex Coast Recreational Disturbance Avoidance and Mitigation Strategy (Essex Coast RAMS) associated RAMS tariff, and proposed changes to the governance arrangements, as set out in this report (A.3); and

b)      recommends to the Council’s Cabinet that it:

            i.    adopts the revised Essex Coast RAMS and associated tariff, as set out at Appendix 1 to report A.3, superseding the original Essex Coast RAMS (2018-2038) Strategy;

           ii.    approves the implementation of a revised RAMS tariff of £476 per net additional dwelling (or equivalent qualifying development), to take effect from 1 August 2026;

         iii.    withdraws the adopted Essex Coast RAMS Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), noting that its content is no longer fully aligned with the revised Strategy, evidence base and tariff;

         iv.    agrees to replace the SPD with an Essex Coast RAMS Technical Advice Note (TAN); and

          v.    authorises the Corporate Director (Planning and Community), in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Planning, to finalise and publish the TAN for use alongside the updated RAMS Strategy.