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Here to help: If you need a Shadow Habitat Regulation Assessment please email for a quotation, phone numbers are at top of page if you prefer.
A Shadow Habitats Regulation Assessment (SHRA) report is written in compliance with the requirements of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (as amended). This piece of legislation is often referred to as the ‘Habitats Regulations’.
If you require a Shadow Habitats Regulation Assessment please call / email us for a quote.
A Shadow Habitat Regulation Assessment is a form of Risk Assessment. Typically it will follow the source, pathway, receptor model. It can be qualitiative, or can include some quantitative information.
A typical list of chapter may include:
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Guidance and Policy when Assessing the Potential Effects of a Plan or Project
3.0 Details of the Plan or Project
4.0 Information about the Somerset Levels and Moors Ramsar Site
5.0 Stage 1 - Screening of the Plan or Project
6.0 Stage 2 - Appropriate Assessment
7.0 Conclusions
If a project has the potential to impact on a designated site such as a RAMSAR or SSSI then a Shadow Habitats Regulation Assessment may be required. The reuirement can be triggered via a broad variety of potential environmental impacts such as:
Typically a Shadow Habitats Regulation Assessment will be informed by one or more of the above assessments.
The language used in Habitats Regulation Assessment is different to that used in Standard Impacts Assessments. For example Cumulative Impacts are described as "in-combination" impacts.
Any supporting reports should ideally show zero impact to designated sites, and the flora or fauna within them. It is always better to prove zero impact with a quantitative assessment.
For example following on from the above examples:
With the nutrient neutrality issues now widespread across the UK, we have been asked for Shadow Habitats Regulation Assessment to be submitted alongside Neutrality Assessments or Phosphate Assessments.
This was the case of a residential site in Somerset, where we completed a Neutrality Assessment in 2021. However, some time in 2023 we heard from he client, and they requested that we complete a Shadow Habitats Regulation Assessment for the project.
The first ever SHRA we wrote back in 2012 was to conduct an appropriate assessment on Colony Bog & Bagshot Heath which has SSSI. This was a result of a permit application for a waste process that was quite close to the edge of Colony Bog & Bagshot Heath.
So after looking back through our "back catalogue" of exciting reports, it would appear we have been writing Shadow Habitats Regulation Assessments for over 10 years.
A Habitats Regulation Assessment (HRA) is a rigorous legal requirement under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (as amended). Any project or plan that has the potential to impact a designated European site—such as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Area (SPA), or RAMSAR wetland—must undergo this assessment. We provide "Shadow" HRA reports (sHRA) for developers to submit to the competent authority, ensuring that planning applications contain the robust scientific evidence required to satisfy statutory consultees like Natural England.
The first stage of the HRA process is Screening. This phase determines whether a project, either alone or "in-combination" with other plans, is likely to have a significant effect on a protected site. Our consultants utilize a source-pathway-receptor model to audit potential impacts, ranging from light spill to atmospheric nitrogen deposition. If a significant effect cannot be ruled out at the screening stage, the project must proceed to a Stage 2 Appropriate Assessment, which is a mandatory component for many complex Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA).
During the Appropriate Assessment phase, we conduct a detailed evaluation of the project's impact on the integrity of the protected site. This is where technical modeling becomes critical. We provide quantitative evidence for noise levels, dust deposition, and nutrient loadings. A primary focus for many of our current HRA reports is Nutrient Neutrality, where we design bespoke mitigation strategies (NNAMS) to ensure that developments in sensitive catchments—such as the Somerset Levels or the Solent—achieve a zero-impact outcome.
One of the most complex aspects of the Habitats Regulations is the requirement to assess "in-combination" impacts. A project that may have a negligible impact on its own could contribute to a significant cumulative effect when considered alongside other local developments. We maintain extensive geospatial datasets to track local infrastructure and planning trends, allowing us to model these cumulative pressures accurately. This technical foresight is essential for projects requiring environmental permitting near sensitive SSSI or SAC boundaries, where regulatory thresholds are strictly enforced.
A high-quality Shadow HRA is an essential pillar of a successful Planning Statement. Our reports are written to withstand legal challenge, providing the technical authority and professional accreditation (CIEEM/IES) needed to secure your project's future. With over 900 projects successfully delivered across the UK, SWEL brings over a decade of experience in Habitats Regulation Assessment, ensuring your development contributes to ecological resilience while meeting all planning deadlines.