Item 8 Appendix 2 HRA 20260060DET Biking downhill run

This document contains a habitats regulations appraisal for a proposal to build an additional mountain biking downhill run at the Lecht Ski Centre. This appraisal looks at how the project might affect three important nature sites: Ladder Hills Special Area of Conservation, River Spey Special Area of Conservation, and Cairngorms Massif Special Protection Area. It found that the new trail could potentially impact blanket bog in Ladder Hills, various aquatic animals and their homes in the River Spey (like Atlantic salmon and freshwater pearl mussels), and golden eagles in the Cairngorms Massif. However, the appraisal concludes that if certain protective steps are put in place – such as keeping a 30-metre buffer zone away from Ladder Hills, creating a plan to prevent pollution, avoiding building work during salmon spawning season, and following a detailed Construction Management Plan – then these potential effects would be very small. With these measures, the project is expected to have no lasting negative impact on the health and integrity of these protected natural areas.