Intended for Daventry District Council Document type Report Date November, 2017 DAVENTRY LOCAL PLAN PART 2 SA REPORT NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY DAVENTRY LOCAL PLAN PART 2 SA REPORT NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY Project No. UK15-24406 Issue No. 3 Date 15/11/2017 Made by Emma Jones Checked by Bram Miller Approved by Bram Miller Made by: Checked/Approved by: This report has been prepared by Ramboll Environ with all reasonable skill, care and diligence, and taking account of the Services and the Terms agreed between Ramboll Environ and the Client. This report is confidential to the Client, and Ramboll Environ accepts no responsibility whatsoever to third parties to whom this report, or any part thereof, is made known, unless formally agreed by Ramboll Environ beforehand. Any such party relies upon the report at their own risk. Ramboll Environ disclaims any responsibility to the Client and others in respect of any matters outside the agreed scope of the Services. Ramboll Environ 8 The Wharf Bridge Street Birmingham B1 2JS United Kingdom T +44 121 616 2180 www.ramboll-environ.com SA report Non technical summary Version Control Log Revision Date Made by Checked by Approved by Description 1 05/10/2017 EJ Draft report 2 08/11/2017 EJ BAM BAM Report to client 3 15/11/2017 EJ BAM BAM Report to client SA report Non technical summary CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background 1 1.1 How to comment on the report 1 2. DAVENTRY LOCAL PLAN PART 2 2 2.1 What does the plan include? 2 2.2 Relationship with other plans and programmes 3 2.3 How environmental protection objectives have been taken into account 3 3. THE SUSTAINABILITY BASELINE 4 3.1 Introduction 4 4. HOW THE ASSESSMENT WAS UNDERTAKEN 9 4.1 Introduction 9 4.2 Questions used to guide the SA 9 4.3 How the assessment was carried out 11 4.4 Difficulties encountered in the SA 12 5. ASSESSING ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS 13 5.1 Assessing alternative options 13 5.2 Strategy / policy alternatives 13 5.3 Site alternatives 13 6. SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS OF THE LOCAL PLAN AND MITIGATION 22 6.1 Introduction 22 6.2 Cumulative effects assessment 22 7. MONITORING 33 7.1 Introduction 33 8. NEXT STEPS IN THE PROCESS 35 SA report Non technical summary 1 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background This is the Non-Technical Summary of the Sustainability Appraisal Report (SA report) for the Daventry Local Plan Part 2. The Daventry Local Plan Part 2 outlines policies to guide development within Daventry to 2029. In order to test its effects on environmental, social and economic objectives, the preparation of the Local Plan has been subject to an assessment of its effects in line with the requirements of international and national regulations (hereafter in this report referred to as an SA). The SA is being carried out by an independent consultancy called Ramboll ENVIRON who have been appointed by the Council. Regulations require that at some point in the writing of the Local Plan an assessment is carried out and an SA report is produced and consulted on. The SA report should set out the results of the SA process, outline why alternatives to the plan were selected, report on the potential effects of the draft Local Plan and outline a programme for monitoring the effects of the plan. This document is a summary in non-technical language of the contents of the SA report. Regulations state that the report should include a summary that addresses the following: An outline of the contents, main objectives of the plan or programme, and relationship with other relevant plans and programmes (see section 2 of this document); The relevant aspects of the current state of the environment (baseline) and the likely evolution thereof without implementation of the plan or programme (future baseline). This includes consideration of existing environmental problems (see section 3 of this document); The environmental protection objectives, which are relevant to the plan or programme and the way those objectives and any environmental, considerations have been taken into account during its preparation (see section 2 of this document); The likely significant effects on the environment; The measures envisaged to prevent, reduce and as fully as possible offset any significant adverse effects on the environment of implementing the plan or programme (mitigation) (see section 6 of this document); An outline of the reasons for selecting the alternatives dealt with (see section 5 of this document); A description of how the assessment was undertaken including any difficulties (such as technical deficiencies or lack of know-how) encountered in compiling the required information (see section 4 of this document); and A description of measures envisaged concerning monitoring (see section 7 of this document). 1.1 How to comment on the report Comments are invited on all aspects of this report. Please return your response form to the Local Strategy Service using the details below: By Post: Local Strategy Service, Daventry District Council, Lodge Road, Daventry, Northamptonshire, NN11 4FP By e-mail: [email protected] 1 SA report Non technical summary 2 2. DAVENTRY LOCAL PLAN PART 2 2.1 What does the plan include? The plan includes a vision, objectives and a number of policies for achieving the Local Plan objectives, setting out how much development is intended to happen where and by what means it will be delivered. Once adopted the Local Plan Part 2 will form part of the development plan (working in conjunction with the West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy which has already been adopted). The objectives of the Local Plan are shown Box 1. Box 1: Objectives Objective 1 - Climate Change To minimise demand for resources and mitigate and adapt to climate change, by: Promoting sustainable design and construction in all new development; Ensuring strategic development allocations are located and designed so as to be resilient to future climate change and risk of flooding; Encouraging renewable energy production in appropriate locations; and Ensuring new development promotes the use of sustainable travel modes. Objective 2 - Infrastructure and Development To protect and enhance existing local services and to ensure social, physical and green infrastructure is adequately provided to meet the needs of people and business in a timely and sustainable manner in response to regeneration and new development. Objective 3 - Connections To reduce the need to travel, shorten travel distances and make sustainable travel a priority by maximising the use of alternative travel modes. In so doing, combat congestion in our main towns and town centres, reduce carbon emissions and address social exclusion for those in both rural and urban areas who do not have access to a private car. Objective 4 - Protecting and Building Urban Communities To ensure new development in urban areas effectively supports and links new and existing communities physically and socially, to achieve social cohesion and address the areas of deprivation identified in parts of Daventry. Objective 5 - Supporting Daventry Town Centre To support the regeneration of Daventry town centre through planned growth and infrastructure delivery. Objective 6 - Economic Advantage To strengthen and diversify the local economy by taking advantage of our internationally well- placed location, strategic transport network and proximity to London and Birmingham. Objective 7 - Specialist Business Development To support and develop opportunities for specialist employment clusters and business development focused on a low carbon economy. Objective 8 - Educational Attainment To raise educational achievement and the skills base of our communities through supporting the development of learning infrastructure and strengthening the link between local businesses and local schools, Moulton and Northampton Colleges, the University of Northampton and other educational establishments. Objective 9 - Housing To provide a range of housing in sustainable locations to ensure all residents have access to a home that they can afford and that meets their needs. Housing development will be focused at the most sustainable location of Daventry with limited development in the rural areas to provide for local needs and support local services. Objective 10 - Protecting and Supporting Rural Communities 2 SA report Non technical summary 3 To protect and support rural communities to ensure they thrive and remain vital. Objective 11 - Rural Diversification and Employment To support rural diversification and rural employment opportunities, in particular those related to agriculture, horticulture and forestry. Objective 12 - Green Infrastructure To protect natural species present in the District and enhance the existing strategic green infrastructure network, including biodiversity corridors, by incorporating and designing these into Sustainable Urban Extensions (SUEs) at Northampton and Daventry. Objective 13 - High Quality Design To achieve high quality design in both rural and urban areas that takes account of local character and heritage and provides a safe, healthy and attractive place for residents, visitors and businesses. Objective 14 - Heritage To conserve and where possible enhance, through carefully managed change, heritage assets and their settings, and to recognise their role in providing a sense of place and local distinctiveness. The plan policies are grouped under the following headings: Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Spatial Portrait Chapter 3: Vision and Objectives Chapter 4: Daventry District Spatial Strategy Chapter 5: Development