Revised Sustainability Appraisal
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Local Development Framework Central Lancashire Core Strategy Revised Sustainability Appraisal November 2011 This page is intentionally left blank CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES i ABBREVIATIONS i COMPONENTS MAKING UP THE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT ii 1. SUMMARY AND OUTCOMES 1 1.1 Non-technical summary 1 1.2 A statement of the likely significant effects of the plan 5 1.3 Statement on the difference the process has made to date 9 2. APPRAISAL METHODOLOGY 11 2.1 Approach adopted to the SA 11 2.2 When the SA was carried out 11 2.3 Who carried out the SA 12 2.4 Who was consulted, when and how 12 2.5 How and when was consultation carried out 13 2.6 Provision of information on the decision 13 2.7 Difficulties encountered in compiling information or carrying out the 14 assessment 3. BACKGROUND 15 3.1 Purpose of the SA and the SA Report 15 3.2 Plan objectives and outline of contents 15 3.3 Compliance with the SEA Directive/Regulations 15 4. SUSTAINABILITY OBJECTIVES, BASELINE AND CONTEXT 17 4.1 Links to other policies, plans and programmes and sustainability 17 objectives and how these have been taken into account 4.2 Description of the social, environmental and economic baseline 18 characteristics and the predicted future baseline 4.3 Main social, environmental and economic issues and problems 18 identified 4.4 Limitations of the information and assumptions made 19 4.5 The SA Framework, including objectives, targets and indicators 19 5. CORE STRATEGY ISSUES AND OPTIONS 23 5.1 Main strategic options considered and how they were identified 23 5.2 Comparison of the social, environmental and economic effects of the 25 options 5.3 How social, environmental and economic issues were considered in 26 choosing the Preferred Options 5.4 Other options considered, and why these were rejected 26 5.5 Proposed mitigation measures 26 6. CORE STRATEGY PREFERRED POLICIES 27 6.1 Significant social, environmental and economic effects of the policies 27 6.2 Cumulative effects of preferred policies 32 6.3 How social, environmental and economic problems were considered in 33 developing the policies 6.4 Proposed mitigation measures 33 6.5 Uncertainties and risks 34 7. APPRAISAL OF SIGNIFICANT CHANGES 35 7.1 Appraisal of Changes Made at Publication Stage 35 7.2 Appraisal of Changes Made Following Examination in Public 42 8. IMPLEMENTATION 46 8.1 Links to other tiers of plans and programmes and the project level 46 8.2 Proposals for monitoring 46 APPENDICES Appendix 1: Testing and Comparison of Core Strategy Issues and Options 47 Appendix 2: Testing and Comparison of Core Strategy Spatial Options 80 Appendix 3: Selection of Preferred Options 84 Appendix 4: Preliminary Assessment of Preferred Core Strategy Policies 94 and Not Favoured Options Appendix 5: Evaluation and Prediction of Likely Effects of Preferred Core 112 Strategy Policies Appendix 6: Cumulative Effects of Preferred Core Strategy Policies 140 Appendix 7: Sustainability Appraisal of Strategic Sites 141 Appendix 8: Strategic Sites and Locations Assessment 146 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1: Sustainability Appraisal Timetable 11 Figure 4.1: SA Objectives Compatibility Matrix 22 Figure 5.1: Matrix for Comparing SA Objectives and Core Strategy Objectives 24 Figure 6.1: How Environmental Issues required to be assessed by 27 the SEA Directive have been Incorporated into SA Objectives Figure 6.2: Summary of Likely Effects of Preferred Core Strategy 28 Figure 6.3: Proposed Mitigation Measures 33 Figure 7.1: Summary of Sustainability Appraisal Testing of Strategic Sites 36 Figure 7.2: Updated Assessment of Policy 4: Housing Delivery 39 Figure 7.3: Assessment of Policy 5: Housing Density 40 Figure 7.4: Updated Assessment of Policy 1: Locating Growth 42 Figure 7.5: Further Updated Assessment of Policy 4: Housing Delivery 44 ABBREVIATIONS SA Sustainability Appraisal SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment DPD Development Plan Document SPD Supplementary Planning Document LDF Local Development Framework PPS Planning Policy Statement RSS Regional Spatial Strategy SOA Super Output Area LPA Local Planning Authority ODPM Office of the Deputy Prime Minister The Act Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 i COMPONENTS MAKING UP THE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT The following table identifies the requirements of the SEA Directive and where each has been met within this Sustainability Appraisal report. Requirements Where Covered in SA Report Preparation of an environmental report in which the likely significant effects on the 5.2 environment of implementing the plan or programme, and reasonable alternatives taking into 6.1 account the geographical scope of the plan or programme are identified, described and Components below also make up evaluated. (Art. 5 and Annex 1): Environmental Report: a. An outline of the contents, main objectives of the plan or programme, and relationship with 3.2 other relevant plans and programmes; 4.1 b. The relevant aspects of the current state of the environment and the likely evolution thereof 4.2 without implementation of the plan or programme; c. The environmental characteristics of areas likely to be significantly affected; 4.2 d. Any existing environmental problems which are relevant to the plan or programme including, in particular, those relating to any areas of a particular environmental importance, 4.3 such as areas designated pursuant to Directives 79/409/EEC and 92/43/EEC; e. The environmental protection objectives, established at international, Community or national level, which are relevant to the plan or programme and the way those objectives 4.1 and any environmental considerations have been taken into account during its preparation; f. The likely significant effects on the environment, including on issues such as biodiversity, population, human health, fauna, flora, soil, water, air, climatic factors, material assets, 6.1 cultural heritage including architectural and archaeological heritage, landscape and the interrelationship between the above factors; g. The measures envisaged to prevent, reduce and as fully as possible offset any significant 5.5 adverse effects on the environment of implementing the plan or programme; 6.4 h. An outline of the reasons for selecting the alternatives dealt with, and a description of how 5.1 the assessment was undertaken including any difficulties (such as technical deficiencies or 5.2 lack of know-how) encountered in compiling the required information; i. A description of measures envisaged concerning monitoring in accordance with Article 10; 8.2 j. A non-technical summary of the information provided under the above headings; 1.1 Consultation: authorities with environmental responsibility, when deciding on the scope and level of detail of the information to be included in the environmental report (Art. 5.4) 2.4 authorities with environmental responsibility and the public shall be given an early and 2.5 effective opportunity within appropriate time frames to express their opinion on the draft plan or programme and the accompanying environmental report before the adoption of the plan or programme (Art. 6.1, 6.2) other EU Member States, where the implementation of the plan or programme is likely to N/A have significant effects on the environment of that country (Art. 7) Taking the environmental report and the results of the consultation into account in 2.5 decision-making (Art. 8) Provision of information on the decision: 2.6 When the plan or programme is adopted, the public and any countries consulted under Art. 7 shall be informed and the following made available to those so informed: the plan or programme as adopted; a statement summarising how environmental considerations have been integrated into the Information will be made available plan or programme and how the environmental report pursuant to Article 5, the opinions to the public after adoption of the expressed pursuant to Article 6 and the results of consultations entered into pursuant to Core Strategy Article 7 have been taken into account in accordance with Article 8, and the reasons for choosing the plan or programme as adopted, in the light of other reasonable alternatives dealt with; and the measures decided concerning monitoring (Art. 9 and 10) 8.2 Monitoring of the significant environmental effects of the plan’s or programme’s implementation 8.2 (Art. 10) Quality assurance: environmental reports should be of a sufficient standard to meet the 3.3 requirements of the SEA Directive (Art.12) ii *** Please note this is a revised version of the SA that was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate on 31 March 2011 and was part of the evidence base for the Central Lancashire Core Strategy at the Examination Hearing June/ July 2011. This revised version (November 2011) takes account of the proposed changes to Policy 1: Locating Growth and Policy 4: Housing Delivery. Full explanations can be found in Chapter 7 of this report and within the appendices. iii 1. SUMMARY AND OUTCOMES 1.1 Non-technical summary . This is a non-technical summary providing an overview of the approach to and conclusions of the combined Sustainability Appraisal (SA) / Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Central Lancashire Core Strategy (CS). What is Sustainability Appraisal and how does it relate to the Central Lancashire Core Strategy? 1.1.1 Under the Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (the Act) Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) are required to produce a Local Development Framework (LDF). The LDF will include a series of documents including Development Plan Documents (DPDs) and Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs), which set out the policies and proposals relating to the development and use of land. The Core Strategy, which this document relates to, is a DPD. 1.1.2 The Act also requires Sustainability Appraisal to be undertaken for DPDs and SPDs to make sure they are ‘sound’, by ensuring they reflect sustainable development objectives and allow the goal for sustainable development, detailed below, to be met.