East Renfrewshire LDP Local Development Plan L O C A L DEVELOPMENT P L A N Strategic Environmental Assessment March 2015 Planning Property and Regeneration Strategic Environmental Assessment Local Development Plan March 2015 Director of Environment Andrew J Cahill B.Sc. (Hons.) Planning Contact Number: 0141 577 3001 Email: [email protected] Strategic Environmental Assessment Local Development Plan Contents 1. NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY.............................................................................. 1 1.1. Introduction ............................................................................................. 1 1.2. Consultation Period and Contact Details for Providing Comments .................... 1 1.3. Summary of Assessment Findings ............................................................... 1 1.4. Monitoring................................................................................................ 2 2. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 3 2.1. Context ................................................................................................... 3 2.2. Statutory and Administrative Context .......................................................... 3 2.3. Purpose of Strategic Environmental Assessment ........................................... 3 2.4. Purpose of the Environmental Report........................................................... 4 2.5. Strategic Environmental Assessment Activities to Date .................................. 4 3. EAST RENFREWSHIRE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND ITS CONTEXT ................ 15 3.1. Introduction ........................................................................................... 15 3.2. Key Facts About The Local Development Plan ............................................. 15 3.3. Description of Plan and Purpose ................................................................ 15 3.4. Format and Scope of the Local Development Plan ....................................... 15 3.5. Relationship with other Plans, Programmes and Environmental Objectives ..... 17 4. CURRENT STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT.......................................................... 20 4.1. Relevant Aspects of the Current State of The Environment ........................... 20 4.2. The Likely Evolution of the Environment without the LDP ............................. 20 5. ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS FROM THE LDP - METHODOLOGY..... 23 5.1. Introduction ........................................................................................... 23 5.2. Methodology........................................................................................... 23 6. ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS FROM THE LDP – FINDINGS ............ 24 6.1. Detailed Assessments .............................................................................. 24 6.2. Summary of Chapters.............................................................................. 24 6.3. Strategic Vision and Objectives (Chapter 2)................................................ 24 6.4. Development Strategy and Strategic Policies (Chapter 3)............................. 30 6.5. Key Areas for Change and Settlement Strategies (Chapter 4) ....................... 31 6.6. Place Making and Design (Chapter 5) ........................................................ 32 6.7. Sustainable Economic Growth (Chapter 6) ................................................. 32 6.8. Managing the Wider Environment (Chapter 7) ............................................ 33 Strategic Environmental Assessment Local Development Plan 7. CUMULATIVE, SYNERGISTIC AND SECONDARY EFFECTS .................................... 34 7.1. Assessment............................................................................................ 34 8. INFLUENCE ON THE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN............................................... 35 8.1. How the SEA process has Influenced the Local Development Plan ................. 35 9. MONITORING ............................................................................................... 36 9.1. Regular Monitoring.................................................................................. 36 List of Tables Table 1: Consultation Exercise, Points Raised and Responses................................................................ 6 Table 2: Analysis of Baseline Data ........................................................................................................ 21 Table 3:Assessment Summary .............................................................................................................. 25 List of Figures Figure 1: Boundaries and Geographical Extent of East Renfrewshire ............................ 5 Figure 2: Hierarchy of Plans, Programmes and Strategies......................................... 18 Figure 3: Timetable and Main Stages for Producing the LDP and SEA ......................... 19 Appendices APPENDIX 1: Framework for Analysis Proposed for Relationship with Other PPS and Environmental Objectives APPENDIX 2: Environmental Issues, Objectives and Implications for LDP APPENDIX 3: Detailed Assessments APPENDIX 4: Baseline Information APPENDIX 5: State of the Environment Report Strategic Environmental Assessment Local Development Plan Document Responsibility Name Position Organisation Louise Carr Geographical Systems Officer East Renfrewshire Council Change History Version Date Comments 0.1 December 2012 Document in draft 0.2 December 2012 Figures inserted 1.0 February 2013 Document released for consultation 1.1 October 2013 Modification Addendum released for consultation 2.0 January 2015 Consultation page removed. Incorporation of assessment for proposed modifications. Minor changes to reflect LDP examination (see section 2.5) Released for approval. Strategic Environmental Assessment Local Development Plan To: [email protected] or SEA Gateway Scottish Executive Area 1 H (Bridge) Victoria Quay Edinburgh EH6 6QQ PART 2 An SEA Environmental Report is attached for the plan, programme or strategy (PPS) entitled: East Renfrewshire Council – Local Development Plan The Responsible Authority is: East Renfrewshire Council PART 3 Please tick the appropriate box X The PPS falls under the scope of Section 5(3) of the Act and requires an SEA under the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005. or The PPS falls under the scope of Section 5(4) of the Act and requires an SEA under the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005.or The PPS does not require an SEA under the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005. However, we wish to carry out an SEA on a voluntary basis. We accept that, as this SEA is voluntary, the statutory 5 week timescale for views from the Consultation Authorities cannot be guaranteed. Strategic Environmental Assessment Local Development Plan PART 4 Contact name Louise Carr Job Title Geographical Systems Officer Environment Department Contact address East Renfrewshire Council 2 Spiersbridge Way Spiersbridge Business Park 0141 577 8542 Contact tel no Contact email [email protected] PART 5 Signature Louise Carr (electronic signature is acceptable) December 2012 Date Strategic Environmental Assessment Local Development Plan 1. NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY 1.1. Introduction 1.1.1. East Renfrewshire Council has published its Local Development Plan which will guide development and regeneration throughout the Authority area. 1.1.2. This Environmental Report forms part of the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Local Development Plan. The Report highlights any adverse impacts that land use change and development, brought about by the Policies and Proposals contained within the Local Development Plan, may have on the environment. 1.1.3. The Strategic Environmental Assessment process has helped to inform the Local Development Plan and as a result its Policies are considered to have environmental focus. 1.2. Consultation Period and Contact Details for Providing Comments 1.2.1. As required under Section 16 of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005, copies of this report were sent to the Consultation Authorities, an advert placed in local newspapers and it was made available to view at Council Offices, libraries and on the Councils website. 1.2.2. The consultation period of this Environmental Report and the Local Development Plan ran from 6th February 2013 for a period of 12 weeks. 1.2.3. An addendum to the Environmental Report was issued in October 2013 which assessed the sites presented in the modifications to the Local Development Plan. This was also subject to its own consultation which ran for a period of 6 weeks. 1.3. Summary of Assessment Findings 1.3.1. The Local Development Plan contains a number of environmentally focused Policies and emphasis is placed on brownfield development. 1.3.2. The Plan aims to consolidate and regenerate existing urban areas, and provides measures to protect retail uses within town centres. This has positive impacts on the local economy, job creation, access by sustainable means and reduces the need to travel. 1.3.3. The Plan acknowledges potential negative impacts which may arise from the release of land in the greenbelt and provides measures to mitigate against these. The concept of master planning is one such measure. Master planning of an area enables negative impacts of individual proposal sites to be avoided mainly through design layout. 1.3.4. Policies on green infrastructure and green networks will lessen the impact that