The GESP Draft Policies and Site Options Consultation Document
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The GESP Draft Policies and Site Options Consultation Document Sustainability Appraisal Report Final Report Prepared by LUC June 2020 Project Title: Sustainability Appraisal of the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan Client: East Devon District, Exeter City, Mid Devon District, and Teignbridge District Councils Version Date Version Details Prepared by Checked by Approved by 1 11/05/2020 Draft SA Report for Kieran Moroney Kate Nicholls Taran Greater Exeter Natalie Collins Livingston Strategic Plan: Draft Harry Briggs Policies and Site Kate Nicholls Options Consultation document 2 25/05/2020 Final SA Report for Kieran Moroney Kate Nicholls Taran Greater Exeter Natalie Collins Livingston Strategic Plan: Draft Harry Briggs Policies and Site Kate Nicholls Options Consultation document 3 01/06/2020 Updated Final SA Kieran Moroney Kate Nicholls Taran Report for Greater Natalie Collins Livingston Exeter Strategic Plan: Harry Briggs Draft Policies and Site Kate Nicholls Options Consultation document The GESP Draft Policies and Site Options Consultation document Sustainability Appraisal Report Final Report Prepared by LUC June 2020 Planning & EIA LUC BRISTOL Offices also in: Land Use Consultants Ltd th Registered in England Design 12 Floor Colston Tower London Registered number: 2549296 Landscape Planning Colston Street Bristol Glasgow Registered Office: Landscape Management BS1 4XE Edinburgh 43 Chalton Street Ecology T +44 (0)117 929 1997 London NW1 1JD Mapping & Visualisation [email protected] FS 566056 EMS 566057 LUC uses 100% recycled paper Contents Introduction 1 Background to the GESP 1 Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment 1 Other assessments undertaken 2 Structure of this report 2 Methodology 6 Stage A: Scoping 6 SA Stage B: Developing and refining options and assessing effects 10 SA Stage C: Preparing the Sustainability Appraisal report 14 SA Stage D: Consultation on GESP and this SA Report 14 SA Stage E: Monitoring implementation of the GESP 14 Appraisal methodology 14 Difficulties Encountered 20 Sustainability Context for Development in the plan area 21 Review of Plans, Policies and Programmes 21 Relationship between the GESP and other plans and programmes 21 Environmental, Social and Economic Objectives Relevant to the GESP 23 Baseline Information 30 Key Sustainability Issues 30 Sustainability Appraisal Findings for the Policy Options 37 Vision and Priorities and Sustainable Development Policy 37 Strategy Alternatives 40 Climate Emergency 49 Prosperity 58 Housing 67 Movement and Communication 75 Nature 90 Quality Places and Infrastructure 97 Sustainability Appraisal Findings for the Potential Site Options 104 Monitoring 125 Conclusions 126 Next Steps 127 Introduction 1.1 East Devon, Exeter City, Mid Devon and Teignbridge District Councils commissioned LUC in May 2018 to carry out a Sustainability Appraisal (SA) incorporating Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP). 1.2 This SA Report relates to the Draft Policies and Site Options Consultation (September 2020) version of the GESP and it should be read in conjunction with that document. Background to the GESP 1.3 The GESP will cover the Greater Exeter Authorities of: • East Devon District Council; • Exeter City Council; • Mid Devon District Council; and • Teignbridge District Council. 1.4 Devon County Council is also a partner in this joint planning work. 1.5 The GESP will set out strategic policies for development across the four local planning authority areas for the period covering 2020 to 2040. The individual authorities will produce more detailed Local Plans for their own areas that will sit under and be informed by the GESP. 1.6 It should be noted that around 30% of Dartmoor National Park falls in Teignbridge district and a very small part in Mid Devon. The National Park Authority is a planning authority in its own right and produces its own Park wide plan. The GESP and this SA/SEA report does not cover National Park areas, albeit with the caveat that some data sources quoted in this report may extend or refer to areas that lie beyond the GESP area and there are also cross-boundary matters that are addressed in this report. 1.7 The principles of sustainable development are at the heart of the planning system. The SA process is intended to ensure that through plan-making LPAs have considered social, environmental and economic concerns when producing Development Plan Documents (DPD). The GESP will have the status of a DPD. Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment 1.8 Sustainability Appraisal is a statutory requirement of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. It is designed to ensure that the plan preparation process maximises the contribution that a plan makes to sustainable development and minimises any potential adverse impacts. The SA process involves appraising the likely social, environmental and economic effects of the policies and proposals within a plan from the outset of its development. 1.9 Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is also a statutory assessment process, required under the SEA Directive1, transposed in the UK by the SEA Regulations2 (Statutory Instrument 2004, No 1633). The SEA Regulations require the formal assessment of plans and programmes which are likely to have significant effects on the environment and which set the framework for future 1 SEA Directive 2001/42/EC 2 The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004 (SI 2004/1633), as amended by The Environmental Assessments and Miscellaneous Planning (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 (SI 2018/1232). It should be noted that the purpose of the amendments to the SEA Regulations is to ensure that the law functions correctly after the UK has left the European Union. No substantive changes are made to the way the SEA regime operates. SA of the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan: Draft Policies and Site Options Consultation 1 June 2020 consent of projects requiring Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)3. The purpose of SEA, as defined in Article 1 of the SEA Directive is “to provide for a high level of protection of the environment and to contribute to the integration of environmental considerations into the preparation and adoption of plans….with a view to promoting sustainable development”. 1.10 SEA and SA are separate processes but have similar aims and objectives. Simply put, SEA focuses on the likely environmental effects of a plan whilst SA includes a wider range of considerations, extending to social and economic impacts. National Planning Practice Guidance4 shows how it is possible to satisfy both requirements by undertaking a joint SA/SEA process, and to present an SA Report that incorporates the requirements of the SEA Regulations. The SA/SEA of the GESP is being undertaken using this integrated approach and throughout this report the abbreviation ‘SA’ should therefore be taken to refer to ‘SA incorporating the requirements of SEA’. 1.11 At the time of writing, the UK including the GESP area is in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Clearly, this unprecedented public health crisis will have a wide range of short, medium and long-term impacts, many of which will take time to become clear. The SA addresses ‘human health’ as one of the topics that the SEA Regulations require to be considered; however the SA has not specifically addressed the pandemic when appraising site and policy options. Once the public health situation has evolved and the effects becomes clearer, later iterations of the SA may consider proposals for the GESP in the particular context of the pandemic. The baseline evidence relating to health (see Chapter 3 and Appendix 3) will be updated at each stage to reflect the impacts of the pandemic and to provide up-to-date context for the SA. Other assessments undertaken 1.12 Under Article 6 (3) and (4) of the Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora (Habitats Directive) land-use plans, including Development Plan Documents, are also subject to Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA). The purpose of HRA is to assess the impacts of a land-use plan against the conservation objectives of a European site and to ascertain whether it would adversely affect the integrity of that site. A separate HRA for the GESP is being undertaken and the findings have been drawn on to inform the SA where relevant. Structure of this report 1.13 This report is the SA Report for the Draft Policies and Site Options Consultation (September 2020). Table 1.1 below signposts how the requirements of the SEA Regulations have been met within this report. Table 1.1: Requirements of the SEA Regulations and where these have been addressed in this SA report SEA Regulation Requirements Where covered in this SA Report Preparation of an environmental report in which the likely significant effects on the environment of implementing the plan or programme, and reasonable alternatives taking into account the objectives and geographical scope of the plan or programme, are identified, described and evaluated (Reg. 12). The information to be given is (Schedule 2): a) An outline of the contents, main objectives of the plan or Chapter 1, Chapter 3, Chapter programme, and relationship with other relevant plans and 4 and Appendix 2. programmes b) The relevant aspects of the current state of the environment Chapter 3 and Appendix 3. and the likely evolution thereof without implementation of the plan or programme c) The environmental characteristics of areas likely to be Chapter 3 and Appendix 3. significantly affected 3 Under EU Directives 85/337/EEC and 97/11/EC concerning EIA. 4 http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/ SA of the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan: Draft Policies and Site Options Consultation 2 June 2020 SEA Regulation Requirements Where covered in this SA Report d) Any existing environmental problems which are relevant to Chapter 3 and Appendix 3. the plan or programme including, in particular, those relating to any areas of a particular environmental importance, such as areas designated pursuant to Directives 79/409/EEC and 92/43/EEC.