Pewsey Parish Council Pewsey Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) Pewsey Neighbourhood Development Plan Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report 2012-2026 1 Contents Page no. 1. Introduction 3 2. Methodology 4 3. Identification of relevant policies, plans and programmes 7 4. Baseline information 8 5. Key sustainability and environmental issues and problems 16 6. Sustainability Appraisal Framework 16 7. Consultation on the Scoping Report 17 8. Next Steps 17 Appendix 1 - The Publication, Plans and Programmes Reviewed by Topic with the Key Points Extracted 18 Appendix 2 – Key Environmental Sustainability Issues 26 Appendix 3 – Pewsey Sustainability Framework 31 Appendix 4 – Community Consultation 42 Appendix 5 – Pewsey Parish Consultees Area Map 47 Appendix 6 – Pewsey Parish Area Map 48 2 PEWSEY NEIGHBOURHOOD DEVELPOMENT PLAN (NDP) SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL SCOPING REPORT 1 Introduction This Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report has been prepared to guide the Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for this project. It sets the context and objectives, and establishes the baseline and scope of the sustainability appraisal and will be used to assess the extent the NDP policies will contribute to sustainable development in the area. Guidance to assist in the completion of the sustainability appraisal and the SEA has been sought from: A Practical Guide to the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive (ODPM, 2005). Sustainability Appraisal Guidance (PAS) 2009). Wiltshire Planning Authority. The NDP has relied on evidence and guidance from local plans like the Wiltshire Emerging Core Strategy, the Kennet Local Plan, the Partnership Community Plan and the Village Design Statement. In accordance with the Government’s Localism Act 2012 Pewsey Parish Council set up a Working Group to write a Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) for Pewsey Parish and those other parishes in the Community Area who wished to be involved. This is to achieve a moderate amount of development within the settlement boundary to provide both residential and employment needs in accordance with the requirements set out in the Core Strategy. The objectives may be covered by the following headings: To manage development by means of the NDP in line with the Core Strategy and the wishes of the community. To ensure Pewsey maintains its role as an area Service Provider. To ensure that all utility services meet the requirements of any future development. To maintain and enhance the current green areas and sporting facilities. To enhance the economic sustainability of the village. The area covered is Pewsey Parish. However, following consultation with Wiltshire Council, all the other parish councils in the Community area were asked if they wished to take part. The following list of parish councils, all of whom are adjacent or near to Pewsey parish, were interested and wished to be kept informed of progress. This has been done by, in some cases, a representative attending the meetings of the NDP Working Group but in all cases the circulation of all the NDP papers. These 3 parishes are all termed Primary Consultees and may offer their comments for consideration particularly on matters that directly affect their area: Alton Barnes Chirton Easton Royal. Grafton Manningford North Newnton Rushall Wilcot and Huish Woodborough. Although the sustainability appraisal and SEA processes are separate they have a high degree of overlap. Guidance suggests an integrated approach can be followed so the sustainability appraisal incorporates the SEA. This involves extending the breadth of the environmental issues required to be considered under the sustainability appraisal. This report addresses the requirements of both the sustainability appraisal and SEA simultaneously and gives full consideration to environmental, social and economic matters. The UK Government’s policy definition of sustainability and the five principles set out in their publication ‘Securing the Future: Delivering the UK Sustainability Development Strategy (2005)’ are agreed and followed in this appraisal and assessment. A map of the Community Area can be found at Appendix 5 A map of Pewsey Parish is at Appendix 6 2 Methodology The There is no legal requirement to undertake a sustainability appraisal for a neighbourhood plan. This has been established through recent advice and guidance from Communities and Local Government (CLG) and the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) However, assessing the social, economic and environmental effects of a neighbourhood plan is good practice, can help improve its overall sustainability and ensure that a wider range of sustainability considerations inform its development. It may also enable the needs of a wider cross-section of the local community to be met through the neighbourhood planning process. There is a legal requirement to consider the need to carry out a Strategic Environmental methodology adopted for completing this report is in accordance with the guidance set out by the then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) and provided by the Planning Advisory Service (PAS). Advice has been taken from Wiltshire Council Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report and the Core Strategy and similar methodology used. 4 Meeting legal Requirements Assessment (SEA) on plans which are determined likely to have significant environmental effects. This is in accordance with EU Directive 2001/42/EC “On the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment”, also known as the SEA Directive. The SEA Directive was transposed in England through The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004. It is considered that, because of the likely content of the Pewsey Neighbourhood Plan, including setting the framework for the future development consent of projects, the allocation of potential development sites and the size of the geographical area that the plan covers, there is the likelihood of significant environmental effects and therefore an SEA will be undertaken throughout the plans preparation. The requirements of the SEA Directive that this report meets are outlined below and at the beginning of the sections following: SEA Directive 2001/42/EC legal requirements: Setting the context and objectives; establishing the baseline; deciding on the scope. The environment Report shall include information on (inter alia): “The relationship (of the plan or programme) with other relevant plans and programmes” (Annex 1a) “The environment protection objectives, established at international, European Community or national level. Which are relevant to the plans or programme and the way those objectives and any environmental considerations have been taken into account during its preparation” (Annex 1e) “Relevant aspects of the current state of the environment and the likely evolution thereof without implementation of the plan or programmes” and “the environmental characteristics of areas likely to be significantly affected”) Annex 1 b and c) “ Any existing environmental problems which are relevant to the plan or programme including, in particular, those relating to any areas of particular environmental importance, such as areas designated pursuant to Directives 79/409/EEC and 92/43/EEC” (Annex 1 d) “The authorities which, by reason of their environmental responsibilities, are likely to be concerned by the environmental effects of implementing plans or programmes, shall be consulted when deciding on the scope and level of detail of the information which must be included in the environmental report” (Article 5.4 and 6.3) 5 Scope of this report The scoping procedure will set out collected information from various sources, objectives and comparisons which can be used in the compilation of the Plan. This is the method used by the LA and advised by the ODPM and PAS. To establish key issues information will be collected by the following means: Identifying relevant Plans, Policies and Programmes. Compiling baseline information. Identifying key sustainability and environmental issues and problems. Establishing appraisal objectives and a sustainability appraisal framework. Following this initial scoping process a Sustainability Appraisal Report will be published for consultation alongside the NDP. This will assess the likely significant effects of the NDP and reasonable alternatives taking into account the objectives and geographical scope of the plan. The topic areas selected for the scoping report have been drawn from those used by the LA in their procedures used when compiling the Core Strategy with some additions suitable for Pewsey area. Sustainability guidance requires that any inter- relationship between topic areas should be taken into consideration and addressed in the report. The sustainability topics considered in this report encompass those required by the SEA Directive but include wider social and economic considerations. The SEA Directive 2001/42/EC requires an assessment of: “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, cultural heritage including architectural heritage, landscape and the interrelationship between the above factors.” The topic areas selected, including those relating to economic and social considerations, are: Biodiversity Land and soil resources Water resources and flood risk Air quality and Environmental pollution Climatic factors Historic environment