LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN WSTP4 Sustainability Appraisal
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
West Sussex County Council LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN WSTP4 Sustainability Appraisal 70076288 JULY 2021 PUBLIC West Sussex County Council LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN WSTP4 Sustainability Appraisal TYPE OF DOCUMENT (VERSION) PUBLIC PROJECT NO. 70076288 OUR REF. NO. 70076288 DATE: JULY 2021 WSP 2 London Square Cross Lanes Guildford, Surrey GU1 1UN Phone: +44 148 352 8400 WSP.com PUBLIC QUALITY CONTROL Issue/revision First issue Revision 1 Revision 2 Revision 3 Remarks Working Draft for V01 Draft V02 following client client comment comment and Natural England Scoping comments Date May 2021 June 2021 05/07/2021 Prepared by Jerome Kreule Jerome Kreule Jerome Kreule Signature Checked by Jo North Jo North Ursula Stevenson Signature Authorised by Ursula Stevenson Ursula Stevenson Jo North Signature Project number 70076288 70076288 70076288 Report number Working Draft 1 V02 V03 File reference 01 Draft Final Draft LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN PUBLIC | WSP Project No.: 70076288 | Our Ref No.: 70076288 July 2021 West Sussex County Council CONTENTS NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.2 SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL 1 1.3 STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT 1 2 THE WEST SUSSEX TRANSPORT PLAN 2 2.1 BACKGROUND 2 2.2 PURPOSE OF THE NEW WSTP 2 WSTP OVERARCHING STRATEGIES 4 2.3 WSTP OBJECTIVES 5 2.4 STRUCTURE OF THE SA 6 2.5 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SEA AND WSTP 8 3 SA METHODOLOGY 11 3.1 INTRODUCTION 11 3.2 STAGE A: SCOPING 11 3.3 STAGE B: ASSESSING EFFECTS 11 3.4 STAGE C AND D: REPORTING AND CONSULTATION 12 3.5 CONSIDERATION OF ALTERNATIVES 16 3.6 CONSIDERATION OF CUMULATIVE, SYNERGISTIC AND INDIRECT EFFECTS 16 3.7 THE WSTP IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER PLANS 16 3.8 PREPARATION OF THE SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL REPORT 16 3.9 RISK AND UNCERTAINTY 16 3.10 MONITORING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN 17 LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN PUBLIC | WSP Project No.: 70076288 | Our Ref No.: 70076288 July 2021 West Sussex County Council 4 SUSTAINABILITY CONTEXT FOR TRANSPORT PLANNING IN WEST SUSSEX 19 4.1 REVIEW OF PLANS, POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES 19 4.2 BASELINE INFORMATION 21 INTRODUCTION 21 WEST SUSSEX 22 Districts 23 Adur 23 Arun 23 Chichester 23 Crawley 23 Horsham 24 Mid Sussex 24 South Downs National Park 24 Worthing 24 5 SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL FRAMEWORK 26 5.1 SA FRAMEWORK 26 SUSTAINABILITY OBJECTIVES 26 6 STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT 32 6.1 INTRODUCTION 32 6.2 ASSESSMENT OF WSTP STRATEGY 32 LOCAL LIVING 32 CONNECTING ECONOMIC CENTRES 33 PROTECTING PLACES AND COMMUNITIES 33 SELECTION OF THE WSTP OVERARCHING STRATEGY 34 6.3 ASSESSMENT OF WSTP OBJECTIVES 37 TRANSPORT OBJECTIVES 37 WIDER OBJECTIVES 38 6.4 ASSESSMENT OF WSTP THEMATIC TRANSPORT STRATEGIES 43 LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN PUBLIC | WSP Project No.: 70076288 | Our Ref No.: 70076288 July 2021 West Sussex County Council ACTIVE TRAVEL STRATEGY 43 SHARED TRANSPORT STRATEGY 43 RAIL STRATEGY 44 ACCESS TO GATWICK AIRPORT STRATEGY 44 ROAD NETWORK STRATEGY 44 6.5 ASSESSMENT OF WSTP AREA TRANSPORT STRATEGIES 47 ADUR AREA TRANSPORT STRATEGY 47 ARUN AREA TRANSPORT STRATEGY 47 CHICHESTER AREA TRANSPORT STRATEGY 48 CRAWLEY AREA TRANSPORT STRATEGY 49 HORSHAM AREA TRANSPORT STRATEGY 49 AREA TRANSPORT STRATEGY FOR MID-SUSSEX 50 SOUTH DOWNS NATIONAL PARK AREA TRANSPORT STRATEGY 51 WORTHING AREA TRANSPORT STRATEGY 51 6.6 MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS 54 6.7 MONITORING REQUIREMENTS 61 6.8 SEA CONCLUSION 64 WSTP STRATEGIES SUMMARY 64 SEA RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WSTP 66 SEA PROCESS CONCLUSION 66 7 HABITATS REGULATION ASSESSMENT 69 7.1 INTRODUCTION 69 APPROACH TO HRA 69 7.2 RELEVANT SITES 70 7.3 ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS 70 7.4 HRA RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WSTP 70 8 HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT 73 8.1 INTRODUCTION 73 8.2 SCREENING AND SCOPING 73 LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN PUBLIC | WSP Project No.: 70076288 | Our Ref No.: 70076288 July 2021 West Sussex County Council SCREENING 73 SCOPING 74 8.3 HIA OF WSTP OVERARCHING STRATEGIES 74 CONCLUSIONS 80 8.4 IMPLICATIONS FOR THE WSTP 80 8.5 MONITORING AND EVALUATION 83 9 EQUALITIES IMPACT ASSESSMENT 85 9.1 INTRODUCTION 85 9.2 EQIA AND THE WSTP 85 9.3 TRANSPORT PLAN CONSIDERATIONS FOR GROUPS WITH PROTECTED CHARACTERISTICS 86 AGE 86 RACE 87 SEX 87 DISABILITY 88 PREGNANCY/MATERNITY 88 RELIGION OR BELIEF 88 GENDER REASSIGNMENT 88 MARRIAGE/CIVIL PARTNERSHIP 88 SEXUAL ORIENTATION 88 POTENTIAL ISSUES FOR OTHER GROUPS 88 9.4 WSTP STRATEGIES EQIA IMPACTS 89 9.5 EQIA RECOMMENDATIONS 93 9.6 EQIA IMPLICATIONS FOR THE WSTP 93 TABLES Table 2-1 – Structure of the SA 7 Table 3-1 – Matrix Coding for the SA Assessment 12 Table 3-2 – Consultee Comments and Response for Natural England 13 LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN PUBLIC | WSP Project No.: 70076288 | Our Ref No.: 70076288 July 2021 West Sussex County Council Table 4-1 – Key Policies, Plans and Programmes 20 Table 5-1 – Sustainability Objectives 26 Table 5-2 – Sustainability Objectives Compatibility Matrix 29 Table 6-1 – Matrix of Assessment of WSTP Strategy 35 Table 6-2 – Matrix of Assessment of WSTP Objectives 41 Table 6-3 – Matrix of Assessment of WSTP Thematic Transport Strategies 46 Table 6-4 – Matrix of Assessment of WSTP Area Transport Strategies 53 Table 6-5 – Mitigation Requirements in Relation to Sustainability Objectives 55 Table 6-6 – Proposed Monitoring Framework 61 Table 6-7 – SEA Summary 64 Table 6-8 – SEA Recommendations for the WSTP 66 Table 8-1 – Health Impact Assessment and the WSTP Summary 75 Table 8-2 – Implications for the WSTP 81 Table 9-1 – WSTP Strategies EQIA Impacts 89 Table 9-2 – EqIA Implications for the WSTP 94 FIGURES Figure 2-1 - Consideration of SEA and Environment in the Local Transport Plan Process 9 APPENDICES APPENDIX A: SEA REGULATIONS REQUIREMENTS APPENDIX B: SA STAGES AND TASKS APPENDIX C: SA SCOPING REPORT APPENDIX D: SA 2017 SCOPING CONSULTEE LOG APPENDIX E: SA 2021 NATURAL ENGLAND CONSULTATION COMMENTS LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN PUBLIC | WSP Project No.: 70076288 | Our Ref No.: 70076288 July 2021 West Sussex County Council NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY INTRODUCTION West Sussex County Council (WSCC) are currently updating their Local Transport Plan (LTP). The existing West Sussex Local Transport Plan covers the period of 2011-2026 while the new WSTP (WSTP4) will cover all transport policy and implementation of strategies and interventions within West Sussex between 2022 and 2036 (a 15-year period). A Sustainability Appraisal (SA) has been prepared alongside WSTP4. SA is a systematic process that is undertaken during the preparation of a plan. Its role is to promote sustainable development by assessing environmental, social and economic impacts, as well as mitigating any potential adverse effects that the plan might otherwise have. The SA incorporates the regulatory requirements of the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004. The SA represents the second stage of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process, following a SA Scoping Report which determined the issues to be included in the SA. SA METHODOLOGY SA is an iterative process of gathering data and evidence, assessment of environmental effects, developing mitigation measures and making recommendations to refine plans or programmes in view of the predicted effects. The effects predicted at this stage remains at a strategic level; i.e. they are not site or scheme specific. The approach adopted involves the development of an assessment framework comprising a series of Sustainability objectives and assessment against these objectives. This framework is developed from an understanding of environmental problems and opportunities identified through a review of existing baseline information and a review of other plans, programmes and environmental protection objectives relevant to the plan area (West Sussex) and subject matter (transport). The key stages of the SA process are as follows: Stage A: Setting the context and objectives, establishing the baseline and deciding on scope; Stage B: Developing and refining strategic alternatives and assessing their effects; Stage C: Preparing the SA; Stage D: Consultation on the draft WSTP4 and the draft SA; and Stage E: Monitoring the significant effects of implementing the revised WSTP4. SUSTAINABILITY OBJECTIVES The Sustainability Objectives were identified and refined based on baseline information collated in the SA Scoping Report and consultee comments received on the SA Scoping Report. The objectives used in the SA are as follows: 1. Natural Capital - To maintain and enhance the provision of ecosystem services from the County’s natural capital and contribute to biodiversity net gain; LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN PUBLIC | WSP Project No.: 70076288 | Our Ref No.: 70076288 July 2021 West Sussex County Council 2. Resource Use - To conserve natural resources, increase resource efficiency and reduce generation and disposal of waste; 3. Soils and Agricultural Land - To protect soils and minimise the loss of valuable agricultural and other land and improve efficiency of land use through the re-use of previously developed land and existing buildings; 4. Biodiversity and Protected Sites - To protect and enhance the County’s biodiversity, fauna and flora, in particular, but not limited to, the following two areas; having regard to conserving (including enhancing and restoring) habitats (including designated priority habitats) and species of principal importance, and avoiding actions which damage, or will be contrary to objectives to conserve and enhance the special features of sites of special scientific interest, or conservation objectives of international sites as defined in the Habitats Regulations; 5. Green Infrastructure - Enhance the connectivity between habitats through the creation of green corridors and preservation / enhancement of the Green Infrastructure Network; 6. Air Quality - To reduce traffic related air pollution in Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) and where possible enhance air quality elsewhere in West Sussex; 7. Greenhouse Gas Emissions - To reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and the reliance of the transport network on fossil fuels in line with net zero carbon commitments; 8.