Appendix 2.12 Soil, Geology and Land Use
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Appendix 2.12 Soil, Geology and Land Use 1 SOIL, GEOLOGY AND LAND USE APPENDIX 2.12 1 Introduction This section reviews the available baseline information on soil, geology and land use for the Borough of Northampton and the Districts of South Northamptonshire and Daventry. This includes issues such as soil type, mineral development and development on contaminated land. Policy Review National plans, programmes and environmental protection objectives Key Objectives Key Targets The First Soil Action Plan For England: 2004- 2006 (Defra, 2004) The Action Plan contains 52 actions on issues The following actions are relevant to planning: ranging from soil management on farms to soils • DEFRA will work with other Government in the planning system, soils and biodiversity, Departments and Agencies and other soil contamination of soils and the role of soils in data users, to develop and provide better conserving cultural heritage and landscape. access to information on soils; All of the actions make a step towards more • DEFRA will work with partners to develop a sustainable soil use and protection. It sets out consensus on the procedures needed to a widely accepted way of understanding the give soils appropriate protection during the benefits provided by soil in terms of the key planning process. Good practice guidance functions that soil performs. The key soil has been issued in April 2004 (see below). functions may be summarised under the following headings: • Providing a platform for development; • Playing a key role in natural systems such as environmental buffering; • Supporting ‘food and fibre’ production; • Contributing to biodiversity by supporting habitats on and in soil; • Providing a source of raw materials such as peat and clay; and • Recording and protecting cultural heritage. Planning for soil: Advice on how the planning system can help to protect and enhance soils (SNIFFER, April 2004) The guidance recognises that soil has never Actions which the development planning system had direct protection from the planning system. can take: The advice note aims to help planning • Soil issues should be considered during the authorities address soil issues in forward process of developing plan policies. Soil planning and development control. The should be included as a criterion in SEA. guidance sets out how development activities • Plans should include high level plan can have effects on soil properties and soil policies on soil setting out a commitment to functions. the protection and enhancement of soils as part of a wider sustainable approach to development. • Strategic development plan proposals should include consideration of their likely effect on soil and soil function. • Soils should be included as a criterion within more detailed development plan policies. • Outline guidance should be provided for developers to ensure that soil is considered as a factor throughout the design and implementation of a project. SOIL, GEOLOGY AND LAND USE APPENDIX 2.12 2 National plans, programmes and environmental protection objectives Key Objectives Key Targets Planning Policy Statement 9 – Biodiversity and Geological Conservation (ODPM, 2005) PPS9 sets out planning policies on protection of Key Principles: biodiversity and geological conservation* • Development plan policies/planning through the planning system. Published in decisions should be based on up-to-date August 2005, it replaces PPG Note 9 on nature information about the environmental conservation. characteristics and geological resources of the area. LAs should assess how they can *In the context of this PPS, geological sustain and enhance these resources; conservation relates to sites designated for • LAs should give appropriate weight to geology and/or geomorphological importance.” designated sites of international, national and local importance, and to geological Objectives: interests within the wider environment; • To promote sustainable development by • Plan policies should promote opportunities ensuring geological diversity is conserved to incorporate beneficial geological features and enhanced; to ensure policies and in development design; decisions relating to landuse integrate • Planning decisions should prevent geological diversity with other significant harm to geological conservation considerations; and interests. If significant harm cannot be • To conserve, enhance and restore the prevented, adequately mitigated against, or diversity of England’s geology, by sustaining compensated for, planning permission and where possible improving the quality should be refused; and and extent of geological/geomorphological • LDFs should indicate the location of sites; the natural physical processes on designated sites of importance for which they depend. geodiversity, making a clear distinction between the hierarchy of international, national, regional and locally designated sites. Farming and Food Strategy 2002 (Defra, 2002) Overarching aim is to promote a competitive and efficient farming and food sector which protects and enhances the countryside and wider environment, and contributes to the health and prosperity of all r communities. Objectives Key principles for sustainable farming and food now and in the future: • Support the viability and diversity of rural and urban economies and communities; • Respect and operate within the biological limits of natural resources (especially soil, water and biodiversity); • Achieve consistently high standards of environmental performance by reducing energy consumption, by minimising resource inputs, and use renewable energy wherever possible. National Housing Policies Summary Summary of a number of policies including: Green Paper published by the Government (2000); Housing Policy Statement (2000); Urban White paper; Rural White paper; the National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal and the Planning Policy Guidance note for housing (PPG3) and a Communities Plan 'Sustainable communities: building for the future' (2003) Provide a better balance between housing Substantial new house-building programme in supply and demand throughout the country, London and the South-east, including the while protecting the countryside and sustaining 'Milton Keynes and South Midlands' area existing towns and cities SOIL, GEOLOGY AND LAND USE APPENDIX 2.12 3 Regional plans, programmes and environmental protection objectives Key Objectives Key Targets Regional Environmental Strategy (East Midlands Regional Assembly, August 2002) Use minerals prudently A Flourishing Region - Regional Economic Strategy for the East Midlands 2006 – 2020 (East Midlands Development Agency, 2006) Ensure environmentally sensitive developments Provide 60% new housing on previously developed land and through conversion of existing buildings by 2021 Draft East Midlands Regional Plan (East Midlands Regional Assembly, 2006). Part 2: Milton Keynes - South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy To achieve a major increase in the number of • The potential up to 2031 for an additional new homes provided in the area, meeting 71,000 dwellings in the Northampton area needs for affordable housing and a range of under the preferred spatial strategy to types and sizes of market housing match the employment growth. To locate development in the main urban areas • Regenerate existing urban centres to support urban regeneration of deprived integrating land uses and transport and areas, recycling of land and sustainable protecting and enhancing the environment. patterns of travel East Midlands Integrated Regional Strategy (East Midlands Regional Assembly, 2005) To promote and ensure high standards of sustainable design and construction, optimising the use of previously developed land and buildings East Midlands Urban Action Plan 2005-2011 (East Midlands Development Agency, 2005) Encourages actions to help provide quality employment sites on previously developed land and supports the creation of a sustainable and sequential land supply for new businesses and residential use in the urban areas. County level plans, programmes and environmental protection objectives Key objectives Key targets Northamptonshire County Structure Plan 1996- 2016 (Northamptonshire County Council, 2002) Manage assets and resources by conserving In Northamptonshire, 35% of housing to be built environmental assets, minimising impact on on previously developed/brownfield land by natural resources and optimising the use of 2008. brownfield land Conflicts/synergies between LDF Core Strategy and soils/geology policy • Development can cause potential conflicts with sites valued for nature conservation and can lead to loss and degradation of soils. Development plan policies can help provide protection by ensuring mitigation is provided. • Plan should include a high level policy on soils and more detailed development control policies. • When allocating new land for development it is important to find new uses for existing buildings, to ensure that best use is made of the existing building stock. • Sustainable design and construction targets are crucial in terms of reducing the amount of new building materials needed (especially given the growth agenda in the area). • Include a target in the LDF on amount of development on previously developed land. SOIL, GEOLOGY AND LAND USE APPENDIX 2.12 4 Soils The following information is taken from the Environment Agency's 2004 report on The State of Soils in England and Wales unless otherwise stated. Soil is the physical material that covers much of the earth’s surface and serves a number of purposes such