Nottinghamshire and Nottingham Waste Core Strategyintroduction
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Non technical summary............................................................... 3 Introduction to Sustainability Appraisal.........................................................3 The Scoping Report .....................................................................................3 Key findings of this Scoping Report..............................................................4 Proposed Sustainability Appraisal objectives ...............................................4 What happens next? ....................................................................................5 1. Introduction – What is Sustainability Appraisal?.................. 6 The relationship between Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment..........................................................................7 Other appraisals ...........................................................................................7 What is the purpose of SA?..........................................................................7 Purpose of the SA Scoping Report...............................................................8 Further information .......................................................................................9 2. Methodology ........................................................................... 10 Carrying out SA..........................................................................................10 The Nottinghamshire Partnership Approach to SA.....................................10 Independent assessment ...........................................................................11 Key findings and draft SA objectives ..........................................................11 Limitations of the SA process.....................................................................11 Future Timetable ........................................................................................11 Map of the area covered by this scoping report..........................................12 3. Other relevant Plans, Policies, and Programmes................ 13 Introduction.................................................................................................13 4. Baseline information and characteristics of Nottinghamshire......................................................................... 24 Introduction.................................................................................................24 Key characteristics of Nottinghamshire ......................................................24 5. Sustainability issues.............................................................. 33 6. Developing our sustainability objectives (the SA Framework) ................................................................................. 43 Introduction.................................................................................................43 Table X Proposed sustainability objectives ................................................44 1 Table X: Proposed SA Objectives, decision making criteria and proposed indicators....................................................................................................45 Testing the plan objectives ....................................................... 51 Table X Relationship between SA objectives and SA themes....................51 Table X Internal compatibility of the SA objectives.....................................52 Relationship between SEA topics and SA objectives .................................53 Internal compatibility sustainability appraisal objectives.... Error! Bookmark not defined. What happens next? .................................................................. 53 This Scoping Report has been prepared to cover all of the planning policy documents that will make up the Nottinghamshire Minerals and Waste Development Framework. It sets out the key issues and baseline information/evidence that will be used to help assess the impacts of our future policies and plans. 2 Non technical summary Introduction to Sustainability Appraisal The Sustainability Appraisal (SA) process is a way of ensuring that all plans and programmes which relate to land use issues are compatible with the aims of sustainable development. This includes all of the documents that will make up the Minerals and Waste Development Framework. The first documents to go through this process will be the Minerals Core Strategy and the Waste Core Strategy. As they develop they will be tested against an agreed set of sustainability objectives. These objectives are defined during the early stages of the process and set the framework for assessing the emerging plan documents and also monitoring their effectiveness. By going through this process, we can ensure that each plan document contributes towards the overall development of Nottinghamshire and does not conflict with the aims of other strategies and programmes that are intended to enhance our social, environmental and economic well being. SA is an ongoing, iterative process. The initial information gathering stage helps to establish significant issues that need to be addressed by the emerging documents. The appraisal process then helps to refine these issues and options into a set of realistic, preferred options that have been assessed thoroughly. The key features of the sustainability process are therefore to: Collect baseline information and identify significant issues or trends; Predict the effects of the plan; Identify possible policy options; Consult others on the plan policies; Monitor the effects of the plan policies. The Scoping Report This scoping report is the first stage in the appraisal process and sets out the baseline data that has been complied as part of the information gathering phase. The report also considers relevant plans and programmes that may influence the Minerals and Waste plan documents or be affected by their policies. Having identified significant issues that should be addressed, the report then seeks to establish a suitable framework of sustainability objectives against which the proposed policies should be assessed. The purpose of this report is therefore to decide on the scope and level of detail for the SA. The information and findings set out here are not final as the report is intended to involve other interested parties in the appraisal process and to identify any gaps in what is covered. In some cases the data may simply not exist, in which case, this will be noted along with proposals to overcome this when the next appraisal is carried out. 3 Key findings of this Scoping Report [INSERT SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS HERE FOLLOWING CONSULTATION WITH STATUTORY CONSULTEES] Taking a spatial approach Although the issues highlight above have been grouped broadly into three themes, many of the issues highlighted above are inter-linked and should not be considered in isolation. One of the features of the spatial planning system is to look at the wider context and how different issues relate to each other. The minerals and waste documents will need to ensure that they provide an appropriate basis to identify adequate mineral resources/waste treatment to meet local and national need. It will therefore need to identify suitable locations for mineral extraction and waste treatment or disposal provide sufficient capacity whilst at the same time ensuring these are the most socially and environmentally acceptable. Proposed Sustainability Appraisal objectives A range of draft SA objectives have been developed that take into account all the factors identified through the review of plans, policies, baseline data and key sustainability issues identified for Nottinghamshire. These SA objectives will then be used to focus further work in future SA documents. Proposed SA objectives 1. Ensure adequate supply of minerals is provided to meet local and national needs. 2. Ensure an adequate network of suitable waste management sites for the safe treatment and disposal of waste. 3. Protect and enhance biodiversity at all levels. 4. Reduce the impact of transporting minerals and waste (and promote more sustainable forms of transport and use of existing transport infrastructure.) 5. Protect the quality of the historic environment above and below ground. 6. Protect and enhance the quality and character of our townscape and landscape. 7.Minimise impact and risk of flooding from mineral and waste related activities 4 8. Minimise emissions of greenhouse gasses from minerals and waste activities and increase adaptability to climate change. 9. Protect soil quality 10.Protection of high quality agricultural land 11. Promote sustainable use of minerals and manage waste according to the waste hierarchy. 12. Promote energy efficiency and maximise renewable energy opportunities from new or existing development. 13. Minimise impact of minerals and waste activities on local air quality. 14. Limit the impact of minerals and waste activities on water quality. 15. Encourage greater community involvement in the planning process. 16. Support wider economic development through provision of raw materials and waste infrastructure and related job opportunities. 17. Minimise impact of minerals and waste activity on human health and quality of life. 18. Maximise the reuse of previously developed land and buildings. What happens next? The scoping report provides an early opportunity for interested parties to comment, and ensure that the final SA report is robust enough to achieve its sustainable development objectives when appraising the MWDF. Copies