Transport Research Laboratory Creating the future of transport CLIENT PROJECT REPORT CPR2103 Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan: Core Strategy Sustainability Appraisal of the Proposed Submission Document: Appendix A: Scoping Report Update August 2015 Contents 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................ 2 2. Stage A1: Identify and review other relevant policies, plans, programmes and sustainable development objectives. ......................................................................... 2 3. Stage A2: Collection of baseline information ...................................................... 3 Population.............................................................................................................. 3 Human Health ........................................................................................................ 5 Deprivation ............................................................................................................ 6 Biodiversity & Geodiversity .................................................................................... 7 The Built and Historic Environment ...................................................................... 14 Landscape ........................................................................................................... 17 Water Quality and Resources .............................................................................. 19 Flood Risk............................................................................................................ 21 Climate Change ................................................................................................... 24 Air Quality ............................................................................................................ 25 Soils..................................................................................................................... 28 Minerals ............................................................................................................... 29 Waste .................................................................................................................. 31 Land Use and Resources .................................................................................... 35 Economy ............................................................................................................. 36 Future Trends ...................................................................................................... 38 4. Stage A3: Identifying key sustainability issue and opportunities ....................... 39 Appendix 1: Long List of Policies, Plans and Programmes ..................................... 41 Appendix 2: Reviews of Relevant Policies, Plans and Programmes ........................ 44 List of Tables Table 2-1: Key Messages emerging from Stage A1................................................... 2 Table 3-1: Special Areas of Conservation in Oxfordshire .......................................... 7 Table 3-2: Condition of SSSIs in Oxfordshire ............................................................ 8 Table 3-3: International and national biodiversity designations within the SRAs ..... 12 Table 3-4: Designated historic sites in Oxfordshire .................................................. 14 Table 3-5: Relationship between Heritage Assets and Strategic Resource Areas ... 16 Table 3-6: Minerals and Waste Flood Vulnerability Classification ............................ 23 Table 3-7: Annual Arisings/Management of Waste in Oxfordshire in 2012 (tonnes). 31 Table 3-8: Forecasts of amounts of principal waste streams to be managed – Oxfordshire waste arisings 2012 – 2031 (million tonnes) ......................................... 32 Table 3-9: Municipal Waste Arising & Managed by Management Type in Oxfordshire 2012 (tonnes) .......................................................................................................... 32 Table 3-10: Capacity of Oxfordshire Waste Management Facilities (January 2012) 33 Table 3-11: Waste disposed in Oxfordshire from other areas 2008 – 2013 (tonnes) 35 Table 3-12: Assessed Housing Need – Oxfordshire Local Authorities, 2011-31 ...... 35 Table 4-1: Key Sustainability Issues and Opportunities in Oxfordshire .................... 39 List of Figures Figure 3-1: Net migration into and out of Oxfordshire between 2001 and 2011 ......... 4 Figure 3-2: Oxfordshire growth areas, other large towns and smaller towns .............. 5 Figure 3-3: Life expectancy at birth in Oxfordshire 2010-2012 ................................... 5 Figure 3-4: Oxfordshire Super Output Areas (SOAs) ranked across England ............ 6 Figure 3-5: International and National Nature Conservation Designations in Oxfordshire ............................................................................................................... 9 Figure 3-6: Oxfordshire Farmland Bird Index 2003-2012 ......................................... 10 Figure 3-7: Local Nature Conservation Designations in Oxfordshire ........................ 11 Figure 3-8: Conservation Target Areas in Oxfordshire ............................................. 12 Figure 3-9: Map of Oxfordshire's geology ................................................................ 14 Figure 3-10: Cultural Heritage Designations in Oxfordshire ..................................... 16 Figure 3-11: Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Green Belt) ........... 17 Figure 3-12: Landscape Character Types in Oxfordshire ........................................ 18 Figure 3-13: Source Protection Zones in Oxfordshire .............................................. 20 Figure 3-14: The Extent of Flood Zone 3 in Oxfordshire .......................................... 22 Figure 3-15: Annual Average Daily Vehicle Traffic (AADT) in Oxfordshire 2012 ...... 26 Figure 3-16: Oxfordshire Lorry Route Map .............................................................. 28 Figure 3-17: Agricultural Land Classification in Oxfordshire ..................................... 29 Figure 3-18: Sand and Gravel Resources in Oxfordshire ........................................ 30 Figure 3-19: Crushed Rock Resources in Oxfordshire ............................................. 30 Figure 3-20: Location of recycled and secondary aggregate facilities with planning permission ............................................................................................................... 31 1. Introduction This Scoping Report is an updated version of the Scoping Report that was consulted on in December 2013. It incorporates the representations received from Statutory Environmental Bodies in January 2014 and has also been updated to provide more recent baseline information as well as to take account of representations received to the February 2014 consultation. For the purposes of this SA Report, the Scoping Report no longer needs to be a freestanding document and it has therefore been reconfigured to remove those elements that are covered in the main SA Report (e.g. the framework of SA Objectives). 2. Stage A1: Identify and review other relevant policies, plans, programmes and sustainable development objectives. The SEA Directive requires a review of plans and programmes which are relevant to the Plan: ‘an outline of the contents, main objectives of the plan or programmes and relationship with other relevant plans and programmes’ (Annex 1(a)) The review has selectively considered guidance at international, national regional, county and local level policies. It has not attempted to provide a detailed review but rather has focussed on strategic environmental, social or economic policies and objectives relevant to the appraisal of the Plan and particular specific environmental protection objectives established at international and national levels. This satisfies the SEA directive which requires that reference must be made to environmental objectives. The exercise has helped to shape the objectives against which plan policies can be appraised, as well as identifying particular issues which need to be addressed in the Plan A full list of plans and programmes which were initially considered is at Appendix 1. Many of these plans exist in a hierarchy; from international and European plans, to national policies and regional guidance. This review has sought to avoid duplication by only reviewing the most up to date or relevant plan and to distil the environmental objectives that are most relevant to the Plan. The analysis of relevant plans is at Appendix 2. The key messages from the analysis are in Table 2-1. The policy framework is dynamic, and new plans may emerge during the Local Plan preparation process. Those that are relevant will be added to the list at Appendix 2 and any relevant message added to Table 2-1 and published as part of the SA. Table 2-1: Key Messages emerging from Stage A1 The need to ensure that average distances travelled and traffic congestion are not exacerbated by minerals and waste HGVs, and that these vehicles do not worsen air quality in identified AQMAs, or reduce quality of life for local residents. Avoid damage to, and where possible proactively contribute towards the protection and enhancement of international, national and locally designated conservation sites, including SACs, SSSIs, NNRs, Local Wildlife Sites as well as BAP Priority Species and Habitats and nationally and locally important geological features. The need to proactively plan for