Updated Scoping Report December 2012
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UPDATED SCOPING REPORT DECEMBER 2012 SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL (SA) INCORPORATING A STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE WOKINGHAM BOROUGH DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND RELATED DOCUMENTS Updated Approved SA Scoping Report for the Development Plan and related documents CONTENTS Page Section Title number Volume 1 1 Introduction 1 2 Context 5 3 Development Plan and objectives 5 Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and Strategic Environmental 4 9 Assessment (SEA) Task A1 - Identifying other relevant plans, programmes, and 5 11 sustainability objectives Task A2 – Develop relevant baseline information and define the 6 11 character of the area 7 Task A3 - Identifying key sustainability issues 14 Task A4 - Developing the SA Framework including objectives, 29 8 indicators and targets Wokingham Borough Council Sustainability Objectives 30 SA/ SEA Objectives Internal Compatibility Assessment 31 9 SA Framework 33 10 Testing the plan objectives against the SA framework 53 Task A5 - Consulting on the scope of the SA 56 11 Consultation questions and procedures 58 12 Guidance 59 13 Bibliography 60 Appendix 1 – More detailed Review of plans, programmes and 63 policies (PPPs) Appendix 2 – Baseline Information, Indicators and Trends 152 Appendix 3 – Key Wildlife Sites (Natura 2000 Sites – Including the 198 Thames Basin Heaths SPA) Appendix 4 - Glossary 200 Appendix 5 Statements of consultation on Updated Scoping 216 Report for LDF and Scoping Report for MDD DPD Wokingham Borough Council – December 2012 Updated Approved SA Scoping Report for the Development Plan and related documents VOLUME 1: SA (INCOPORATING SEA) SCOPING REPORT FOR THE WOKINGHAM BOROUGH DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND RELATED DOCUMENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The guidance ‘Sustainability Appraisal (SA) of Regional Spatial Strategies and Local Development Frameworks (LDF)’ (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) 2005) states that Planning Authorities can prepare a single Scoping Report when consulting on the scope of a number of Local Development Documents (LDDs) at the same time. LDDs include Development Plan Documents (DPDs) (which form part of the Development Plan) and Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs). This Scoping Report sets out elements common to the scope and level of detail of the SA Reports for the Development Plan and related documents. The term Local Development Framework (LDF) is no longer used but it was a non-statutory term used to describe a folder of documents, which included all the LDDs. 1.2 The Managing Development Delivery Development Plan Document (MDD DPD) (Local Plan) forms part of the Development Plan and amplifies policies within the Council’s adopted Core Strategy DPD (2010). 1.3 Before consulting on the SA (inc. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)) for the Core Strategy, the Council sought advice on whether its application of both the spatial and sustainability objectives is appropriate. This was to ensure soundness of its approach. 1.4 Wokingham Borough Council commissioned C4S (independent) consultants to validate the approach the Council had taken in producing the SA (inc. SEA) Scoping Report for the LDF (approved in May 2005) and the application of that approach to the testing of compatibility testing of the Initial Options for the Core Strategy of Wokingham Borough Council LDF (June 2005). The validation took place in April 2005. Prior to the validation of the compatibility test it was necessary to consider whether the SA process completed to date (May 2005 i.e the Approved Scoping Report) had been in line with legislative requirements, central governement guidance and current standards of good practice. 1.5 Some changes were made to the SA (inc. SEA) Scoping Report document (published for consultation in November to December 2005 as part of the public consultation on the Alternatives for the Draft Core Strategy) following the validation carried out by C4S. These changes primarily related to the addition of indicators to the Council’s Sustainability objectives. However, C4S stated that the SA process had been carried out in accordance with appropriate guidance. 1.6 The MDD DPD has to be in conformity with the Core Strategy and the SA (inc. SEA) process for the MDD reflects that carried out for the Core Strategy and found to be in accordance with appropriate guidance. The SA (inc. SEA) of the Core Strategy was tested at the Examination in Public (March to April 2009) and found to have met the tests laid down in legislation. 1.7 This document includes technical terminology and abbreviations. These are explained in the glossary at Appendix 4. 1.8 The overall aims of this SA (inc. SEA) are to: Make the MDD DPD as sustainable as possible by ensuring sustainable development is integrated into the strategy making process, influencing all stages of policy process. Wokingham Borough Council – December 2012 1 Updated Approved SA Scoping Report for the Development Plan and related documents Provide a high level of environmental protection and balance environmental, economic and social considerations in the plan’s preparations. Consult on the SA (inc. SEA) procedure to allow the public and stakeholders to have an input into its production. Provide an environmental, economic and social audit at appropriate spatial and temporal levels. 1.9 The Scoping Report for the MDD DPD is a consultation document for the statutory agencies with environmental responsibilities in England: 1. Natural England (bringing together English Nature, the landscape, access and recreation elements of the Countryside Agency and the environmental land management functions of the Rural Development Service). 2. English Heritage 3. Environment Agency Other relevant bodies with a sustainability remit or a local interest are consulted (see section 11 for further information on consultation). 1.10 The Initial SA (inc. SEA) for the MDD DPD Options Public Participation Stage has been undertaken using the Council’s approved LDF SA (inc. SEA) Scoping Report (which has continued to be updated since its approval in 2005) and the SA (inc. SEA) Scoping Report undertaken on the MDD DPD (March 2010). 1.11 The draft options and reasonable alternatives for the DPDs and the SA (inc. SEA) are framed in the context of: national, regional and local objectives and strategic planning, transport, environmental, social and economic policies. Therefore a comprehensive review of all relevant Policies, Plans and Programmes (PPPs) has been carried out as part of the SA (inc. SEA) Scoping process (an update to this review was carried out in December 2012). This ensured that the objectives were not in conflict with those in other PPPs. It also highlighted areas of potential conflict which may need to be addressed, for example meeting development needs whilst achieving other objectives such as enhancing biodiversity and heritage. 1.12 The Council will monitor the progress of the MDD DPD through the monitoring report VOLUME 2: INITIAL SA (inc. SEA) for the draft Options MDD DPD (June and August 2011) 1.13 This Volume presents the first compatibility tests for the MDD DPD Public Participation Stage suggested options and alternatives against the sets of objectives within the SA (inc. SEA) Scoping Report. 1.14 The Council has also undertaken an Initial SA (inc. SEA) of the sites suggested for potential allocation through the MDD DPD. This has been undertaken using the same approach with the wider SA (inc. SEA) of the MDD DPD. This is available as a separate document. PREVIOUS CONSULTATION (2004 to 2012) 1.15 The process of SA is an iterative one and as such the Council has made amendments to the documents that make up the Councils Scoping Report for undertaking SA (inc. SEA) as a result of consultation on documents produced within the Council’s Local Development Framework (LDF)/ Development Plan. Amendments have been made to the documents Wokingham Borough Council – December 2012 2 Updated Approved SA Scoping Report for the Development Plan and related documents that make up the Final SA Report following comments received from the Statutory Environmental Bodies (Natural England, Environment Agency, English Heritage) and other organisations and groups. 1.16 Amendments have been made to this document and the documents that make up the ‘Final SA Report for the Core Strategy’ following comments received from the Statutory Environmental Bodies and other organisations and groups. Further information on the letters sent out for consultation and the relevant Statements of Consultation can be found in Volume 4 (Statements of Consultation) of the ‘Final SA Report for the Core Strategy’. The SA Scoping Report has been used to inform the SA of various documents that the Council has produced and has been updated accordingly including to take account of consultation comments. Examples of the consultation that has taken place include: 20 September to 29 October 2004 Consultation Review of Wokingham District Local Plan (2004) – Appropriateness of Strategic Environmental Assessment objectives and indicators for Wokingham Borough 7 March to 18 April 2005 Consultation Scoping Report on the SA (incorporating Strategic Environmental Assessment) for the Wokingham Borough Local Development Framework 15 June to 27 July 2005 Core Strategy Initial Options – including the SA of Initial Options 9 November to 21 December 2005 Consultation Alternatives for the Draft Core Strategy – including the Initial SA 2 February to 9 March 2006 Consultation Wokingham Borough Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) Scoping Report 1 March and 12 April