Greater Nottingham Aligned Core Strategies Sustainability Appraisal Interim Report – February 2010
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Greater Nottingham Aligned Core Strategies Sustainability Appraisal Interim Report – February 2010 Greater Nottingham Aligned Core Strategies Sustainability Appraisal Interim Report Page 2 of 272 Greater Nottingham Aligned Core Strategies Sustainability Appraisal Interim Report Contents Non-Technical Summary 6 Introduction to Sustainability Appraisal 6 The Scoping Stage (Stage A) 7 The Interim Report 7 Sustainability Appraisal Framework 7 Key Findings of this Interim Report 8 What Happens Next? 10 Section 1: Introduction 11 Sustainability Appraisal 11 Strategic Environmental Assessment 13 Relationship between Strategic Environmental Assessment and Sustainability Appraisal 13 Purpose of the Interim Report 13 Aligned Core Strategies 14 Section 2: Methodology 15 Guidance for carrying out Sustainability Appraisal 15 Stages of Sustainability Appraisal 15 Timetable 15 Section 3: Testing the Core Strategy Objectives against the Sustainability Appraisal Framework (Stage B1) 17 Core Strategy Objectives 17 Sustainability Appraisal Framework 18 Section 4: Developing the Core Strategy Options (Stage B2) 20 Introduction 20 Assessing the Aligned Core Strategies Objectives against the Sustainability Appraisal Objectives 22 Refining the Options from the Issues and Options Report 22 The Sustainability Appraisal 23 Commentary on the Key Issues raised from the Sustainability Appraisal 26 Reasons for Selecting the Option for Consultation 27 Option for Consultation 28 Transition of the Issues and Options into Option for Consultation 31 Locally Distinct Options for Greater Nottingham Councils 32 Section 5: Progress towards a Sustainability Appraisal Report 34 Next Steps 34 Glossary 36 Page 3 of 272 Greater Nottingham Aligned Core Strategies Sustainability Appraisal Interim Report Appendix 1: Stages in Sustainability Appraisal 44 Appendix 2: How the Requirements of Strategic Environmental Assessment are met in this Sustainability Appraisal Interim Report 45 Appendix 3: Sustainability Appraisal Framework 46 Appendix 4: Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report Responses (October 2009) 50 Appendix 5: Sustainability Appraisal and Core Strategy Objectives Compatibility Matrix 56 Appendix 5a: Commentary of Sustainability Appraisal and Core Strategy Objectives Compatibility Matrix 57 Appendix 5b: Summary of Sustainable Appraisal and Core Strategy Objectives Compatibility 82 Appendix 6: Sustainability Appraisal of Options arising from the Core Strategy Issues and Options 86 Appendix 7: Sustainability Appraisal on Core Strategy Options 92 Appendix 8: Locally Distinct Options for Greater Nottingham Councils 224 Broxtowe Borough Council 225 Erewash Borough Council 229 Gedling Borough Council 253 Nottingham City Council 257 Rushcliffe Borough Council 260 List of Tables Table 1: Stages in Sustainability Appraisal 6 Table 2: Sustainability Appraisal Objectives 7 Table 3: Timetable for the Sustainability Appraisal 15 Table 4: Core Strategy Objectives 17 Table 5: Sustainability Appraisal Objectives 18 Table 6: Extract from Appendix 6 22 Table 7: Transition of the Issues and Options into Option for Consultation 31 Table 8: Links between Broxtowe’s Locally Distinct Issues and the Option for Consultation 225 Table 9: Links between Erewash’s Locally Distinct Issues and the Option for Consultation 229 Table 10: Links between Gedling’s Locally Distinct Issues and the Option for Consultation 253 Table 11: Links between Nottingham City’s Locally Distinct Issues and the Option for Consultation 257 Table 12: Links between Rushcliffe’s Locally Distinct Issues and the Option for Consultation 260 Page 4 of 272 Greater Nottingham Aligned Core Strategies Sustainability Appraisal Interim Report List of Figures Figure 1: Diagram of Sustainability Appraisal of the Aligned Core Strategies Option for Consultation 21 Figure 2: Flow Chart of Tasks towards Sustainability Appraisal Report 34 List of Maps Map 1: Greater Nottingham 12 Map 2: Nottingham Principal Urban Area, potential Sustainable Urban Extensions (Tribal UK Study, 2008) and other sites 24 Map 3: Greater Nottingham Regeneration Priorities 25 Map 4: Settlements Appraised within Greater Nottingham 33 Page 5 of 272 Greater Nottingham Aligned Core Strategies Sustainability Appraisal Interim Report Non-Technical Summary Introduction to Sustainability Appraisal i. This report comprises the second stage of the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) of the Greater Nottingham Aligned Core Strategies. The Core Strategy will form part of the Local Development Framework for the councils of Greater Nottingham. The Sustainability Appraisal process is a way of ensuring that all plans and programmes which relate to spatial planning issues are compatible with the aims of sustainable development. ii. Governments around the world committed to the concept of sustainable development at the Rio summit in 1992. Subsequently, the UK government produced its national strategy for sustainable development. The ‘UK Sustainable Development Strategy – Securing the Future’ (2005) defined sustainable development as “enabling all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life of future generations”. iii. The origins of the Sustainability Appraisal process lie with the European Union’s Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive, which acts to ensure that all plans/policies with land use implications take into consideration environmental issues and impacts. The UK’s Sustainability Appraisal process has widened this scope, to also include consideration of social and economic issues when assessing specific plans and programmes relating to land use issues. iv. The Sustainability Appraisal process comprises a number of stages. The production of this Interim Report covers stages B1, B2 and B5 as outlined in the table below. The Scoping Report covered the tasks in Stage A. Table 1: Stages in Sustainability Appraisal Identifying other relevant policies, plans and A1 9 Setting the context programmes, and sustainability objectives A2 Collecting baseline information Stage and objectives, 9 establishing the A3 Identifying sustainability issues and problems 9 A baseline and deciding on the scope A4 Developing the Sustainability Appraisal Framework 9 A5 Consulting on the scope of the Sustainability Appraisal 9 Testing the Development Plan Document objectives B1 against the Sustainability Appraisal Framework Developing the Development Plan Document B2 options Predicting the effects of the Development Plan B3 Stage Developing and Document refining options and B Evaluating the effects of the Development Plan assessing effects B4 Document Considering ways of mitigating adverse effects and B5 maximising beneficial effects Proposing measures to monitor the significant effects of B6 implementing the Development Plan Documents Page 6 of 272 Greater Nottingham Aligned Core Strategies Sustainability Appraisal Interim Report Stage Preparing the Sustainability C1 Preparing the Sustainability Appraisal report C Appraisal report Public participation on the preferred options of the D1 Development Plan Document and the Sustainability Consultation on the Appraisal report Stage Development Plan Document and D2(i) Appraising significant changes D Sustainability Appraising significant changes resulting from D2(ii) Appraisal report representations D3 Making decisions and providing information Monitoring the E1 Finalising aims and methods for monitoring Stage significant effects of implementing the E Development Plan E2 Responding to adverse effects Document. The Scoping Stage (Stage A) v. The Greater Nottingham local planning authorities consulted on the Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Reports in June 2009. Comments were received from the Government Office for the East Midlands, Natural England, Environment Agency and English Heritage. These responses were taken into account when finalising the Sustainability Appraisal Framework for use in the sustainability appraisal process. The Interim Report vi. This Interim Sustainability Appraisal Report follows on from the Scoping Stage. The Interim report has tested the Core Strategy spatial objectives against the Sustainability Appraisal Framework and the options for the Core Strategy have now been developed. The report has recommended the most appropriate options to take forward in the Core Strategy. Sustainability Appraisal Framework vii. The Sustainability Appraisal objectives have been finalised, primarily aligned with the regional Sustainability Appraisal objectives but also taking into account of the comments received by the consultees at the Scoping Stage. Table 2: Sustainability Appraisal Objectives Sustainability Appraisal Objectives 1. To ensure that the housing stock meets the housing needs of Greater Nottingham 2. To improve health and reduce health inequalities 3. To provide better opportunities for people to value and enjoy Greater Nottingham’s heritage 4. To improve community safety, reduce crime and the fear of crime in Greater Nottingham 5. To promote and support the development and growth of social capital across Greater Nottingham Page 7 of 272 Greater Nottingham Aligned Core Strategies Sustainability Appraisal Interim Report 6. To increase biodiversity levels and protect and enhance Green Infrastructure across Greater Nottingham 7. To protect and enhance the rich diversity of the natural, cultural and built environmental and archaeological/geological assets, and landscape character of Greater Nottingham, including Greater Nottingham’s heritage