Matter 4 / Issue 1 / Liverpool City Council Appendix 1: Extract from Document LCC01a with regard to the Green Belt. Question 51. Is there a Green Belt Review which assesses the qualities of the land at the Oglet which is proposed to be released from the Green Belt, and its contribution to the Green Belt? The City Council did not consider it necessary to undertake a city-wide Green Belt Review because of the opportunities to meet all of its objectively assessed needs for new residential and general employment development on non-Green Belt land elsewhere in the City. The obvious exception to this is the specific issue of the further expansion of Liverpool John Lennon Airport, which has grown considerably, to the economic and social benefit of the City Region, since the last time that the Green Belt was considered in a development plan context. The further expansion which has been shown to be necessary is locationally specific such that it can only rationally be accommodated at this particular location. Contribution of the Land to be released from the Green Belt An assessment of the land which is proposed to be removed from the Green Belt against each of the five purposes of the Green Belt as set out in national planning policy, is provided in Section 8 ‘Impact on Green Belt’ of Core Document 31.0 Liverpool John Lennon Airport: The Case for the Expansion. Paragraph 80 of the NPPF (2012) states that Green Belt serves five purposes: a) to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; b) to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another; c) to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment; d) to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns; and e) to assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land. The analysis in Section 8 shows that the land to be released comprises a narrow “limb” of land between the airport and the River Mersey (see Figure 8.1 of Liverpool John Lennon Airport: The Case for Expansion – Core Document 31.0). It does not contribute to preventing neighbouring towns merging into one another, it does not contribute towards the setting and special character of historic towns, and as there are no other potential land opportunities to accommodate the proposed expansion, the need for which arises from growth anticipated at the Airport, it will have no adverse impact on the objective of assisting urban regeneration. There is therefore no conflict with the second, fourth or fifth purposes of the Green Belt. With respect to the first and third purposes of the Green Belt (urban sprawl and encroachment into the countryside respectively), it also concludes that the land makes only a limited contribution to those objectives. The analysis also concludes that proposed change to the Green Belt boundary south of the airport would not have implications for the wider Green Belt in this part of Merseyside and it would create a logical and defensible boundary. The boundary would not need to be reviewed at the end of the plan period. The limited impact on the purposes of Green Belt as a result of the release of the Oglet land from the Green Belt under Policy EC7 must be taken into account in determining whether exceptional circumstances exist to justify the proposed amendment of the Green Belt boundary. This is 1 Matter 4 / Issue 1 / Liverpool City Council addressed in Part 3 ‘Exceptional Circumstances’ of the Case for the Expansion (Core Document 31.0) which concludes that the uniqueness of the need for and benefits of the planned expansion of LJLA, for which there is no alternative location within the LCR, comprise exceptional circumstances which justify the proposed release of land from the Green Belt. Other Qualities of the Land to be released from the Green Belt. Agricultural Land Classification Section 9 of the Case for the Expansion document (Core Document 31.0) provides summary analysis of the value of the land in agricultural terms. It refers to a study (Core Document 31.8) commissioned by the airport in 2005 to understand the potential impacts on agricultural resources (across the Master Plan area) that would occur should the Airport be expanded as anticipated within the Airport Master Plan (see Core Document CD22). The Agriculture Assessment Study, undertaken by Reading Agricultural Consultants (who have confirmed that the conclusions of their 2005 study remain valid in 2019), establishes that the land is currently mostly arable, dominated by cereals and oilseed rape with some permanent pasture. The land to the south of the Airport, around the Oglet, mainly supports a mixture of main crop carrots and potatoes, cereals and set-aside or rough grass. The study identifies that the land to be released from the Green Belt comprises land of both Grade 2 (Very Good) and Grade 3a (Good to Moderate) within the Agricultural Land Classification (See Core Document 31.8 section 2). Paragraph 112 of the NPPF (2012) advises that “Local planning authorities should take into account the economic and other benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land. Where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, local planning authorities should seek to use areas of poorer quality land in preference to that of a higher quality”. The City Council has concluded that since the expansion of LJLA that has been shown to be necessary can only occur in this location there is no option to locate it on lower grade land. The very significant economic and social benefits for the City Region of the planned expansion of LJLA far outweigh the economic and other value of agricultural use of the land. The Sustainability Appraisal of the draft Local Plan also concludes that Policy EC7 would have a “negligible” impact on soil resources (see CD8 Table 5.5 page 54). Visual Quality of the Land to be Released from the Green Belt. Section 9 of CD 31.0 The Case for the Expansion also considers the Landscape Quality and Character of the land identified in the Airport’s Master Plan (CD 22) for expansion south of the existing runway. It confirms that existing views of the buildings and structures associated with LJLA are available from many locations in the vicinity. Visual sensitivity from the north of LJLA is low due to the low visual quality in this area. Where appropriate existing boundary mounding and fencing would be upgraded with increased planting alongside Hale Road. The layout, massing, scale and roofscape of buildings within LJLA would be dealt with at planning application stage and is appropriately addressed by other policies in the Local Plan including: • UD4 Inclusive Design • UD5 New Buildings • HD1 Heritage Assets • GI5 Protection of Biodiversity and Geodiversity 1 Matter 4 / Issue 1 / Liverpool City Council • R9 Solar Panels To the south of the runway, the visual agricultural character of the land to be released would be changed by the introduction of new buildings. There will be a landscape impact from a development of this scale. The assessment in Section 9 of The Case for Expansion (Core Document 31.0) considers that by retaining features where possible and through screening and planting, this impact can be mitigated. Neither the City Council nor LJLA have done nor is it considered necessary to do detailed landscape assessments at this stage. Policy EC7 and other Local Plan policies are considered to give suitable protection and development management guidance to ensure that this analysis occurs. In particular careful consideration during detailed design would ensure that where possible, existing landscape features are retained. Subject to these measures, which would be addressed at planning application stage, no significant impacts are envisaged on the shore and the adjacent cliffs. Key residual impacts would be minimised through extensive mitigation planting and earth works to screen and enclose development to the southern boundary as part of the planned coastal reserve. A similar approach was successful in delivery of the existing Speke Garston Coastal Reserve to the west of the Airport and its success provides a high degree of comfort that this would safeguard the visual amenity and accessibility of the Mersey Way coastal path. It is the City Council’s view that the proposed expansion at LJLA undertaken in accordance with Policy EC7 including robust assessment, design and where necessary, mitigation similar to that already implemented on land to the west, will not lead to significant adverse impacts upon the landscape quality or character of the surrounding area. Suitable landscaping and planting will inform proposals as they progress. Biodiversity Qualities of the Land to be Released In addition to consideration of potential impacts on the special interest of the Mersey Estuary, an Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey of the land to be released from the Green Belt was undertaken in 2018 (by Atmos Ecology – see Core Document 31.6). While the survey is not yet as comprehensive as will be required to be prepared in support of a detailed planning application, it’s conclusions on the available evidence are that the habitats on site are predominantly comprise actively farmed arable fields of limited ecological value. It is acknowledged that the arable fields will have the potential to support a number of protected species and that parts of the site are included within local wildlife sites as shown on the Local Plan Policies Map. As such it is agreed that surveys will need to be undertaken to understand the potential impacts that any specific development could have on the species, in order to avoid effects in the design process, and/or to inform appropriate mitigation and/or compensation and enhancement measures.