Sustainability Appraisal Report

Denbighshire Local Development Plan 2018 - 2033 Initial Sustainability Appraisal Report 2019 __________________________________________________________________________________ Non-Technical Summary 1. This non-technical summary of the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) provides an overview of the findings which are set out below in more detail. 2. This Initial Sustainability Appraisal (SA) Report accompanies the Draft Preferred Strategy for Denbighshire’s Local Development Plan 2018 to 2033 (Replacement LDP). 3. The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, Planning Policy Wales and the Welsh Government require an SA to be carried out for all development plans in Wales. This SA process reflects that statutory requirement, as well as the requirement to undertake a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), required by the European Directive EC/2001/24. The use of ‘SA’ in this non-technical summary incorporates SEA. 4. The SA considers the impacts that the Replacement LDP may have socially, economically and environmentally in Denbighshire. Any identified issue that arises from a policy in the Replacement LDP, can be addressed by amending the policy or mitigating its impact. The SA aims to ensure that the Replacement LDP promotes development; which in itself is sustainable, as well as being situated in a sustainable location. 5. The SA has assessed the potential outcome of there being no Replacement LDP. Without a Replacement LDP, development in Denbighshire would be guided by national policy and overall this is likely to result in negative impacts for Denbighshire. Development in Denbighshire without a plan would overall be potentially sustainable but at a local level the pattern would be unsustainable and would not meet the needs of Denbighshire. It is therefore critical that a Replacement LDP is adopted for Denbighshire, so that there is a plan in place when the adopted LDP (2006 – 2021) expires. i 6. The SA assessed five potential growth options, four potential spatial options, as well as the preferred growth and spatial options. The preferred options for the Replacement LDP are those that were considered to produce the most positive and least negative effects. Mitigation of likely significant effects has also been considered. Key Findings 7. Set out below are the key findings of the baseline assessment together with the SA assessment of the Draft Preferred Strategy of the Replacement LDP. Baseline 8. The population of Denbighshire is significantly older than that for Wales with a median age of 46.2 in 2017 compared to 42.5 for Wales as a whole. There is a net outwards migration of workers, particularly 16 to 29 year olds. Home ownership has become increasingly unaffordable within Denbighshire and there is a significant need for smaller properties and more affordable housing. The location of development has to be sensitive to: - the Welsh language; pockets of deprivation; Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB); conservation sites; as well as the natural, agricultural, historic and cultural landscapes and environments. Human health and wellbeing, as well as climate change, together with its potential impacts, has to be part of the consideration of sustainable development. Overall level of growth 9. The Draft Preferred Strategy was assessed as being the most sustainable in terms of combining employment land and housing provision, including affordable housing need. The SA found that 3,775 dwellings, 750 affordable homes together with 68.6 hectares of employment land for the lifetime of the Replacement LDP, was appropriate. ii 10. The SA showed that bringing forward employment land via a mixed use site, was more likely to deliver economic benefits, than employment allocations alone. Spatial distribution of growth 11. The SA found that distributing growth to serviced settlements together with at least one larger, strategic mixed use site was most sustainable. 12. In order to achieve flexibility of growth, in terms of infill and small sites outside of serviced settlements, there will have to be a case by case determination, which includes consideration of cumulative effects that are specific to the proposed site and surrounding area. Mitigation 13. Overall the Replacement LDP Vision, Objectives, Key Policies and Draft Preferred Strategy are considered sustainable. There were no findings that they hindered or significantly conflicted with the SA objectives. Impacts on finite resources and the natural, historic, cultural, as well as the built environment and landscape will depend on how the key policies and strategic options are implemented. Further definition of the key strategic policies together with identification of key development sites at the Deposit stage will influence and provide clarity as to the sustainability of the Replacement LDP. 14. Mitigation measures have been recommended where there are potentially significant impacts which include air pollution and water capacity. Monitoring 15. In order to assess whether the Replacement LDP is moving towards encouraging sustainable development, this Initial SA Report will be updated and revised at the LDP Deposit stage. Consideration has however, already been given to how polices will be monitored on an annual basis. An indication of the way in which the SA Framework may be monitored, including what sources of information could be used, can be found in Section IV; Table 21 the Monitoring Framework and iii Section IV.III Monitoring. Currently the Monitoring Framework is draft and will be refined further at the Deposit stage. How to Comment on the Report 16. The Replacement LDP Draft Preferred Strategy and Initial Sustainability Report will be published for consultation from 8 July 2019 until 30 August 2019. Should you wish to submit comments on the Initial Sustainability Report, please provide your comments in one of the following ways: By utilising the consultation portal at https://countyconversation.denbighshire.gov.uk/kms/dmart.aspx?str Tab=PublicDMart Or by using the Local Development Plan 2018 – 2033 Draft Preferred Strategy Consultation Response Form available at https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/resident/planning-and-building- regulations/local-development-plan/local-development-plan.aspx Return it by:- email to: [email protected] By post to: Local Development Plan 2018-2033, Initial Sustainability Report Strategic Planning and Housing, Planning and Public Protection Services Denbighshire County Council PO Box 62, Ruthin, LL15 9AZ. iv Contents Non-Technical Summary ............................................................................... i Key Findings ............................................................................................ ii How to Comment on the Report .............................................................. iv Contents ..................................................................................................... 1 List of Figures .......................................................................................... 3 List of Tables ........................................................................................... 4 I. Introduction .......................................................................................... 5 II. SA / SEA Process and the Replacement LDP ............................................ 8 Table 1: Stages in the SA process and their relationship to the Replacement LDP (RLDP) .......................................................................... 8 Stage A: Setting the Context and Objectives, Establishing Baseline and Deciding on Scope ................................................................................... 9 Stage B: Developing and refining options and assessing effects .............. 12 III. Baseline, Sustainability Issues and Revised SA Objectives ..................... 13 III.I Social Baseline ............................................................................... 13 Population ........................................................................................... 13 Deprivation and crime ......................................................................... 16 Housing .............................................................................................. 21 Access to services ............................................................................... 25 Welsh Language .................................................................................. 27 Social Sustainability Issues and Revised SA Objectives .......................... 32 III.II Economic Baseline ......................................................................... 33 Employment / Unemployment .............................................................. 33 Employment Land / Businesses ............................................................ 37 Town Centre Retail .............................................................................. 39 Tourism .............................................................................................. 40 Transport ............................................................................................ 41 Economic Sustainability Issues and Revised SA Objectives .................... 43 III.III Environmental Baseline .................................................................. 44 Landscape, Agriculture and Soil ........................................................... 44 Heritage and Built Environment ............................................................ 48 1 Finite Resources .................................................................................

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