Strategic Environmental Assessment Baseline Information Profile December 2010 Prepared For Braintree District Council by Essex County Council The information contained in this document can be made available in alternative formats: large print, Braille, audio tape or on disk. We can also translate this document in to other languages CONTENTS CONTENTS Figure List ............................................................................................................................iii Table List ............................................................................................................................vii 1 Introduction ...............................................................................................................1 2 Local Development Framework Progress .................................................................3 PART ONE: Natural Environment....................................................................................5 3 Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna ...................................................................................7 4 Landscape ..............................................................................................................21 5 Air Quality ...............................................................................................................35 6 Climatic Factors ......................................................................................................47 7 Water Quality ..........................................................................................................65 8 Flooding ..................................................................................................................85 9 Soils, Minerals and Waste.......................................................................................90 PART TWO: Built Environment....................................................................................116 10 Cultural Heritage and Townscape.........................................................................118 11 Health....................................................................................................................128 12 Population and Social ...........................................................................................146 13 Economy ...............................................................................................................160 14 Housing.................................................................................................................208 15 Transport...............................................................................................................220 Bibliography..................................................................................................................... 247 i CONTENTS This page is intentionally left blank ii FIGURE LIST FIGURE LIST Figure 1: Percentage Changes in Wild Bird Indicators by Region 1994 – 2008.............8 Figure 2: East of England Wild Bird Indices 1994 - 2008...............................................9 Figure 3: Location of Sites of Specific Scientific Interest within Braintree District ........11 Figure 4: Condition of Sites of Specific Scientific Interest in Braintree District based on Last Assessment...........................................................................14 Figure 5: Location of Local Nature Reserves in Braintree District................................16 Figure 6: Location of Local Wildlife Sites in Braintree District ......................................18 Figure 7: Location of Special Landscape Areas in Braintree District............................22 Figure 8: Location of Landscape Character Areas in Braintree District........................24 Figure 9: Location of Ancient Woodland, Historic Parks and Gardens, Protected Lanes and Special Verges in Braintree District.............................................33 Figure 10: Location of NO2 Monitoring Tubes in Braintree District 2010........................40 Figure 11: Annual Mean Concentrations of Benzene (concentrations in μgm-3) ............42 Figure 12: Major Roads within Braintree District............................................................44 Figure 13: Consumption of Energy in GWh by Consuming Sector in Braintree 2005 – 2007...........................................................................................................49 Figure 14: Total CO2 Emissions in kt in Braintree and Essex 2005 – 2008 ...................51 Figure 15: Total per Capita Emissions of CO2 in Tonnes within Braintree District and Essex 2005 – 2008 ................................................................................53 Figure 16: NI186 – per Capita Emissions of CO2 in Tonnes within Essex 2008 ............54 Figure 17: Per Capita Emissions of CO2 in Tonnes from Road Transport within Essex 2008 ...................................................................................................55 Figure 18: Proportional Reduction of CO2 Emissions per Capita between 2005 and 2008..............................................................................................................56 Figure 19: Proportion of Total Energy Consumption in Essex from Renewables 2007..............................................................................................................58 Figure 20: 67% Likelihood of Change in Annual Mean Temperature under a Medium Emissions Scenario in East of England...........................................61 Figure 21: Percentage Change in Summer Mean Precipitation within East of England under a Medium Emissions Scenario .............................................62 Figure 22: Percentage Change in Winter Mean Precipitation within East of England under a Medium Emissions Scenario............................................................63 Figure 23: Main Rivers within Braintree District .............................................................66 Figure 24: Aquifers in Essex County Council.................................................................67 Figure 25: River and lake water bodies in the Combined Essex river catchment ..........69 Figure 26: River R1 (Doomsey Brook) ...........................................................................70 Figure 27: River R4 (Ter) ...............................................................................................71 Figure 28: River R16 (River Chelmer)............................................................................72 Figure 29: River R23 (Blackwater Pant).........................................................................75 Figure 30: River R91 (Brain) ..........................................................................................76 Figure 31: River R102 (Boreham Tributary)...................................................................78 Figure 32: River R115 (River Blackwater)......................................................................79 Figure 33: Spatial Extent of Flood Zones 2 and 3 (a and b) in Braintree District ...........86 iii FIGURE LIST Figure 34: Agricultural Land Classification in Essex ......................................................91 Figure 35: Braintree District Agricultural Land Classification .........................................92 Figure 36: Total Waste Arisings per Dwelling by Essex Districts and Boroughs 2008-2009 to 2009-2010...............................................................................93 Figure 37: Total District Waste Tonnage Sent to Landfill by Braintree District and the Waste Collection Authority in 2000 – 2010 .............................................94 Figure 38: Proportion of District Waste which was Re-used/Recycled in Essex 2009 – 2010..................................................................................................96 Figure 39: Proportion of District Waste which was Composted in Essex 2009 – 2010..............................................................................................................96 Figure 40: District Waste Collection per Dwelling in Essex 2009 – 2010.......................98 Figure 41: Waste Collected from RCHWs per Dwelling in Essex 2008 – 2009............101 Figure 42: Proportion of Household Waste Landfilled in Braintree and Essex 2000 – 2010.........................................................................................................103 Figure 43: Proportion of Household Waste Recycled in Braintree and Essex 2000 – 2010.........................................................................................................105 Figure 44: Proportion of RCHW Waste Landfilled in Braintree and Essex 2000 - 2010............................................................................................................106 Figure 45: Proportion of RCHW Waste Recycled in Braintree and Essex 2000 – 2010............................................................................................................108 Figure 46: Location of Listed Buildings in Braintree District .........................................120 Figure 47: Location of Scheduled Monuments in Braintree District..............................123 Figure 48: Location of Conservation Areas in Braintree District...................................126 Figure 49: Braintree District Comparison of Directly Standardised Mortality Rate for All Circulatory Diseases for People under 75 1998 - 2008..........................129 Figure 50: Braintree District Comparison of Directly Standardised Mortality Rate