Growth Triangle Area Action Plan Sustainability Appraisal Technical Appendix
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
BROADLAND DISTRICT COUNCIL LOCAL PLAN Sustainability Appraisal for the Old Catton, Sprowston, Rackheath & Thorpe St Andrew Growth Triangle Area Action Plan Proposed Submission Version (Reg. 19) Technical Appendix June 2014 Technical Appendix Contents Page Technical Appendix A: Growth Triangle Area Action Plan (AAP) – Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report (2009) page 2 Technical Appendix B: Growth Triangle Area Action Plan (AAP) – 2012/13 Sustainability Appraisal Baseline Data page 101 Technical Appendix C: Growth Triangle Area Action Plan (AAP) – Updated Review of Relevant Plans Programmes and Strategies page 111 Technical Appendix D: Growth Triangle Area Action Plan (AAP) – Assessment of Reasonable Alternative Sites page 138 Technical Appendix E: Growth Triangle Area Action Plan (AAP) – Sustainability Appraisal Framework page 202 Technical Appendix F: Growth Triangle Area Action Plan (AAP) – Derivation of Strategic Policies page 215 Technical Appendix G: Growth Triangle Area Action Plan (AAP) – Individual Assessment of Strategic Policies page 220 Technical Appendix H: Growth Triangle Area Action Plan (AAP) – Site Selection and Alternatives page 260 Technical Appendix I: Growth Triangle Area Action Plan (AAP) – Individual Assessment of Area Based Policies page 273 1 Technical Appendix A: Growth Triangle Area Action Plan (AAP) – Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report (2009) Preface: This Appendix contains the Area Action Plan Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report (2009) 2 Final Report - August 2009 Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report for Site Allocations and Area Action Plan Development Plan Documents 3 Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report - Site Allocations and Area Action Plan Development Plan Documents Contents 1 Introduction 3 2 Task A1 – The Review of Plans, Programmes and Policies 9 3 Task A2 – Collecting Baseline Information 11 4 Task A3 - Identifying Sustainability Issues 28 5 Task A4 – Developing the Sustainability Appraisal Framework 41 6 Task A5 – Consulting on the Scope of the Sustainability Appraisal 44 Appendix 1 -Review of relevant plans, programmes and policies 45 Appendix 2: Baseline Information for Broadland 58 Appendix 3: Compatibility between Sustainability Appraisal Objectives 70 Appendix 4: Sustainability Appraisal Framework 71 Appendix 5: Feedback and actions 84 List of Tables Table 1 Five Stage Method of Sustainability Appraisal 4 Table 2 Tasks required within Stage A (Scoping) of Sustainability Appraisal 5 Table 3 Plans, Programmes and Strategies subject to Literature Review (in addition to those reviewed in the Joint Core Strategy Scoping Report). 9 Table 4 Demographic Characteristics and Trends of Broadland 12 Table 5 Nature Sites of International and National Importance 16 Table 6 Housing Stock by Tenure and Type* 18 Table 7 Educational Achievement 20 Table 8 Employment Sector Distribution 21 Table 9 Travel to Work Data 23 Table 10 Existing makeup of Parishes within the proposed Area Action Plan Growth Area 24 Table 11 Housing Stock by Tenure of Parishes within proposed Area Action Plan Growth Area 25 Table 12 Travel to Work Methods of All People Aged 16-74 for Parishes within proposed Area Action Plan Growth Area 26 Table 13 The Key Sustainability Issues identified as needing to be addressed through the Broadland Development Plan Documents 30 4 Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report - Site Allocations and Area Action Plan Development Plan Documents Contents Table 14 Proposed Sustainability Appraisal Objectives 41 Table 15 Appendix 1 - Literature Review Assessment: a review of relevant plans, programmes and strategies for sustainable development. 45 Table 16 Baseline information 58 Table 17 Compatibility between Sustainability Appraisal Objectives 70 Table 18 The Sustainability Appraisal Framework 71 Table 19 Feedback and Actions arising from the Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report consultation 84 List of Maps Map 1 Proposed Location and Extent of Area Action Plan 8 Map 2 Broadland Parishes 12 Map 3 National Lansdscape Character Areas 15 5 Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report - Site Allocations and Area Action Plan Development Plan Documents Introduction 1 This final Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report has been produced further to a period of consultation in accordance with the regulations, with the 3 statutory environmental bodies and certain other relevant bodies. The report includes changes where relevant to the main body of the text and tables as a result of comments made to the initial draft scoping report. The comments made and actions resulting from these comments are documented in more detail in Appendix 5 of this report. 1.1 An essential consideration when drawing up planning documents is their effect on the environment and people’s quality of life, both now and in the future. To help address this, a Sustainability Appraisal (SA) incorporating a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is carried out alongside the preparation of these documents to ensure that environmental, social and economic sustainability objectives are complied with and to avoid or minimise any adverse impacts. As such, it is an integral part of producing a Local Development Framework that incorporates the principles of sustainability. Background to Sustainability Appraisal 1.2 Sustainability Appraisal (SA) is a systematic process undertaken during the preparation of a plan or strategy, as required by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (S19(5)). There is also a requirement for Development Plan Documents to undergo an environmental assessment, (known as a Strategic Environmental Assessment or SEA) under European Directive 2001/42/EC (transposed into UK legislation by the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004). It is intended that the Sustainability Appraisal incorporates the SEA in accordance with the Act and Regulations. This means that in addition to environmental issues, on which an SEA focuses, social and economic matters will also be addressed as part of the overall assessment of sustainability, within a single joint appraisal. 1.3 Thus, the substantive SA process will: Adopt a long-term view of development within the area covered by the plan, with particular interest on the social, environmental, and economic effects of the proposed plan. Develop an effective system for ensuring that sustainability objectives are transformed into sustainable planning policies. Reflect global and national concerns, as well as concerns at the regional and local levels. Provide an audit trail of how the local development document has been revised to take into account the findings of the sustainability appraisal. Incorporate the requirements of the SEA Directive. Produce and consult on a Scoping Report early in the process for each plan. 3 6 Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report - Site Allocations and Area Action Plan Development Plan Documents 1 Introduction 1.4 Government guidance on undertaking SA of Local Development Documents presents a five-stage process, each of which contains criteria to fulfil that requirement. These stages are described in Government guidance in the following manner: Table 1 Five Stage Method of Sustainability Appraisal Pre-production, setting the context and objectives, evidence gathering Stage A: to establish a baseline and deciding on the scope, culminating in production of scoping report. Developing and refining options and assessing effects and mitigation Stage B: by testing plan objectives against the SA Framework. Documenting and appraising the effects of the plan and preparing the Stage C: SA Report. Stage D: Consulting on the plan and the SA Report. Stage E: Monitoring the significant effects of implementing the plan. (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Regional Spatial Strategies and Local Development Documents, ODPM 2005) 1.5 Sustainability Appraisal will continue to be an iterative process after the production of this Scoping Report (Stage A). The appraisal framework will be used to consider the effects of the different options proposed by the plan, and considering the key issues where they arise. 1.6 Changes to the plan making process in June 2008 have changed the consultation requirements for the production of Development Plan Documents (DPDs). The SA process runs concurrently with the DPD process and after the initial scoping for the SA has been carried out the next stage will be the developing and refining of options and assessing their effects. The process of refinement and assessment will be carried out concurrently with the production of the DPD. Both a draft sustainability appraisal report and a DPD draft containing a favoured option will be made available for consultation prior to the publication of the DPD for submission. This exercise will be carried out for the Site Allocations and Area Action Plan DPD as distinctly separate documents with their own corresponding SA report. Final versions of each DPD and its seperate SA report will be made available when the DPD is published prior to submission to the Secretary of State for examination in public. Habitats Directive 1.7 In addition plans and programmes must now ensure that they also comply with the requirements of the The Directive on Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora 92/43/EEC (Habitats Directive). This involves undergoing an Appropriate Assessment into any potential effects on 'European sites' or 'Natura 4 7 Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report - Site Allocations and Area Action Plan Development Plan Documents Introduction 1 2000 sites'