Hindon Neighbourhood Development Plan Draft
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Hindon Neighbourhood Development Plan Draft Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Scoping Report June 2018 Hindon Parish Council The Village Hall Hindon Wilshire Hindon NP Scoping Report June 2018 1 scoping_report_V3_24_06_18.docx Contents List 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Hindon Neighbourhood Plan ........................................................................................................................... 5 1.1.1 What we wish to achieve.............................................................................................................................. 6 1.1.2 Hindon Neighbourhood Plan Vision and Objectives ....................................................................................... 6 Over-arching Vision .............................................................................................................................................. 6 1.2 Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment .................................................................. 10 1.3 Habitat Regulation Assessment .................................................................................................................... 11 1.4 Report Structure ........................................................................................................................................... 11 2. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................................................. 12 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 12 2.2 Stages of Sustainability Appraisal ........................................................................................................... 13 2.3 Scope of the Sustainability Appraisal ............................................................................................................. 13 3. TASK A1 – IDENTIFYING OTHER PLANS, POLICIES AND SUSTAINABILITY OBJECTIVES ......................................... 15 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 15 3.2 Review of plans, policies and objectives relevant to Hindon.......................................................................... 15 4. TASK A2 – BASELINE INFORMATION .................................................................................................................. 17 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 17 4.2 Baseline information ..................................................................................................................................... 18 5. TASK A3 – KEY SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT ISSUES AND PROBLEMS .................................................. 24 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 24 5.2 Key issues and problems................................................................................................................................ 25 6. TASK A4 SUSTAINABILITY FRAMEWORK ............................................................................................................ 27 6.1 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 27 6.2 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 27 7. TASK A5 CONSULTATION ON THE SCOPING REPORT .......................................................................................... 31 APPENDIX A: THE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANNING PROCESS IN WILTSHIRE .................................................................. 33 APPENDIX B: REVIEW OF RELEVANT PLANS, POLICIES AND SUSTAINABILITY OBJECTIVES .......................................... 34 APPENDIX C HINDON NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN AREA................................................................................................. 46 APPENDIX D STATUTORY - CONSULTEE RESPONSE TO SCREENING DECISION ............................................................. 47 Historic England ................................................................................................................................................. 47 Natural England ................................................................................................................................................. 48 ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................................................................................... 51 Hindon NP Scoping Report June 2018 2 scoping_report_V3_24_06_18.docx List of map and Figures FIGURE 1 INITIAL STAGES (BASELINE INFORMATION) OF SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL AND SEA ....................................... 13 FIGURE 2 - SUSTAINABILITY TOPICS INCLUDED WITHIN THE SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL ................................................. 15 FIGURE 3 - HINDON NEIGHBOURHOOD AREA KEY SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES .................................................................... 26 FIGURE 4 SEA OBJECTIVES CROSS REFERENCE TO WILTS FRAMEWORK ...................................................................... 27 FIGURE 5 SEA OBJECTIVES WITH POSSIBLE QUESTIONS. .......................................................................................... 28 FIGURE 6 ASSESSMENT OF HINDON NDP OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................. 29 FIGURE 7 ASSESSMENT OF HINDON DEVELOPMENT NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN POLICES. .................................................. 30 MAP 1 – BAT COMMUTING & FEEDING RANGE FROM ROOSTING SITE AT CHILMARK QUARRIES ....................................... 49 MAP 2 HINDON VILLAGE FLOOD MAP –ENVIRONMENT AGENCY ............................................................................... 50 Hindon NP Scoping Report June 2018 3 scoping_report_V3_24_06_18.docx 1. Introduction This document is a baseline and sustainability report and follows the step by step guidance in the Wiltshire Council’s guide to Strategic Environmental Assessment for Neighbourhood Plans dated December 2015. This document was created in November 2017 and updated inline with the emerging Hindon Neighbourhood Development Plan. Wiltshire Council as the Responsible Authority1 under the SEA Reguations2 is responsible for undertaking a screening determination of the Hindon NDP. This screening process will determine whether the plan is likely to have a significant environmental effect and hence whether a SEA is required. Wiltshire Council SEA Screening decision Regulation 9 of the SEA Regulations requires that the responsible authority shall determine whether or not a plan is likely to have significant environmental effects. The responsible authority shall — (a) take into account the criteria specified in Schedule 1 to these Regulations; and (b) consult the consultation bodies. Where the responsible authority determines that the plan is unlikely to have significant environmental effects (and, accordingly, does not require an environmental assessment), it shall prepare a statement of its reasons for the determination. Wiltshire Council considers that the proposed Hindon NDP is likely to have significant environmental effects and accordingly a Strategic Environmental Assessment is required. This decision is made for the following key reasons: (a) The neighbourhood area is entirely within the Cranborne Chase AONB and therefore within a very sensitive landscape setting (b) A significant mixed-use development, potentially including 35-40 new dwellings, new GP surgery and community centre is proposed on a 4.1 hectare site to the north of the village. This development is considered likely to have significant environmental effects on both landscape and heritage features, including the AONB, conservation area and a number of listed buildings, including views to and from St. John’s church. This screening decision was sent to Natural England, the Environment Agency and Historic England, requesting comments within a 5-week period, ending 23rd February 2018. 1 The organisation which adopts the Neighbourhood Plan (this is described in Wiltshire Councils’s guide Neighbourhood Plannings – aguide for Wiltshire’s Parish and Town Councils (June 2012) as ‘makes the plan’) 2 The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004 Hindon NP Scoping Report June 2018 4 scoping_report_V3_24_06_18.docx Natural England, Environment Agency and Historic England, as statutory consultation bodies under Regulation 9 of the SEA Regulations, were consulted on this SEA screening determination in January and February 2018. Natural England and Historic England agreed with the determination that a SEA is required for the Hindon NDP. The Environment Agency did not offer comments on the consultation. The responses received from Natural England and Historic England are presented in Appendix D This stage of sustainability appraisal involves compiling background information