Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report
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www.eastriding.gov.uk f You Tube East Riding Local Plan Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report May 2018 “Making It Happen” Contents Non-Technical Summary ................................................................................................... III 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 2 The East Riding Local Plan .......................................................................................... 3 3 Sustainability Appraisal Requirements ...................................................................... 4 What is Sustainability Appraisal? ........................................................................................... 4 When is a Sustainability Appraisal Required? ....................................................................... 4 What is Strategic Environmental Assessment? .................................................................... 4 4 Sustainability Appraisal Methodology ........................................................................ 6 5 Stage A1 – Relationship with other Plans, Programmes and Policies .................... 7 6 Stage A2 - Baseline Information ................................................................................. 8 Baseline Key Features ............................................................................................................. 8 Social Indicators ..................................................................................................................... 11 Economic Indicators .............................................................................................................. 16 Environmental Indicators ...................................................................................................... 21 7 Stage A3 – Sustainability Issues and Problems ........................................................ 38 8 Stage A4 – SA Framework / Objectives ................................................................... 39 Objectives ............................................................................................................................... 39 Indicators ................................................................................................................................ 48 The Assessment of Sustainability Effects ............................................................................ 48 9 Stage A5 – Consultation on the Scope of the Sustainability Appraisal ................ 49 Appendix A: SEA Regulations (2004) Requirements Checklist .................................... 51 Appendix B: Policies, Plans and Programmes ................................................................ 54 Appendix C: The Baseline .............................................................................................. 102 Appendix D: Key Sustainability Issues and Problems .................................................. 155 Appendix E: Relationship between SA objectives and Key Issues and Problems..... 165 Appendix F: Likely compatibility of SA objectives ...................................................... 168 Appendix G: SA Framework .......................................................................................... 169 Appendix H: Assessment of Effects ............................................................................... 174 Assessment of the Objectives ............................................................................................. 174 Developing Strategic Alternatives/Options ...................................................................... 174 Predicting the Effects of the Local Plan Policies ............................................................... 175 Appendix I: Summary of Responses and Officer Comments ..................................... 180 East Riding of Yorkshire Council I Contents List of tables Table 1: Amount of Land Designated as Internationally Designated Sites and Local Sites .. 24 Table 2 Ecosystem Services provided by National Character Areas in the East Riding ........ 27 Table 3: Sustainability Issues and Problems ............................................................................... 38 Table 4: New SA Objectives ........................................................................................................ 41 Table 5. Example Assessment of Local Plan Objectives Against SA Objectives Matrix ...... 174 Table 6. Example Options Assessment Matrix ........................................................................ 175 Table 7. Example Policy Assessment Matrix ............................................................................ 177 List of figures Figure 1 Sustainability Appraisal Process ..................................................................................... 6 Figure 2 The Context of the East Riding ...................................................................................... 9 Figure 3 Local Plan Key Diagram ................................................................................................ 10 Figure 4 Functional Economic Areas .......................................................................................... 17 Figure 5 Biodiversity Priority Areas ............................................................................................ 26 Figure 6 Blue/Green Infrastructure Corridors ........................................................................... 29 Figure 7 Important Landscape Areas .......................................................................................... 32 Figure 8 Environmental Hazards ................................................................................................. 34 A Glossary of Key Terms can be found on the East Riding of Yorkshire Council website. II East Riding of Yorkshire Council Non-Technical Summary Non-Technical Summary Introduction This Sustainability Appraisal (SA) Scoping Report forms the starting point for the SA process which will guide the preparation and assessment of the East Riding Local Plan. It will help to ensure that the SA for the Local Plan incorporates the requirements of Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) and is proportionate and relevant. The existing SA for the adopted Local Plan included a separate report and framework for each Local Plan document. The new SA framework will be used to inform all future Local Plan documents, except those relating only to minerals or waste management development. What is SA? SA is a systematic process that must be carried out during the preparation of a Local Plan. Its role is to promote sustainable development by assessing the extent to which the emerging Plan, when judged against reasonable alternatives, will help to achieve relevant environmental, economic and social objectives. Work on the SA should start at the same time that work starts on developing the Plan. SA Methodology The Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) splits the SA process into five stages (A-E). They are: a) Set the context and objectives, establishing the baseline and deciding on the scope; b) Develop and refine alternatives and assess effects; c) Prepare the SA report; d) Seek representations on the SA report from consultation bodies and the public; and e) Post adoption reporting and monitoring. This document represents Stage A, the scoping stage, of the process. It has been prepared following best practice and guidance which indicate that the East Riding SA Scoping Report should include: A review of relevant plans, programmes and policies; Baseline information about the East Riding; Identification of key issues and problems that can be affected by planning policies; and A sustainability appraisal framework, including a review of the SA objectives and indicators used to assess the Local Plan. East Riding of Yorkshire Council III Non-Technical Summary Stage A1- Relationship with other Plans, Programmes and Policies The Scoping Report provides information on: The relationship of the Local Plan with other plans, programmes and policies (PPP); A summary of the sustainability objectives of the other PPP; and How the other PPP will be taken into account in the preparation of the Local Plan. Over 170 PPP have been reviewed, this has helped identify their objectives and targets so they can be reflected in the sustainability objectives of the SA Scoping Report. This should help to prevent conflict between proposals within the Local Plan and other relevant documents, and take advantage of any common objectives in the different documents. Stage A2 – Baseline Baseline information on the current state of the East Riding has been presented, focusing on a wide range of social, economic and environmental characteristics. This information has been collected to: Identify current baseline conditions in the area; Find out trends in the data for the area; Identify sustainability problems and opportunities; Identify ways of dealing with problems and taking opportunities that exist in the area; and Inform the development of the Local Plan and predict the likely effects resulting from its implementation. Stage A3 – Sustainability Issues and Problems Sustainability issues and problems in the East Riding have been identified from the review of relevant PPP and the baseline data. The issues and problems identified are: 1) Appropriate locations for development 2) High proportion of lower value jobs 3) Support local growth 4) Demand for new and improved infrastructure 5) Unbalanced demographic