Sustainability Appraisal of Plan:MK SA Report Addendum
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Sustainability Appraisal (SA) of Plan:MK SA Report Addendum October 2018 SA of Plan MK REVISION SCHEDULE Rev Date Details Prepared by Reviewed by Approved by 1 Oct SA Report Addendum published Mark Fessey Steven Smith Steven Smith 2018 alongside proposed modifications to Associate Technical Technical Plan:MK as previously submitted Director Director Limitations This document has been prepared by AECOM Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited (“AECOM”) in accordance with its contract with Milton Keynes Council (“the Client”) and in accordance with generally accepted consultancy principles, the budget for fees and the terms of reference agreed between AECOM and the Client. Any information provided by third parties and referred to herein has not been checked or verified by AECOM, unless otherwise expressly stated in the document. AECOM shall have no liability to any third party that makes use of or relies upon this document. AECOM Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited 2 Leman Street, London E1 8FA Telephone: 020 7061 7000 SA REPORT ADDENDUM I SA of Plan MK TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 1 PART 1: WHAT HAS PLAN-MAKING / SA INVOLVED UP TO THIS POINT? ............................................... 3 2 INTRODUCTION (TO PART 1) ................................................................................................................ 4 3 ESTABLISHING THE REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES ........................................................................ 6 4 APPRAISING REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES .................................................................................. 20 5 DEVELOPING THE PREFERRED APPROACH ................................................................................... 28 PART 2: WHAT ARE SA FINDINGS AT THIS CURRENT STAGE?.............................................................. 29 6 INTRODUCTION (TO PART 2) .............................................................................................................. 30 7 APPRAISAL OF PROPOSED MAIN MODIFICATIONS ....................................................................... 31 PART 3: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? ................................................................................................................. 44 8 INTRODUCTION (TO PART 3) .............................................................................................................. 45 9 PLAN FINALISATION ............................................................................................................................ 45 10 MONITORING ........................................................................................................................................ 45 APPENDIX I – SITE OPTIONS ........................................................................................................................ 46 APPENDIX II – REASONABLE SPATIAL STRATEGY ALTERNATIVES ..................................................... 67 SA REPORT ADDENDUM II SA of Plan MK 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background 1.1.1 The aim of Plan:MK is to allocate land for development, present policies to guide future planning applications and ultimately provide a planning framework for the district up to 2031. There are a range of defined plan objectives, which can be seen in Section 2 of the plan document (MK/SUB/001).1 1.1.2 Plan:MK was submitted to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for examination by an appointed Planning Inspector in early 2018. Examination hearings sessions were held in July and August 2018. 1.1.3 A key outcome of hearing sessions was an understanding that there is a need for a series of modifications,2 in order for the plan to be found ‘sound’ by the Planning Inspector. The scope of modifications was broadly agreed during hearing sessions, and set out in a log of ‘action points’, with further guidance from the Inspector presented within a series of notes.3 1.1.4 A key matter for the examination is the spatial strategy - i.e. the approach to allocating land for development - and it is this matter that was the focus of the Inspector’s final note of August 31st (INS6). The note, when read alongside the action points, serves to clarify that the Inspector is broadly satisfied with the submission spatial strategy, but that modifications are necessary to adjust detailed aspects in relation to the two strategic urban extensions that are central to the submission plan, namely ‘South East MK’ and ‘East of MK’. 1.1.5 INS6 concluded with the following statement from the Inspector: “It is for the Council to action and progress the proposed main modifications and if required I am happy to provide further clarification to the Council.” Work to develop proposed modifications has now been completed, and proposed modifications are published for consultation at the current time. 1.2 This SA Report Addendum 1.2.1 The Local Plan is being developed alongside a process of Sustainability Appraisal (SA), a legally required process that aims to ensure that the significant effects of an emerging draft plan (and alternatives) are systematically considered and communicated. It is a requirement that SA is undertaken in-line with the procedures prescribed by the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations (the ‘SEA Regulations’) 2004. 1.2.2 The aim of this SA Report Addendum is essentially to present information on the proposed modifications, and alternatives, with a view to informing consultation and plan finalisation. Structure of this report 1.2.3 In order to achieve this aim, this SA Report Addendum sets out to answer three questions - 1. What has plan-making / SA involved up to this point? – particularly consideration given to reasonable alternatives. 1. What are the SA findings at this stage? – i.e. in relation to proposed modifications. 2. What happens next? 1 See https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/planning-and-building/planning-policy/plan-mk-evidence-base 2 There is a need to prepare both ‘main’ and ‘additional’ modifications; however, proposed additional modifications need not be a focus of SA, as by their very nature they are minor edits without substantive implications. 3 See www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/planning-and-building/planning-policy/plan-mk-examination SA REPORT ADDENDUM 1 INTRODUCTION SA of Plan MK N.B. This report is known as an SA Report ‘Addendum’ on the basis that it is an Addendum to the SA Report submitted in early 2018. The focus of this report is proposed modifications, as opposed to the plan as a whole (the remit of the SA Report).4 1.3 What is the scope of the SA? 1.3.1 In short, the scope of SA work at the current time is A) particular elements of Plan:MK that remain open for discussion, following the examination hearing sessions, and the notes received from the Inspector; and B) a defined list of issues and objectives (‘the SA framework’) defined through past scoping work - see Table 1.1.5 Table 1.1: The SA framework Sustainability objective Communities 1. Reduce levels of crime and create vibrant communities. 2. Reduce the gap between the most deprived areas of Milton Keynes and the average. 3. Improve education attainment and qualification levels so that everyone can find and stay in work. 4. Protect and improve residents’ health and reduce health inequalities. 5 Ensure that everyone has the opportunity to live in an affordable, sustainably constructed home. 6. Ensure all section of the community have good access to services and facilities. Environment 7. Maintain and improve the air quality in the borough. 8. Conserve and enhance the borough’s biodiversity. 9. Combat climate change by reducing levels of carbon dioxide. 10. Conserve and enhance the borough’s heritage and cultural assets. 11. Conserve and enhance the borough’s landscapes. 12. Encourage efficient use of natural resources (inc. land/soils). 13. Limit noise pollution. 14. Limit and reduce road congestion and encourage sustainable transportation. 15. Maintain and improve water quality and minimise the risk of flooding. 16. Reduce waste generation and encourage sustainable waste management. Economy 17. Encourage the creation of new businesses. 18. Sustain economic growth and enhance competiveness. 19. Ensure high and stable levels of employment. 4 Whilst the focus of this report is on proposed modifications (and alternatives), there is a need to bear in mind that the proposed modifications will (if taken forward) be implemented alongside, and impact ‘cumulatively’, with the rest of the Local Plan. 5 This SA framework was established following consultation on a Scoping Report in 2014. SA REPORT ADDENDUM 2 INTRODUCTION SA of Plan MK PART 1: WHAT HAS PLAN-MAKING / SA INVOLVED UP TO THIS POINT? SA REPORT ADDENDUM 3 PART 1: PLAN-MAKING / SA UP TO THIS POINT SA of Plan MK 2 INTRODUCTION (TO PART 1) 2.1.1 The Local Plan-making / SA process has been ongoing for a number of years, as explained within Part 1 of the SA Report, and as summarised by Figure 2.1. 2.1.2 At the current time, rather than recap the whole story, there is a need to explain the work undertaken in September 2018, subsequent to examination hearings and receipt of the Inspector’s note INS6, which led to the development of proposed modifications. 2.1.3 Specifically, in-line with regulatory requirements, there is a need to explain how work was undertaken to develop and then appraise reasonable alternatives, and how the Council then took into account alternatives