SA Scoping Report October, 2014
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Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report for Harborough District Local Plan SA Scoping Report October, 2014 SA Scoping Report for Harborough Local Plan REVISION SCHEDULE Rev Date Details Prepared by Reviewed by Approved by 1 February Draft SA Scoping Ian McCluskey Paul Tomlinson Paul Tomlinson 2014 Report for Harborough Senior Consultant Associate Associate Local Plan – Member Policy & Appraisal Policy & Appraisal version Marylise Schmid Graduate Environmental Scientist Esme Portsmith Planning Consultant 2 April 2014 SA Scoping Report for Ian McCluskey Paul Tomlinson Paul Tomlinson Harborough Local Plan Senior Consultant Associate Associate Consultation version Policy & Appraisal Policy & Appraisal Esme Portsmith Planning Consultant 3 October SA Scoping Report for Ian McCluskey Anita Copplestone Paul Tomlinson 2014 Harborough Local Plan Senior Consultant Principal Consultant Associate Post-Consultation Policy & Appraisal version Limitations URS Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited (“URS”) has prepared this Report for the sole use of Harborough District Council in accordance with the Agreement under which our services were performed. No other warranty, expressed or implied, is made as to the professional advice included in this Report or any other services provided by URS. This Report is confidential and may not be disclosed by the Client nor relied upon by any other party without the prior and express written agreement of URS. The conclusions and recommendations contained in this Report are based upon information provided by others and upon the assumption that all relevant information has been provided by those parties from whom it has been requested and that such information is accurate. Information obtained by URS has not been independently verified by URS, unless otherwise stated in the Report. The methodology adopted and the sources of information used by URS in providing its services are outlined in this Report. The work described in this Report was undertaken between November 2013 and October 2014 and is based on the conditions encountered and the information available during the said period of time. The scope of this Report and the services are accordingly factually limited by these circumstances. Where assessments of works or costs identified in this Report are made, such assessments are based upon the information available at the time and where appropriate are subject to further investigations or information which may become available. URS disclaim any undertaking or obligation to advise any person of any change in any matter affecting the Report, which may come or be brought to URS’ attention after the date of the Report. Certain statements made in the Report that are not historical facts may constitute estimates, projections or other forward-looking statements and even though they are based on reasonable assumptions as of the date of the Report, such forward-looking statements by their nature involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results predicted. 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SA Scoping Report for Harborough Local Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................................... 1 2 WHAT’S THE SCOPE OF THE SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL? ........................................ 8 3 INTRODUCTION TO HARBOROUGH ................................................................................. 10 4 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................ 12 5 BUILT AND NATURAL HERITAGE .................................................................................... 29 6 HEALTH AND WELLBEING ............................................................................................... 38 7 RESILIENCE (TO CLIMATE CHANGE) .............................................................................. 57 8 HOUSING AND ECONOMY ................................................................................................ 65 9 RESOURCE USE ................................................................................................................ 83 10 KEY THEMES ON WHICH TO FOCUS THE APPRAISAL .................................................. 95 11 APPRAISAL METHODS ..................................................................................................... 98 12 NEXT STEPS..................................................................................................................... 107 APPENDIX I: REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS ...................................................................... 108 APPENDIX 2: CHANGES TO THE SA FRAMEWORK .............................................................. 109 APPENDIX 3: SITE APPRAISAL CRITERIA ............................................................................. 112 APPENDIX 4: SCOPING REPORT CONSULTATION RESPONSES ........................................ 118 SA Scoping Report for Harborough Local Plan LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AMR Annual Monitoring Report AONB Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty AQMA Air Quality Management Area AW Anglian Water BAP Biodiversity Action Plan BME Black or Minority Ethnic CAMS Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy CFMP Catchment Flood Management Plan CIL Community Infrastructure Levy CO2 Carbon Dioxide DCLG Department for Communities and Local Government DECC Department of Energy & Climate Change Defra Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs HDC Harborough District Council HGV Heavy Goods Vehicles HMA Housing Market Area HRA Habitat Regulations Assessment IMD Index of Multiple Deprivation LCA Landscape Character Area LCC Leicestershire County Council LCIP Local Climate Impacts Profile LDF Local Development Framework LGV Light Goods Vehicle LNR Local Nature Reserve LL&R Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland LLTI Limiting Long-Term Illness LSOA Lower Super Output Area LSRO Leicestershire Statistics and Research Online LLTP3 Leicestershire Local Transport Plan 3 LWS Local Wildlife Sites MSA Mineral Safeguarding Area MWLP Mineral and Waste Local Plan NERC Natural Environment and Rural Communities NDP Neighbourhood Development Plans NO2 Nitrogen Dioxide NPPF National Planning Policy Framework ONS Office for National Statistics PDL Previously Developed Land PPSI Plans, Policies, Strategies and Initiatives PPG Planning Policy Guidance PPS Planning Policy Statement PUA Principal Urban Area RSL Registered Social Landlord SA Sustainability Appraisal SAC Special Area of Conservation SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment SFRA Strategic Flood Risk Assessment SHLAA Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment SHMA Strategic Housing Market Assessment SPA Special Protection Area SPD Supplementary Development Plan SPZ Source Protection Zone SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest STW Severn Trent Water SUDS Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems TCPA Town and Country Planning Association WFD Water Framework Directive SA Scoping Report for Harborough Local Plan 1 BACKGROUND URS is commissioned to undertake Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and Habitats Regulations Assessment in support of the new Harborough District Council Local Plan (the Plan). The new Local Plan will incorporate a focused review of the Harborough Core Strategy (adopted in November 2011) and also identify strategic allocations. 1.1 What is the plan seeking to achieve? A consultation was undertaken in March 2013 to outline the purpose and format of the proposed new Local Plan1.As stated in this consultation document, the new Local Plan for Harborough will: Refresh and update the Harborough Core Strategy. The Vision, Strategic Objectives, settlement hierarchy and overall structure of the document are expected to remain unchanged; Roll forward the end date of the Core Strategy from 2028 to 2031; Include strategic allocations of land for residential, employment, retail, leisure and other land uses to meet strategic development requirements, and Identify the boundaries of strategic green space; Provide new policies to; support the preparation of Neighbourhood Development Plans (NDP), provide high level policy on infrastructure costs (which may be supported by a Community Infrastructure Levy [CIL] Infrastructure Schedule), and provide a flexible criteria based policy to replace Limits to Development for settlements; Reflect joint working with all organisations and bodies relevant to cross boundary planning matters of common interest; Be fully compliant with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), new guidance and Regulations guiding the preparation of Local Plans. 1.2 Planning policy context The Harborough District Local Plan (2001) was replaced by the Core Strategy in 2011, although 14 thematic policies and 33 site allocations were retained and still remain valid. The Core Strategy was adopted in November 2011, and forms the current local planning policy guidance for the District. However, since 2011 then there has been a significant change in national planning policy, with the replacement of planning policy guidance notes (PPGs) and planning policy statements (PPS) with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in March 2012. The NPPF introduced a presumption in favour of sustainable development