Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Portland Neighbourhood Plan
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Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Portland Neighbourhood Plan Environmental Report to accompany the submission version of the Neighbourhood Plan Portland Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group May 2019 Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Environmental Report to accompany the Portland Neighbourhood Plan submission version of the Neighbourhood Plan Quality information Prepared by Checked by Approved by Ryan Putt Nick Chisholm-Batten Steve Smith Environmental Associate Director Technical Director Consultant Revision History Revision Revision date Details Authorized Name Position V2.0 09/05/19 Submission 09/05/19 Nick Chisholm- Associate version Batten Director Prepared for: Portland Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group Prepared by: AECOM Limited Plumer House Third Floor, East Wing Tailyour Road Crownhill Plymouth PL6 5DH United Kingdom T: +44 (1752) 676700 aecom.com © 2019 AECOM Limited. All Rights Reserved. This document has been prepared by AECOM Limited (“AECOM”) for use of Locality (the “Client”) 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. No third party may rely upon this document without the prior and express written agreement of AECOM. Prepared for: Portland Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group AECOM Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Environmental Report to accompany the Portland Neighbourhood Plan submission version of the Neighbourhood Plan Table of Contents Non-Technical Summary ...................................................................................................................... 1. Introduction .............................................................................................. 1 Background ....................................................................................................................................... 1 SEA explained ................................................................................................................................... 2 Structure of this Environmental Report ............................................................................................... 2 2. Local Plan context and vision for the Portland Neighbourhood Plan ...... 4 Local Plan context for the Portland Neighbourhood Plan .................................................................... 4 West Dorset, Weymouth & Portland Local Plan proposals for Portland ............................................... 4 Review of the West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland Local Plan ........................................................ 5 Vision for the Portland Neighbourhood Plan ....................................................................................... 5 3. The Scope of the SEA ............................................................................. 6 SEA Scoping Report .......................................................................................................................... 6 Key Sustainability Issues ................................................................................................................... 8 SEA Framework .............................................................................................................................. 10 4. What has plan making / SEA involved to this point? ............................. 13 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 13 Overview of plan making / SEA work undertaken since 2013 ........................................................... 13 Assessment of reasonable alternatives for the Neighbourhood Plan ................................................ 13 Current approach in the Portland Neighbourhood Plan..................................................................... 21 Neighbourhood Plan policies ........................................................................................................... 21 5. What are the appraisal findings at this current stage? .......................... 23 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 23 Approach to this appraisal ............................................................................................................... 23 Biodiversity and Geodiversity ........................................................................................................... 23 Climate Change ............................................................................................................................... 25 Landscape and Historic Environment ............................................................................................... 26 Land, Soil and Water Resources ...................................................................................................... 28 Population and Community .............................................................................................................. 28 Health and Wellbeing ....................................................................................................................... 30 Transportation ................................................................................................................................. 30 Conclusions at this current stage ..................................................................................................... 31 6. What are the next steps? ...................................................................... 32 Appendix A Context Review and Baseline ...................................................... 33 Prepared for: Portland Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group AECOM Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Portland Neighbourhood Plan Prepared for: Portland Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group AECOM Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Environmental Report to accompany the Portland Neighbourhood Plan submission version of the Neighbourhood Plan Non-Technical Summary What is Strategic Environmental Assessment A strategic environmental assessment (SEA) has been undertaken to inform the Portland Neighbourhood Plan. This process is required by the SEA Regulations. Neighbourhood Plan groups use SEA to assess Neighbourhood Plans against a set of sustainability objectives developed in consultation with interested parties. The purpose of the assessment is to avoid adverse environmental and socio-economic effects through the Neighbourhood Plan, and identify opportunities to improve the environmental quality of the area covered by the Neighbourhood Plan and the quality of life of residents. What is the Portland Neighbourhood Plan? The Portland Neighbourhood Plan is currently being prepared as a Neighbourhood Development Plan under the Localism Act 2011 and the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012. The Portland Neighbourhood Plan is being prepared in the context of the West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland Local Plan, which was adopted in October 2015. The Neighbourhood Plan has been submitted to Dorset Council for subsequent independent examination. Purpose of this Environmental Report This Environmental Report, which accompanies the submission version of the Neighbourhood Plan, is the latest document to be produced as part of the SEA process. The first document was the SEA Scoping Report (August 2016), which includes information about the Neighbourhood Plan area’s environment and community. The second document was the Environmental Report (June 2018) which accompanied the Neighbourhood Plan for Regulation 14 consultation in summer 2018. The purpose of this Environmental Report is to: ─ Identify, describe and evaluate the likely significant effects of the Portland Neighbourhood Plan and alternatives; and ─ Provide an opportunity for consultees to offer views on any aspect of the SEA process which has been carried out to date. The Environmental Report contains: ─ An outline of the contents and main objectives of the Portland Neighbourhood Plan and its relationship with other relevant policies, plans and programmes; ─ Relevant aspects of the current and future state of the environment and key sustainability issues; ─ The SEA Framework of objectives against which the Portland Neighbourhood Plan has been assessed; ─ The appraisal of alternative approaches for the Portland Neighbourhood Plan; ─ The likely significant environmental effects of the Portland Neighbourhood Plan; ─ The measures envisaged to prevent, reduce and as fully as possible offset any significant adverse effects as a result of the Portland Neighbourhood Plan; and ─ The next steps for the Portland Neighbourhood Plan and accompanying SEA process. Prepared for: Portland Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group AECOM NTS1 Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Environmental Report to accompany the Portland Neighbourhood Plan submission version of the Neighbourhood Plan Assessment of alternative approaches for the Portland Neighbourhood Plan A key aim of the Neighbourhood Plan is to ensure that housing provision is appropriately located for local needs. The West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland Local Plan does not allocate any sites for housing in the Neighbourhood Plan area, or provide a housing number for the Neighbourhood Plan to deliver. However, as part of the examination