Draft Strategic Environmental Assessment
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ClimatEvolution: Vision and Action Programme Strategic Environmental Assessment Environment Report Supplementary Planning Guidance to the East Lothian Local Development Plan 2018 Published: 31/May/2020 6 Draft Environment Report: ClimatEvolution Copyright notices Mapping © Crown copyright and database rights 2020 OS licence number 100023381. You are granted a non-exclusive, royalty free, revocable licence solely to view the Licensed Data for non-commercial purposes for the period during which East Lothian Council makes it available. You are not permitted to copy, sub-license, distribute, sell or otherwise make available the Licensed Data to third parties in any form. Third party rights to enforce the terms of this licence shall be reserved to OS I-tree data Data produced using the I-Tree Suite developed by the I-Tree Cooperative has been included. The I-Tree Cooperative consist of the USDA Forest Service, Davey Tree Expert Co., National Arbor Day Foundation, Society of Municipal Arborists, International Society of Arboriculture and Casey Trees. KEY FACTS: Climate Change Resilience Zone Strategy and Action Plan The key facts relating to this PPS are set out below: Name of Responsible Authority: East Lothian Council. Title of PPS: Climate Change Resilience Zone Strategy and Action Plan (ClimatEvolution). What prompted the PPS: desire of the Council to balance the built development (housing and employment use) coming forward in the area with an attractive landscape setting, active travel and recreational offer; the desirability of addressing existing access and drainage constraints in the area and of making use of the renewable heat resource in the area. The ELC Green Network Strategy identifies action in this area as a priority. The ClimatEvolution should accord with the ELLDP and ELC Green Network Strategy, as it would be an extension of policy set out there. Area covered by PPS: The area is focussed between and around Prestonpans/Cockenzie Port Seton/Tranent/ Blindwells and Longniddry as shown below, however boundaries are flexible to allow for opportunities to be taken as they arise. : Figure 1: Indicative ClimatEvolution area Subject: Town and Country Planning. Period covered by PPS: At this stage, the Council is envisages that the PPS will continue to have relevance until project level proposals are approved and are being implemented, unless the development plan context changes such that the guidance ought to be revoked or reviewed. i Draft Environment Report: ClimatEvolution Frequency of updates: At this stage, the Council does not consider an update will be necessary, but this may change once East Lothian Local Development Plan 2 is adopted. Purpose of PPS: To set out a deliverable vision and action programme for the broad area shown, providing based on an in-depth analysis and identify opportunities to make best use of existing built, cultural and natural heritage assets alongside proposals that will introduce new elements and sensitively integrate new development and deliver shared multi- functional infrastructure. The Vision will contain a clear concept for the future of the area and identifies potential hard/soft/green/blue infrastructure projects which could come forward. ClimatEvolution will inform and coordinate the future detailed design and delivery of individual projects. Contact point: J Squires (Planner) S Cheyne (Landscape Officer) East Lothian Council John Muir House Brewery Park Haddington EH41 3HA Tel: 01620 827370 Email: [email protected] Cc to [email protected] ii Draft Environment Report: ClimatEvolution ABBREVIATIONS CAT Countryside Around Town COSLA Convention Of Scottish Local Authorities CGSN Central Scotland Green Network ELBAP East Lothian Biodiversity Action Plan ELC East Lothian Council ELLDP East Lothian Local Development Plan 2018 HRA Habitat Regulation Appraisal INNS Invasive Non-Native Species IPBES Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change JNCC Joint Nature Conservancy Council LBS Local Biodiversity Site NPF National Planning Framework SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment SEPA Scottish Environment Protection Agency SESPLAN South East Scotland Plan, Strategic Development Plan 1 SIMD Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation SNH Scottish Natural Heritage SPA Special Protection Area SPG Supplementary Planning Guidance SPP Scottish Planning Policy SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest SUDS Sustainable Urban Drainage iii Draft Environment Report: ClimatEvolution CONTENTS KEY FACTS: Climate Change Resilience Zone Strategy and Action Plan ....................................................................... i ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................................................................................................... iii 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................... 7 2 OUTLINE OF CONTENTS AND MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE PLAN .................................................................. 13 3 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLIMATEVOLUTION & OTHER RELEVANT LOCAL LEVEL PLANS, PROJECTS AND STRATEGIES ............................................................................................................................................................. 20 4 BIODIVERSITY, FLORA AND FAUNA ............................................................................................................ 22 5 POPULATION ............................................................................................................................................. 41 6 HUMAN HEALTH ....................................................................................................................................... 52 7 SOIL .......................................................................................................................................................... 68 8 WATER ...................................................................................................................................................... 76 8 AIR ............................................................................................................................................................ 89 9 CLIMATIC FACTORS ................................................................................................................................. 100 10 MATERIAL ASSETS ................................................................................................................................... 123 11 CULTURAL HERITAGE .............................................................................................................................. 134 12 LANDSCAPE ............................................................................................................................................. 150 13 SECONDARY, CUMULATIVE AND SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS .......................................................................... 171 14 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OBJECTIVES OF RELEVANT HIGHER TIER PPSS ....................................... 176 15 LIMITATION AND DIFFICULTIES IN THE ASSESSMENT .............................................................................. 178 16 MEASURES ENVISAGED TO PREVENT, REDUCE AND OFFSET ANY SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT OF IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN ...................................................................................................... 179 17 MONITORING .......................................................................................................................................... 180 18 NEXT STEPS ............................................................................................................................................. 181 APPENDIX ONE ...................................................................................................................................................... 183 APPENDIX TWO ..................................................................................................................................................... 189 APPENDIX THREE................................................................................................................................................... 228 6 Draft Environment Report: ClimatEvolution 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This document comprises the draft Environment Report of ClimatEvolution: A Climate Resilient Zone Strategy and Action Plan, a vision for a place-based transition to climate resilience in an area of development pressure in East Lothian. This draft Environment Report sets out the significant environmental impacts of the proposed strategy. The area covered by the strategy is in the western part of East Lothian, on the coast of the Forth, broadly between Musselburgh and Longniddry. It lies on part of the Lothian coalfield, with a proud history of traditional industry. Coal mining and salt panning here went back hundreds of years, almost a millennium; brick making not far behind. Now, the area is under development pressure due to its attractive location close to countryside and coast, and proximity to Edinburgh. The former Cockenzie coal fired power station site sits lies within the area. Bearing in mind this legacy it is particularly appropriate that this area should now be at the forefront of efforts to mitigate climate change. 1.2 OPEN consultants, appointed following a tender process, have produced