Strategic environmental assessment for the Lenham Neighbourhood Plan Environmental Report to accompany the submission version of the Neighbourhood Plan November 2019 Strategic environmental essessment for the Submission version of the Lenham Neighbourhood Plan Environmental Report Quality information Prepared by Checked by Approved by Ryan Putt Nick Chisholm-Batten Steve Smith Environmental consultant Associate Director Technical Director Cheryl Beattie Senior Environmental Planner Revision History Revision Revision date Details Authorized Name Position V1.0 7th November 2019 Submission version 7th November 2019 Nick Chisholm- Associate Director Batten Prepared for: Lenham Parish Council Prepared by: AECOM Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited 3rd Floor, Portwall Place Portwall Lane Bristol BS1 6NA United Kingdom T: +44 117 901 7000 aecom.com © 2019 AECOM Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited. All Rights Reserved. This document has been prepared by AECOM Limited (“AECOM”) in accordance with its contract with Locality (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. Prepared for: Lenham Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group AECOM Strategic environmental essessment for the Submission version of the Lenham Neighbourhood Plan Environmental Report Table of Contents Non-Technical Summary .............................................................................................. 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 Background ............................................................................................................................................................. 1 SEA explained ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 Structure of this Environmental Report ................................................................................................................... 2 2. Local Plan context and vision for the Lenham Neighbourhood Plan................ 3 Local Plan context for the Lenham Neighbourhood Plan ........................................................................................ 3 Vision for the Lenham Neighbourhood Plan ............................................................................................................ 3 3. The Scope of the SEA ..................................................................................... 4 SEA Scoping Report ............................................................................................................................................... 4 Key Sustainability Issues ........................................................................................................................................ 6 SEA Framework ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 4. What has plan making / SEA involved to this point? ....................................... 11 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................... 11 Overview of plan making / SEA work undertaken since (date) .............................................................................. 11 Assessment of reasonable alternatives for the Neighbourhood Plan .................................................................... 11 Options considered as reasonable alternatives .................................................................................................... 11 Options relating to development within the Kent Downs AONB ............................................................................ 12 Options relating to broad location of development in the Neighbourhood Plan area ............................................. 14 Options relating to potential areas of growth in the vicinity of Lenham village ...................................................... 17 Current approach in the Neighbourhood Plan and the development of Neighbourhood Plan policies .................. 34 Choice of sites taken forward for the purposes of the Neighbourhood Plan .......................................................... 34 The development of Neighbourhood Plan policies ................................................................................................ 35 5. What are the appraisal findings at this current stage? ................................... 37 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................... 37 Approach to the appraisal ..................................................................................................................................... 37 Biodiversity and geodiversity ................................................................................................................................. 37 Climate change ..................................................................................................................................................... 38 Landscape and historic environment ..................................................................................................................... 39 Land, soil and water resources ............................................................................................................................. 40 Population and community .................................................................................................................................... 41 Health and wellbeing ............................................................................................................................................. 41 Transportation ....................................................................................................................................................... 42 Conclusions at this current stage .......................................................................................................................... 43 Potential significant effects .................................................................................................................................... 43 Recommendations at this current stage ................................................................................................................ 43 6. What are the next steps? ............................................................................... 44 Appendix A Context and Baseline review ................................................................. 44 Prepared for: Lenham Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group AECOM Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Lenham Neighbourhood Plan Environmental Report Prepared for: Lenham Parish Council AECOM Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Environmental Report to accompany the Lenham Neighbourhood Plan submission version of the Neighbourhood Plan Non-Technical Summary What is strategic environmental assessment? A strategic environmental assessment has been undertaken to inform the Lenham 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 Lenham Neighbourhood Plan? The Lenham Neighbourhood Plan presents a plan for the administrative area of Lenham Parish in Kent for the period to 2031. Prepared to be in conformity with the Maidstone Borough Local Plan, it sets out a vision and a range of policies for the Neighbourhood Plan area. These relate to a range of topics, including, but not limited to, housing delivery, landscape and villagescape character, the quality of life of residents and the protection and enhancement of the environment. The Lenham Neighbourhood Plan was submitted to Maidstone Borough Council in late 2019. Purpose of this Environmental Report This Environmental Report, which accompanies the submission version of the Lenham Neighbourhood Plan, is the third document to be produced as part of the SEA process. The first document was the SEA Scoping Report (June 2017), which includes information about the Neighbourhood Plan area’s environment and community. The second document was the Environmental Report (September 2018) which accompanied the Neighbourhood Plan for Regulation 14 consultation. The purpose of this Environmental Report is to: Identify, describe and evaluate the likely significant effects of the Lenham 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