O UTER H EBRIDES L O CA L D EVE lo PMENT P L AN PR O P O SED P L AN E NVIR O NMENTA L R EP O RT 2 0 1 7 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar SEA ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT – COVER NOTE - PART 1 To: [email protected] SEA Gateway Scottish Executive Area 1 H (Bridge) Victoria Quay Edinburgh EH6 6QQ PART 2 An Environmental Report is attached for [name of PPS]: Outer Hebrides Local Development Plan (LDP) The Responsible Authority is: Comhairle nan Eilean Siar PART 3 Contact name Mairi A Maciver Job Title Development Plan Manager Development Plan and Marine Planning Team Contact address Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Stornoway Isle of Lewis HS1 2BW Contact tel no 0845 600 7090 [email protected] Contact email PART 4 Date 22 December 2016 Signature 1 CONTENTS Page 1. NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY Introduction and Purpose of Strategic Environmental Assessment 4 How to Comment on the Revised Environmental Report 4 Summary of SEA and Local Development Plan Stages 5 SEA Process 6 Likely Evolution of the Environment in the Absence of the LDP 6 Summary of the Likely Significant Effects of the LDP 7 2. REVISED ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT - INTRODUCTION Purpose of the Revised Environmental Report 8 Local Development Plan Key Facts 9 SEA Activities to Date 10 3. OUTER HEBRIDES LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND ITS CONTEXT Outline of the Plan 11 Objectives of the Plan 11 Relationship with other Plans, Programmes and Environmental Objectives 11 Relevant Aspects of Current State of the Environment 12 Environmental Baseline 13 Gaps in Baseline Information 22 Significant Environmental Issues 22 Likely Evolution of the Environment in the Absence of the LDP 26 4. ASSESSMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS & PROPOSED MITIGATION SEA Methodology 27 Alternatives Considered 33 Assessment Outcomes 33 Key Findings and Proposed Mitigation Measures 35 Conclusion 41 5. MONITORING Next Steps 42 6. HABITATS REGULATIONS APPRAISAL HRA Legislative context 43 The Adopted Outer Hebrides Local Development Plan and Natura 2000 44 Early HRA Screening at MIR 45 HRA Screening at Proposed Plan Stage 46 Summary and Conclusions 48 2 APPENDICES Appendix A Links to other Plans, Programmes & Strategies & SEA Objectives 49 Appendix B Outer Hebrides Environnemental Description 55 Appendix C Example Local Development Plan Site Assessment and SEA Checklist 66 Appendix D Summary of SEA Assessment Scores for Proposal Sites 78 Appendix E Detailed HRA and Appropriate Assessment 80 Appendix F SEA Assessment Sheets – Policies (available separately) Appendix G SEA Assessment Sheets – Sites (available separately) NB: (Appendix F and G are available by contacting the Planning Service or going online) LIST OF DIAGRAMS Diagram 1 Map: Outer Hebrides Context 12 Diagram 2 Map: International Environmental Designations 17 Diagram 3 Map: National Environmental Designations 17 Diagram 4 Map: Historic Environment 18 Diagram 5 Map: Landscape Character Assessment Areas 18 Diagram 6 Map: Outer Hebrides Saline Lagoons 19 Diagram 7 Map: Native Woodland Distribution 19 Diagram 8 Map: Carbon Rich Soils, Deep Peat and Priority Peatland Habitat 20 Diagram 9 Map: Wild Land 21 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Summary of LDP & SEA Activities 5 Table 2 OHLDP Key Facts 9 Table 3 Summary of SEA Activities 10 Table 4 Summary of Environmental Baseline 14 Table 5 Significant Environmental Issues relevant to the LDP 23 Table 6 SEA Environmental Objectives and Criteria 28 Table 7 Example Revised SEA Assessment Sheet 30 Table 8 Summary of Assessment Outcomes 34 Table 9 Natura 2000 sites in the Outer Hebrides 41 Table 10 Elements of emerging LDP likely to be scoped out of Appropriate Assess. 45 Table 11 Summary of HRA/AA 47 3 1. NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY 1.1 Introduction and Purpose of SEA 1.1.1 This Revised Environmental Report (ER) is part of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Outer Hebrides Local Development Plan (LDP). The non-technical summary of the ER can be read on its own or as part of the full SEA Environmental Report. It explains what SEA is; why it has been done; what effects the absence of the LDP would be likely to have on the environment; and the main findings of the assessment. 1.1.2 Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a requirement of Scottish legislation to implement a European Directive. The European Union SEA Directive 2001/24/EC was transposed into Scots law in 2004 by the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005. The objective of the Directive is: “to provide for a high level of protection of the environment and to contribute to the integration of environmental considerations into the preparation of and adoption of plans and programmes with a view to promoting sustainable development”*1. 1.1.3 The legislation places a responsibility on public agencies to assess the environmental impacts of certain plans and programmes and is a way of ensuring that environmental issues are carefully considered during preparation of a Plan. 1.2 How to comment on the Revised Environmental Report 1.2.1 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is carrying out a SEA of the Outer Hebrides Local Development Plan in accordance with the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005. 1.2.2 The Revised Environmental Report (ER) of the Local Development Plan SEA is available for public comment along with the Proposed Plan (current stage of LDP) and other associated documents. It can also be accessed on the Comhairle’s web page at: http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/planningservice/devplanconsultations.asp and is available to view in hard copy at deposit locations throughout the islands. 1.2.3 Comments on the Environmental Report should be submitted by 5pm on Friday 10th March 2017 on the available comment forms to: 1.2.4 email: [email protected] or 1.2.5 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Council Offices Development Plan and Marine Planning Team Development Department Stornoway Isle of Lewis HS1 2BW 1 * Directive 2001/42/EC: Article 1 4 1.3 Summary of SEA & Local Development Plan Stages 1.3.1 To be effective, the SEA process has to run in parallel with preparation of the plan to which it relates. The various stages of the SEA and Outer Hebrides Local Development Plan(OHLDP) process are set out below: Table 1: Summary of OH-LDP and SEA Activities Local Development Plan Consultation and Engagement Strategic Environmental Indicative including statutory periods Assessment (SEA) & Programme Consultation Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) SEA Consultation Development Plan Scheme Publicise and submit to Scottish Assess baseline environmental info Completed & Participation Statement Ministers Scoping Report prepared but reviewed submitted to SEA Gateway annually. Submit Scoping (5WKS) Main Issues Report (MIR) Call for sites and issues Consider responses received from Gather information CA’s; refine methodology. Monitoring of Engage key agencies and Environmentally appraise MIR; early Completed Plans/Strategies stakeholders HRA screening. Preparation of December Stakeholder Engagement Environmental Report (ER) 2015 Publicise and Notify Publicise and Notify Publish MIR & Monitoring Submit to Scottish Ministers Statement for Consultation MIR Consult (10 WKS) ER Consult (10 WKS) Proposed LDP Engage key agencies/ Appraise Plan and Revise ER April - Dec Assess MIR consultation stakeholders and members Prepare HRA report 2016 outcomes and prepare Proposed LDP Publicise and notify site Publicise and Notify Advertise and Consult. owners/neighbours/MIR Reps Prepare EQIA Jan – March Prepare Action Prog Prop Plan Consult (8 WKS MIN) Revised-ER Consult (8 WKS MIN) 2017 Consideration of Reps and Consider responses March-June Submission to Ministers 2016 Consider representations Prepare Summary of Unresolved Issues & Statement of Conformity with Participation Statement (for unresolved reps if any) Submit Plan to Ministers Submit HRA Record Submit to ministers: Proposed LDP, Statement of Conformity, Reps; Participation Statement Publicise submission of Plan for June/July Publicise examination Examination 2016 Examination of Plan Examination Report published Reporter refers to SEA ER/ HRA June/July- Ministers appoint reporter (may take up to 6-9 months) Oct 2016 Consideration of Environmentally appraise Plan as July-Oct Recommendations modified and carry out appropriate 2017 Consider assessment if required. recommendations and prepares mods, proposed Ministers publish revised ER and Plan as modified & HRA record if required. Statement of Explanation for not accepting recommendations LDP Adoption Oct - Dec Publish Mods and 2017 Proposed Plan as modified Publicise Intention to Adopt Send Ministers the Submit to Minister Proposed Plan as modified (28 days later) Adopt Plan & Adoption (within 3mths Exam report) Publicise New Year Advertise intent to Adopt 2018 Ongoing and Review Engage as necessary On-going Post Prepare Action Programme Publish Action Programme within adoption> (AP) 3 months of adoption Publish post adoption SEA statement / submit to Gateway 5 1.4 SEA process 1.4.1 The environmental baseline for the Plan area has been established using information already available to the Comhairle along with additional information gathered from a variety of sources including the Key Agencies. A number of gaps in information have been highlighted and the Comhairle is working with other appropriate agencies to address this. Assessment of the Plan has also been considered within the framework of other relevant international, national and local plans and policies. 1.4.2 The major environmental issues affecting the Plan area were identified in the Scoping Report. These include: . Impact of land use activities on the natural environment . Increasing demand for use of marine and coastal environment . The impact on the environment arising from insufficient water and wastewater infrastructure (including water quality) . Flood risk (including coastal inundation / storm surge) . Impact of land use activities on carbon rich soils . Provision and location of mineral reserves . Impacts of climate change . Waste management (low percentage of municipal waste recycled) . Demographic Imbalance (ageing and declining population) . Low comparable health and wellbeing .