ARNSIDE AND SILVERDALE AONB DRAFT DEVELOPMENT PLAN DOCUMENT Sustainability Appraisal Report DRAFT FOR CONSULTATION OCTOBER 2016 CONTACTS SCOTT JOHNSON Principal Environmental Consultant Arcadis. 401 Faraday Street Birchwood Park Warrington WA3 6GA United Kingdom Arcadis (UK) Limited is a private limited company registered in England registration number: 1093549. Registered office, Arcadis House, 34 York Way, London, N1 9AB. Part of the Arcadis Group of Companies along with other entities in the UK. Regulated by RICS. Copyright © 2015 Arcadis. All rights reserved. arcadis.com VERSION CONTROL Version Date Author Changes 01 10-10-2916 S Johnson First Draft 02 21-10-2016 S Johnson Client and AONB Unit comments addressed This report dated 19 September 2016 has been prepared for Lancaster City and South Lakeland District Councils (the “Client”) in accordance with the terms and conditions of appointment dated 12 February 2015(the “Appointment”) between the Client and Arcadis (UK) Limited (“Arcadis”) for the purposes specified in the Appointment. For avoidance of doubt, no other person(s) may use or rely upon this report or its contents, and Arcadis accepts no responsibility for any such use or reliance thereon by any other third party. CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 2 1.1 Introduction to and Purpose of this Report................................................................................... 2 1.2 What is SA? .................................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Habitats Regulations Assessment ................................................................................................. 4 2 INTRODUCTION TO THE AONB AND THE DPD .................................................... 5 2.1 Introduction to the AONB ............................................................................................................... 5 AONB Designation ........................................................................................................................... 5 Natural Beauty and Special Qualities ................................................................................................ 6 Pressures ......................................................................................................................................... 9 2.2 Background to and purpose of the AONB DPD ............................................................................ 9 2.3 Pre-existing Plans & Strategies ................................................................................................... 10 The Arnside & Silverdale AONB Management Plan ........................................................................ 10 The Lancaster District Local Plan .................................................................................................... 10 The South Lakeland Local Plan ...................................................................................................... 11 2.4 Outline of the Draft DPD ............................................................................................................... 11 DPD Vision and Objectives ............................................................................................................. 11 Policy Issues .................................................................................................................................. 12 Proposed Development Allocations................................................................................................. 12 3 THE SA PROCESS................................................................................................. 14 3.1 Stages in the SA Process ............................................................................................................. 14 3.2 Stage A: Setting the Context and Objectives, Establishing the Baseline and Deciding on the Scope ............................................................................................................................................ 16 Geographical Scope of the SA ........................................................................................................ 16 Temporal Scope of the SA .............................................................................................................. 16 Review of Relevant Plans, Programmes and Environmental Objectives........................................... 16 The Sustainability Baseline and Key Sustainability Issues ............................................................... 19 SA Framework ................................................................................................................................ 25 The SA Scoping Consultation ......................................................................................................... 28 3.3 Stage B: Developing and Refining Options and Assessing Effects ........................................... 29 Appraisal of Reasonable Alternatives .............................................................................................. 29 Assessment of Proposed Allocations .............................................................................................. 30 Assessment of Policies ................................................................................................................... 31 3.4 Technical Limitations and Uncertainties ..................................................................................... 33 4 SA OF ISSUES AND OPTIONS (2015) .................................................................. 34 4.1 SA of Spatial Distribution Options ............................................................................................... 34 Commentary on Social Effects of Options ....................................................................................... 35 Commentary on Economic Effects of Options ................................................................................. 36 Commentary on Environmental Effects of Options .......................................................................... 37 4.2 SA of Policy Area Options............................................................................................................ 39 Questions Not Appraised ................................................................................................................ 40 5 SA OF THE DRAFT AONB DPD ............................................................................ 41 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 41 5.2 Assessment of Site Allocations ................................................................................................... 41 Housing, Health, Education, Access and Economic SA Objectives .................................................. 42 Air Quality, Climate Change / Energy, Water ................................................................................... 42 Bio- / Geo-diversity, Land / Sea-scape and Character and Minerals and Waste............................... 42 Community and Heritage ................................................................................................................ 43 5.3 Summary of the Initial Filter of Policies ...................................................................................... 43 5.4 Assessment of Policies ................................................................................................................ 44 SA of DPD Policies: Housing .......................................................................................................... 44 SA of DPD Policies: Health ............................................................................................................. 46 SA of DPD Policies: Education ....................................................................................................... 49 SA of DPD Policies: Sustainable Access ......................................................................................... 50 SA of DPD Policies: Local Economy ............................................................................................... 52 SA of DPD Policies: Retention and Creation of jobs ........................................................................ 54 SA of DPD Policies: Economic Inclusion and Access to Jobs .......................................................... 55 SA of DPD Policies: Air Quality ....................................................................................................... 56 SA of DPD Policies: Climate Change and Energy Efficiency ........................................................... 57 SA of DPD Policies: Water Quality .................................................................................................. 59 SA of DPD Policies: Biodiversity and Geodiversity .......................................................................... 61 SA of DPD Policies: Landscape, Seascape and Settlement Character and Quality.......................... 63 SA of DPD Policies: Land and Soil .................................................................................................. 65 SA of DPD Policies: Mineral Resources .......................................................................................... 66 SA of DPD Policies: Heritage and the Community ..........................................................................