Luton and South Bedfordshire Local Development Framework Sustainability Appraisal Draft Scoping Report May 2007 Luton and South Bedfordshire Local Development Framework Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report Contents Amendment Record This report has been issued and amended as follows: Issue Revision Description Date Signed 01 00 Draft SA Scoping Report 24/1/07 JPW 02 01 Draft SA Scoping Report 6/02/07 JPW 03 02 Final SA Scoping Report 14/3/07 JPW 04 03 Final SA Scoping Report 25/4/0 JPW Contents 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Luton and South Bedfordshire Local Development Framework 2 1.3 Background to SEA and SA 3 1.4 Health Impacts 5 1.5 Health and Sustainable Development 5 1.6 Equality Impacts 5 1.7 Purpose of this Scoping Report 6 1.8 Structure of this Report 7 2 Stage A1- Identifying other relevant plans, programmes and sustainability objectives 9 2.1 Background 9 2.2 Purpose 9 2.3 Economic Factors 13 2.4 Social Factors 14 2.5 Water 15 2.6 Biodiversity 15 2.7 Air Quality 16 2.8 Soil 16 2.9 Climatic Factors 16 2.10 Population 17 2.11 Human Health 17 2.12 Material Assets 19 2.13 Cultural Heritage 19 2.14 Landscape and Townscape 19 3 Stage A2- Collecting Baseline Information 21 3.1 Background 21 3.2 Collection Methodology 22 3.3 Baseline Analysis 22 3.4 Economic Factors 22 3.5 Social Factors 26 3.6 Water 31 3.7 Biodiversity 33 3.8 Air Quality 39 3.9 Soil 43 3.10 Climatic Factors 44 3.11 Population 45 3.12 Human Health 48 3.13 Material Assets 53 3.14 Cultural Heritage 55 3.15 Landscape 55 3.16 Townscape 57 4 Stage A3- Identifying Environmental and Sustainability Issues 58 4.1 Introduction 58 5 The SA Framework 66 5.1 Introduction 66 5.2 SA Appraisal Methodology 66 6 Consultation 79 6.1 Introduction 79 7 Next Steps 80 7.1 Introduction 80 7.2 Stage B: Developing and refining options and assessing the effects of the DPDs 80 7.3 Stage C: Preparation of the final Sustainability Report 82 7.4 Stage D: Consultation with the public and statutory bodies 84 7.5 Stage E: Monitor the effects of the plan on the environment/ sustainability 84 8 Summary of Questions for Consultees 85 Appendix A: Plan and Programme Review Glossary AGWP Average Gross Weekly Pay AMR Annual Monitoring Report AONB Area of Outstanding National Beauty AQMA Air Quality Management Area BAP Biodiversity Action Plan BVPI Best Value Performance Indicator CDRP Crime and Disruption Reduction Partnerships CO Carbon monoxide CO2 Carbon dioxide CPRE Campaign to Protect Rural England DEFRA Department for the Environment, Fisheries and Rural Affairs DETR Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions dph Dwellings per Hectare DPD Development Plan Document EA Environment Agency ESDP European Spatial Development Perspective EC European Commission EU European Union GB Great Britain GCSE General Certificate of General Education GIS Geographical Information System GSS Green Space Strategy Ha Hectares IMR Infant Mortality Rate JPTC Joint Planning and Transportation Committee JSA Job Seekers Allowance LDD Local Development Document LDF Local Development Framework LDS Local Development Scheme LTP Local Transport Plan NAQS National Air Quality Strategy NOx Nitrogen Oxides NO2 Nitrogen dioxide NVQ National Vocational Qualification ODPM Office of the Deputy Prime Minister PDL Previously Developed Land PM10 Particulate matter PPG Planning Policy Guidance PPS Planning Policy Statement QoL Quality of Life RPG Regional Planning Guidance RSS Regional Spatial Strategy SA Sustainability Appraisal SAMs Scheduled Ancient Monuments SCI Statement of Community Involvement SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment SFRA Strategic Flood Risk Assessment SO2 Sulphur dioxide SPD Supplementary Planning Document SPZ Source Protection Zones SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest SUDS Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems UK United Kingdom UN United Nations VAT Value Added Tax 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Milton Keynes and the South Midlands (MKSM) was identified as one of the four growth areas in England in the “Sustainable communities: building for the future” report published by the Government in February 2003. The other three areas are London-Stansted- Peterborough- Cambridge, Ashford and Thames Gateway. Luton/ Dunstable/ Houghton Regis and Leighton Linslade is part of the wider MKSM growth area. The growth requirements for MKSM are set out in the Draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the East of England, June 2006. The draft RSS allocation for Luton, Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Leighton Linslade is 26,300 dwellings between 2001 and 2021 and the safeguarding of land for a further 15,400 houses in the period 2021-2031. In terms of employment, the draft RSS refers to the provision of 23,000 new jobs in the period to 2021, and a further 12,000 to 2031. A Luton/Dunstable/Houghton Regis and Leighton Linslade Joint Planning and Transportation Committee (JPTC) has been established to deliver and coordinate these growth requirements. Luton Borough Council, South Bedfordshire District Council and Bedfordshire County Council are working together to produce a Joint Local Development Framework (LDF) covering the whole of Luton and South Bedfordshire. Given Luton and South Bedfordshire’s position on the Sustainable Communities agenda, which identifies the importance of Luton and South Bedfordshire in delivering the Government’s planning and housing agenda for the South East, the LDF and Sustainability Appraisal (SA) represent a critical opportunity to drive forward the sustainability agenda and to present a high-level vision for sustainable development throughout Luton and South Bedfordshire. This SA will be used at key stages in the evolution of the development options and during policy preparation. The SA will primarily focus on identifying the significant effects arsing from the LDF within Luton and South Bedfordshire but the SA will also consider 1 the effects of the LDF on the neighbouring districts of North Hertfordshire and Aylesbury Vale. 1.2 Luton and South Bedfordshire Local Development Framework The Local Development Framework (LDF) is the emerging development plan for Luton and South Bedfordshire. LDFs are the new form of spatial development plan introduced by the Government’s planning reforms in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (2004) (The Act). The LDF will eventually replace the existing Local Plans. The LDF will consist of a portfolio of Local Development Documents (LDDs) which will include Development Plan Documents (DPDs) which will collectively guide development in Luton and South Bedfordshire. Central to this portfolio is the Core Strategy DPD, which sets out the overall vision and objectives for future development in Luton and South Bedfordshire and provides a framework for later DPDs, including the Growth Area DPD which will make housing land use allocations. In addition to these statutory DPDs there will be a number of non-statutory Supplementary Planning Documents, setting out more detailed guidance at a more specific level. The JPTC is also required to prepare a number of further documents as part of the LDF process, including: • Local Development Scheme (LDS) - 3 year project plan for the preparation of the LDF, it sets out key milestones in DPD and SPD production. • Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) – outlines how the Council aims to involve local communities and stakeholders in the DPD and SPD preparation process (the SCI has been submitted to the Secretary of Sate for approval) • Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) – this report will outline and monitor the progress made with the preparation of the LDF. The JPTC have appointed Halcrow Group Ltd to undertake a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Sustainability Appraisal (from here on referred to as SA) of all the emerging LDF LDDs. To ensure the integration of health issues into the SA, Ben Cave Associates are providing specialised health inputs. This Scoping Report comprises the first stage of the SA process. This Report is the overarching Scoping Report for the SA 2 of both the Core Strategy and the Growth Area DPDs. It is intended that this SA will provide a sustainability framework to be taken forward and used for undertaking SAs for future DPDs, SPDs and Area Action Plans. In this Report the acronym SA is used to denote the SEA process as prescribed by the EC SEA Directive and UK Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations (2004), as well as including consideration of broad sustainability issues which would usually be considered in a SA, as set out in ODPM guidance1. 1.3 Background to SEA and SA Under The Act and the SEA Regulations2 which came into force in England and Wales in July 2004 SA and SEA are mandatory for Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS), DPDs and SPDs. The Act requires SAs to be carried out on all DPDs and SPDs. SAs help planning authorities to fulfil the objective of contributing to the achievement of sustainable development in preparing their plans through a structured assessment of the objectives and policies against key sustainability issues for their area. The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations (2004) which implement European Directive 2001/42/EC, known as the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive, requires SEA of a wide range of plans and programmes, including LDFs. The objective of the SEA 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 and adoption of plans, with a view to promoting sustainable development. SEA and SA are very closely linked. SA aims to integrate sustainability issues into decision making by appraising the plan or strategy using environmental, social and economic objectives. SEA also aims to facilitate sustainable development but its emphasis is on integrating environmental considerations into decision making through a thorough analysis of environmental issues.