Sustainability Appraisal of the Borough Local Plan 2013 - 2033 Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Reg 18 Report November 2016 Sustainability Appraisal of the Borough Local Plan 2013-2033 Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Regulation 18 Report LC-273 Document Control Box Client Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Report Title Sustainability Appraisal of the Borough Local Plan 2013-2033 Status Final Filename LC-273_RBWM_SA_Report_9_301116RC.docx Date November 2016 Author RB & RC Checked FG Approved ND Front credit: Windsor Caste by Jean-Marc Astesana Sustainability Appraisal for the Borough Local Plan 2013-2033 November 2016 LC-273_RBWM_SA_Report_9_301116RC.docx About this report & Notes for reader Lepus Consulting Ltd (Lepus) has prepared this draft report for sites, conservation areas, flood risk areas and watercourses, and the use of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. There the range of uses taking place. The assessment was prepared are a number of limitations, which should be borne in mind when between October and November 2016 and is subject to and considering the results and conclusions of this report. No party limited by the information available during this time. should alter or change this report whatsoever without written permission from Lepus. This report has been produced to assess the sustainability effects © Lepus Consulting Ltd of the Emerging Local Plan. It is not intended to be a substitute for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) or Appropriate SEA and SA are tools for predicting potential significant effects. Assessment (AA). For further information on the differences The actual effects may be different from those identified. between the products please see: Prediction of effects is made using an evidence-based approach https://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/environmentalassessment_tc and incorporates a judgement. m9-257008.pdf The assessments above are based on the best available Client comments can be sent to Lepus using the following information, including that provided to Lepus by the Council and address. information that is publicly available. No attempt to verify these 1 Bath Street, secondary data sources has been made and they have assumed Cheltenham to be accurate as published. Gloucestershire GL50 1YE Every attempt has been made to predict effects as accurately as Telephone: 01242 525222 possible using the available information. Many effects will E-mail: [email protected] depend on the size and location of development, building design www.lepusconsulting.com and construction, proximity to sensitive receptors such as wildlife © Lepus Consulting for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead i Sustainability Appraisal for the Borough Local Plan 2013-2033 November 2016 LC-273_RBWM_SA_Report_9_301116RC.docx This page is deliberately blank. © Lepus Consulting for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead ii Sustainability Appraisal for the Borough Local Plan 2013-2033 November 2016 LC-273_RBWM_SA_Report_9_301116RC.docx Contents 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Purpose of this report ............................................................................................................................. 1 1.3 The RBWM Borough Local Plan 2013-2033 .................................................................................. 2 1.4 About RBWM ............................................................................................................................................ 2 1.5 Policies ......................................................................................................................................................... 2 1.6 Sites .............................................................................................................................................................. 4 1.7 Strategic Locations ................................................................................................................................. 5 1.8 Strategic Scenarios ................................................................................................................................. 5 1.9 Using this document .............................................................................................................................. 5 2 Methodology .................................................................................................................... 6 2.1 Approach to assessment ...................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Appraisal process .................................................................................................................................... 8 2.3 Geographic scale .................................................................................................................................... 11 2.4 Impact magnitude .................................................................................................................................. 11 2.5 Assumptions and limitations to assessment ............................................................................... 12 3 Assessment of policies ................................................................................................ 18 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 18 3.2 SP 1 Spatial Strategy for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead .................... 18 3.3 SP 2 Community Led Development ............................................................................................... 19 3.4 SP 3 Design .............................................................................................................................................. 19 3.5 SP 4 Townscape and Landscape ................................................................................................... 20 3.6 SP 5 River Thames Corridor ............................................................................................................. 20 3.7 SP 6 Development in the Green Belt ............................................................................................. 21 3.8 SP 7 Countryside character ............................................................................................................... 21 3.9 HO 1 Housing Development Sites ................................................................................................... 22 3.10 HO 2 Meeting housing need .............................................................................................................. 22 3.11 HO 3 Affordable Housing .................................................................................................................. 23 3.12 HO 4 Gypsies and Travellers ............................................................................................................ 23 3.13 HO 5 Housing layout and design .................................................................................................... 24 3.14 HO 6 Density and Amenity ............................................................................................................... 24 3.15 HO 7 Sub Division of Dwellings ...................................................................................................... 25 3.16 HO 8 Development involving residential gardens ................................................................... 26 3.17 HO 9 Extensions and outbuildings in residential curtilages ................................................ 26 3.18 ED 1 Economic Development ............................................................................................................ 27 3.19 ED 2 Defined Employment Sites ..................................................................................................... 27 3.20 ED 3 Other sites and loss of employment floorspace ........................................................... 28 3.21 TR 1 Hierarchy of centres .................................................................................................................. 28 3.22 TR 2 Windsor town centre ................................................................................................................ 29 3.23 TR 3 Maidenhead town centre ........................................................................................................ 29 3.24 TR 4 District centres ........................................................................................................................... 30 3.25 TR 5 Local centres ............................................................................................................................... 30 3.26 TR 6 Strengthening the Role of centres ....................................................................................... 31 3.27 TR 7 Shops and parades outside of defined centres ............................................................. 32 3.28 TR 8 Markets .......................................................................................................................................... 32 3.29 VT 1 Visitor Development .................................................................................................................