Local Transport 3: Strategic Environmental Assessment – Environmental Report: Non technical summary REDCAR AND CLEVELAND’S NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY Page 1 of 31 Local Transport 3: Strategic Environmental Assessment – Environmental Report: Non technical summary REDCAR AND CLEVELAND’S LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN 2011 – 2021 STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA) ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT: Non Technical Summary Document: Local Transport Plan 3 – Strategic Environmental Assessment Environmental Report: Non technical summary Prepared by: Paul Taylor, Environmental Sustainability Specialist Revisions approved: Approved by: Date: 27 th August 2010 Page 2 of 31 Local Transport 3: Strategic Environmental Assessment – Environmental Report: Non technical summary TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page 1. Introduction 4 2. Relevant Plans, Programmes and Objectives 9 3. Key Environmental and Sustainability Issues 13 4. SEA Objectives 21 5. Findings of the SEA Assessment 23 6. Incorporating results of the SEA into the LTP 25 7. Conclusion 30 Page 3 of 31 Local Transport 3: Strategic Environmental Assessment – Environmental Report: Non technical summary 1. Introduction This summary of the Environmental Report has been produced as part of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council’s third round Local Transport Plan (LTP3) 2011 – 2021. 1.1. The Redcar and Cleveland Local Transport Plan (LTP) 2011 - 2021 Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is a Unitary Authority. It is therefore statutorily required, under the Transport Act 2000, to produce a Local Transport Plan (LTP). The LTP3 will set out how the Council intends to invest Government funding in transport within Redcar and Cleveland for the duration of the plans’ implementation period and presents the aims, objectives and policies for delivering improvements to the authorities transportation system over the next 10 to 15 years. The LTP process commenced in Autumn 2009 for completion in March 2011. 1.2. What is Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) It is a legal requirement that, under the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004, all spatial plans and programmes have to undergo a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), which is ‘the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment’ (the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive). The objectives of the SEA Directive, as set out in Article 1, are ‘ to provide a high level of protection to the environment and to contribute to the integration of environmental considerations into the preparation and adoption of plans and programmes with a view to promoting sustainable development’ The most widely used and globally recognised definition of sustainable development is that drawn up by the World Commission on Environment and Development (1987): "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." The Government published ‘Securing the Future’, its Sustainable Development Strategy’ in 2005, reaffirming the commitment of the UK to improving performance on sustainable development. The strategy contained: a new integrated vision building on the 1999 strategy – with stronger international and societal dimensions five principles – with a more explicit focus on environmental limits four agreed priorities – sustainable consumption and production, climate change, natural resource protection and sustainable communities, and The five guiding principles that bring together and build on the various previously existing UK principles, setting out an overarching approach include: Living within Environmental Limits Ensuring a Strong, Healthy and Just Society Page 4 of 31 Local Transport 3: Strategic Environmental Assessment – Environmental Report: Non technical summary Achieving a Sustainable Economy Promoting Good Governance Using Sound Science Responsibly The document also sets four new priorities for action: Sustainable Consumption and Production – achieving more with less Climate Change and Energy – minimising release of greenhouse gases and planning for the effects of climate change Natural Resource Protection and Environmental Enhancement environmental limits, environmental enhancement and recovery Sustainable Communities -sustainable communities that embody the principles of sustainable development at the local level The SEA Directive prescribes that plans and programmes that are subject to an Environmental Assessment are those which: Are likely to have significant environmental effects Are prepared for agriculture, forestry, fisheries, energy, industry, transport, waste management, water management, telecommunications, tourism, town and country planning or land use and which set the framework for future development consent of projects requiring an EIA or require an ‘appropriate assessment’ in accordance to the Habitats Directive. Are subject to preparation and/or adoption by an authority at national, regional or local level or which are prepared by an authority for adoption, through a legislative procedure by Parliament or Government, and which are required by legislative, regulatory or administrative provisions. Local Transport Plans fall under this definition as requiring a Strategic Environmental Assessment. 1.3. What does an SEA involve? There are five key stages under SEA: Stage A: Setting the Context and Establishing the Baseline: Proposal of SEA objectives Proposal of SEA indicators and collection of baseline data Identification of environmental and sustainability problems Identify other plans and programmes and environmental protection objectives relevant to the LTP Consult with authorities with environmental responsibilities on scope of SEA Stage B: Deciding on the Scope of the SEA and Developing Strategic Alternatives: Test the LTP objectives against the SEA objectives Appraising strategic alternatives Predict the effects of implementing the LTP on the objectives of sustainable development Use significance criteria to evaluate the effects of implementing the LTP Page 5 of 31 Local Transport 3: Strategic Environmental Assessment – Environmental Report: Non technical summary Develop measures to mitigate against any adverse effects Proposing measures to monitor the environmental effects of implementing the LTP Stage C: Assessing the Effects of the LTP: Preparing the Draft Environmental Report on the findings of the SEA and make recommendations for improvements to the LTP Stage D: Consulting and Decision Making: Consult with the public, community groups, authorities with environmental responsibilities and other interest parties Incorporate comments received from consultation and finding of the Environmental Report into development of the LTP Assess significant changes to LTP and produce Final Environmental Report Adoption of LTP with a ‘statement’ of how the findings of the SEA were incorporated into the plan. Stage E: Monitoring Implementation of the Plan: Develop aims and methods for monitoring Respond to adverse effects The full requirements of the SEA Directive can be found in Appendix 1 of the Environmental Report. 1.4. Links between SEA and preparation of the LTP The SEA was carried out in parallel to, and integrated with development of, Redcar and Cleveland’s LTP3. It is essential that the SEA and LTP are developed together so that findings from each stage of the SEA can be used to inform the development of the LTP, thus ensuring that it takes the long-term environmental, social and economic implications into consideration from the outset and in retrospect develops objective and policies that will have positive or neutral effects on the objectives of sustainable development. The following flow diagram illustrates how the SEA process and development of the LTP are linked: Page 6 of 31 Local Transport 3: Strategic Environmental Assessment – Environmental Report: Non technical summary Figure 1.1: Links between the SEA process and preparation of the LTP Page 7 of 31 Local Transport 3: Strategic Environmental Assessment – Environmental Report: Non technical summary The Environmental Report contains: A list of relevant plans, programmes and environmental objectives that were identified as being relevant to LTP3 A summary of key environmental and sustainability issues within Redcar and Cleveland The SEA objectives used to assess whether the initiatives of LTP3 are sustainable A summary of the baseline situation and indicators within Redcar and Cleveland A review of the strategic options for development of Redcar and Cleveland’s LTP3 A test of the compatibility of the LTP3 objectives and the SEA objectives Matrices presenting the results of the SEA on LTP3 A summary of how results of the appraisal were taken into consideration how they were incorporated into the LTP The SEA’s conclusion 1.5. What does this non-technical summary contain? This non-technical summary contains: A list of plans, programmes and policies that are relevant to the LTP3 A summary of the key environmental and sustainability issues within the Borough of Redcar & Cleveland The SEA objectives used to assess whether the initiatives of the LTP3 are sustainable Findings of the SEA of the LTP3 Summary of how the findings of the SEA were incorporated into the LTP3 Conclusion Page 8 of 31 Local Transport 3: Strategic Environmental Assessment – Environmental Report: Non technical summary 2. Relevant Plans, Programmes and Objectives 2.1. Identification of Plans and Programmes that