Revised Local 2018-2033 Development Plan DepositDeposit PlanPlan Sustainability Appraisal / Sustainability Appraisal Environmental Strategic (SA/SEA) Assessment Sustainability Appraisal / Sustainability Appraisal Environmental Strategic (SA/SEA) Assessment January 2020 Contents 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Legislative Requirements ............................................................................................ 1 1.2 SA and the LDP Process ............................................................................................. 2 1.3 How the Council has complied with the Regulations .................................................... 3 Stage A .......................................................................................................................... 3 Stage B .......................................................................................................................... 3 Stage C .......................................................................................................................... 4 1.4 Links to Other Strategies and Assessments ................................................................ 4 Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 ...................................................... 4 Health Impact Assessment (HIA) ................................................................................... 5 Welsh Language ............................................................................................................ 5 The Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) ................................................................ 6 2. Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 7 2.1 Approach ..................................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Undertaking the SA ..................................................................................................... 7 2.3 The Sustainability Framework ...................................................................................... 7 2.4 Determining Effect Significance ................................................................................... 8 2.5 Timescales .................................................................................................................. 8 2.6 Baseline Scenario ...................................................................................................... 10 2.7 Impact Matrices ......................................................................................................... 10 3. Relevant Plans, Policies and Programmes ...................................................................... 11 3.1 International Summary ............................................................................................... 11 3.2 National Summary ..................................................................................................... 12 3.3 Local Summary.......................................................................................................... 12 4. Baseline Environmental Conditions and Predicted Effects without Implementation of the LDP. .................................................................................................................................... 14 5. Sustainability Appraisal of the Preferred Strategy ........................................................... 17 5.1 What the SA has appraised to date ........................................................................... 17 5.2 Details of the process ................................................................................................ 17 5.3 SA of the Preferred Strategy LDP Vision ................................................................... 18 5.4 SA of the Preferred Strategy LDP Objectives ............................................................ 18 5.5 SA of the Preferred Strategy Growth Options ............................................................ 20 5.6 SA of the Preferred Strategy Spatial Options ............................................................. 23 Hybrid Option – Balanced Community and Sustainable Growth ................................... 27 5.7 SA of Preferred Strategy Strategic Policies ................................................................ 28 5.8 Uncertainties and Difficulties of SA during the Preferred Strategy Stage ................... 30 5.9 Summary of Initial SA of Preferred Strategy and Recommendations ......................... 30 6. Sustainability Appraisal of the rLDP Deposit Plan ........................................................... 32 6.1 SA of Deposit Plan Vision and Strategic Objectives ................................................... 32 6.2 SA of the Preferred Growth Strategy ......................................................................... 33 6.3 SA of the Preferred Spatial Option ............................................................................. 35 6.4 SA of the Strategic Policies ....................................................................................... 35 6.5 Mitigation and SA Recommendations – Strategic Policies ......................................... 37 6.6 SA of the Specific Policies ......................................................................................... 39 6.7 Mitigation and SA Recommendations – Specific Policies ........................................... 42 6.8 SA of Proposed Allocations ....................................................................................... 46 Appraisal Methodology................................................................................................. 46 7. Summary of the Sustainability Impacts of the Deposit LDP ............................................. 59 8. Monitoring ....................................................................................................................... 59 9 Consultation and Next Steps ............................................................................................ 63 1. Introduction 1.0.1 This document is the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) Report, consisting of the joint Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), of Carmarthenshire Council’s Deposit Revised Local Development Plan (rLDP).The SA/SEA is a combined process which meets both the regulatory requirements for SEA and SA. The revised Carmarthenshire Local Development Plan is a land use plan which outlines the location and quantity of development within Carmarthenshire for a 15 year period. 1.0.2 The purpose of the SA is to identify any likely significant economic, environmental and social effects of the LDP, and to suggest relevant mitigation measures. This process integrates sustainability considerations into all stages of LDP preparation, and promotes sustainable development. This fosters a more inclusive and transparent process of producing a LDP, and helps to ensure that the LDP is integrated with other policies. This combined process is hereafter referred to as the SA. This Report accompanies, and should be read in conjunction with, the Deposit LDP. 1.0.3 The geographical scope of this assessment covers the whole of the County of Carmarthenshire, however also considers cross-boundary effects with the neighbouring local authorities of Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Swansea. The LDP is intended to apply until 2033 following its publication. This timescale has been reflected in the SA. 1.1 Legislative Requirements 1.1.1 The completion of an SA is a statutory requirement for Local Development Plans under Section 62(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 20041, the Town and Country Planning (LDP) (Wales) Regulations 20052 and associated guidance. 1.1.2 The European SEA Directive 20013 has been transposed into law in Wales by The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes (Wales) Regulations 20044 (the Regulations) which sets out a mandatory requirement to carry out SEA on all development plans. The Directive sets out a legal assessment process that must be followed. Welsh Government Guidance on the Preparation of Local Development Plans identifies that a Sustainability Appraisal must integrate the requirements of the Strategic Environmental Assessment Regulations. 1.1.3 The SA process considers how the four components of sustainable development (economic, social well-being, environmental protection/enhancement and resource conservation) are integrated into a plan. The SEA process focuses solely on the environmental impacts of a plan, including the built environment and the effect on local populations and health. 1.1.4 Planning Policy Wales5 (PPW) stresses the presumption in favour of sustainable development and that LPAs should ensure that the plan and proposals deliver sustainable development. The SA is an integral part of good plan making and is an iterative process, which identifies and reports on significant effects of the Plan and demonstrates that the LDP is sound by ensuring that it reflects sustainable development objectives. It thereby contributes to the reasoned justification of policies. 1 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/5/contents 2 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2005/2839/contents/made 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32001L0042 4 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2004/1656/made 5 https://gov.wales/planning-policy-wales