Essex County Council and Southend-on-Sea Borough Council Replacement Waste Local Plan: Pre-Submission 2016 Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment Environmental Report: Annex B – Baseline Information February 2016 SA/SEA Environmental Report: Annex B – February 2016 Place Services at Essex County Council SA/SEA Environmental Report: Annex B – February 2016 Contents 1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1. Background ....................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Sustainability Baseline Information ................................................................................................... 1 2. Waste ......................................................................................................................................................... 2 2.1. Recycling Centres for Household Waste (RCHWs) .......................................................................... 2 2.2. Local Authority Collected Waste (LACW) ......................................................................................... 2 2.3. Transfer Facilities .............................................................................................................................. 2 2.4. Materials Recovery Facilities ............................................................................................................ 4 2.5. Biological Treatment Facilities .......................................................................................................... 4 2.6. Energy from Waste Facilities ............................................................................................................ 5 2.7. Landfill / Waste Disposal ................................................................................................................... 5 2.8. Construction, Demolition and Excavation Waste .............................................................................. 6 2.9. Inert Landfill Current Capacity ........................................................................................................... 7 2.10. Hazardous Waste .............................................................................................................................. 8 2.11. Healthcare Waste .............................................................................................................................. 8 2.12. Radioactive Waste ............................................................................................................................ 8 2.12.1. Nuclear Waste .......................................................................................................................... 9 2.13. Agricultural Waste & Farm Based Waste Management .................................................................... 9 2.14. Existing Waste Facilities in Southend ............................................................................................... 9 2.15. Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 10 3. Minerals ................................................................................................................................................... 12 3.1. Links to the Adopted Minerals Local Plan 2014 .............................................................................. 12 3.2. Sand and Gravel ............................................................................................................................. 12 3.3. Silica Sand ...................................................................................................................................... 13 3.4. Brickearth and Brick Clay ................................................................................................................ 13 3.5. Chalk ............................................................................................................................................... 13 3.6. Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 13 4. Biodiversity............................................................................................................................................. 15 4.1. Flora and Fauna .............................................................................................................................. 15 4.2. Designated Sites ............................................................................................................................. 15 4.2.1. International Designations – Ramsar Sites ............................................................................ 15 4.2.2. Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas for Conservation (SACs) ..................... 15 4.2.3. Sites of Specific Scientific Interest.......................................................................................... 16 4.2.4. National Nature Reserves ...................................................................................................... 17 4.2.5. Local Nature Reserves ........................................................................................................... 17 4.2.6. Local Wildlife Sites.................................................................................................................. 17 4.2.7. Woodlands .............................................................................................................................. 17 4.3. Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 18 5. Landscapes ............................................................................................................................................ 20 5.1. Landscape Character Areas (LCAs) ............................................................................................... 20 5.2. Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty .............................................................................................. 22 5.3. Green Belt ....................................................................................................................................... 22 5.4. Protected Lanes .............................................................................................................................. 23 5.5. Special Verges ................................................................................................................................ 24 5.6. Agricultural Land Classification ....................................................................................................... 24 5.7. Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 25 6. Population and Social ........................................................................................................................... 27 6.1. Population ....................................................................................................................................... 27 6.1.1. Population Structure ............................................................................................................... 27 6.1.2. Population Change ................................................................................................................. 27 6.1.3. Population Projections by ONS .............................................................................................. 28 6.1.4. Household Projections ............................................................................................................ 28 6.2. Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 30 7. Air Quality and Noise ............................................................................................................................. 31 7.1. National Air Quality Standards ........................................................................................................ 31 7.2. Air Quality Management Areas ....................................................................................................... 33 Place Services at Essex County Council SA/SEA Environmental Report: Annex B – February 2016 7.3. Air pollution ...................................................................................................................................... 34 7.4. Ambient Noise ................................................................................................................................. 35 7.5. Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 39 8. Climatic Factors ..................................................................................................................................... 40 8.1. Climate Change Projections ............................................................................................................ 40 8.2. Total Energy Consumption .............................................................................................................. 40 8.3. Carbon