Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report Local Development Plan 2032 - Draft Plan Strategy Have your say Making a Representation to the draft Plan Strategy The draft Plan Strategy provides the strategic direction for the Council area over a 15-year period, which will be reviewed following adoption of the Local Policies Plan. Regulation 16 of the Local Development Plan (LDP) Regulations 2015 states that any person may make representations about the draft Plan Strategy document. The Council is conducting a 13-week period of consultation on the draft Plan Strategy from 11 October 2019 - 10 January 2020. Whilst the formal (statutory) period for consultation is eight weeks, the council is adding an additional week to allow for the Christmas period. Formal Consultation The draft Plan Strategy will be published for formal consultation on Friday 8th November 2019 closing at 5pm on Friday 10th January 2020. Please note that representations received after the closing date on 10th January 2020 will not be considered. The Department for Infrastructure Development Plan Practice Note 09 ‘Submission and Handling of Representations’, sets out the following requirements for the submission of any representation to the draft Plan Strategy. In accordance with best practice, your representation: . must be submitted in full during the public consultation period . should demonstrate why the draft Plan Strategy is not sound and/or justify how any proposed changes make the draft Plan Strategy more sound . should demonstrate how any proposed change(s) meet the requirements of the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and is more appropriate in terms of meeting the sustainability objectives of the draft Plan Strategy. The main test for the Plan Strategy is soundness which is assessed at Independent Examination (see the Department for Infrastructure’s Development Plan Practice Note 06 Soundness). It involves testing the principles, content and preparation process of the draft Plan Strategy against a list of key criteria. When telling us of any changes that should be made to the Plan Strategy to make it more sound, you must take into account the tests of soundness. Please indicate if you would like your representation to be dealt with at Independent Examination as a written or oral representation. You can make a representation in the following ways: Online: . the online survey to the draft Plan Strategy and online survey to the Sustainability Appraisal incorporating Strategic Environmental Assessment, Draft Habitats Regulations Assessment, Section 75 Equality Impact Screening Report and Rural Needs Impact Assessment are available on the Council’s website at www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk following commencement of the formal consultation period. By email: . the above forms are also available on the Council’s website which can be returned by email to [email protected] following commencement of the formal consultation period. By mail: Write to us at: Local Development Plan Team Civic Headquarters, Lagan Valley Island, Lisburn, BT27 4RL Page i October 2019 Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report Local Development Plan 2032 - Draft Plan Strategy This page has been intentionally left blank. Page ii October 2019 Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report Local Development Plan 2032 - Draft Plan Strategy Overview What is the purpose of the Local Development Plan? The main purpose of the Local Development Plan (LDP) is to inform the general public, statutory developers and other interested parties of the policy framework and land use proposals that will guide decisions on planning applications for development in Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council until 2030. The Plan will aim to provide sufficient land to meet anticipated needs for housing, employment, and services, all supported by adequate infrastructure, over the Plan period. It will also seek to ensure that all new development is of high quality and located in suitable places - which themselves should be enhanced by the development. A ‘suitable place’ will generally be a location where the development proposal can help meet economic and social needs without compromising the quality of the environment. This is often referred to as ‘sustainable development’ which has been defined as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. In seeking to deliver sustainable development, the Plan will serve to implement the regional direction set out in the Regional Development Strategy (RDS), Sustainable Development Strategy and other central government initiatives. What is Sustainability Appraisal? A Sustainability Appraisal is being carried out alongside preparation of the Lisburn and Castlereagh Local Development Plan. Local Planning Authorities such as Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council use Sustainability Appraisal to assess plans against a set of Sustainability Objectives developed in consultation with consultees. This assessment helps the Council to identify the relative environmental, social and economic performance of possible strategic, policy and site options, and to evaluate which of these may be more sustainable. Sustainability Appraisal is a statutory process incorporating the requirements of the European Union Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive. What is the purpose of this document? The purpose of this Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report is to: . Identify other policies, plans, programmes and Sustainability Objectives of relevance to the Local Development Plan. Collect baseline information about the environmental, social and economic conditions in the Council area, and consider how these might change in the future. Identify sustainability issues and challenges which could affect or be addressed by the Local Development Plan. Develop the Sustainability Appraisal Framework, consisting of Sustainability Objectives and Appraisal prompts which will form the basis for assessment of the Local Development Plan. Consult on the scope and method of the Sustainability Appraisal. Page iii October 2019 Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report Local Development Plan 2032 - Draft Plan Strategy Sustainability Objectives for Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Local Development Plan The objectives for sustainable development for Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council are to… 1. improve health and wellbeing. 2. strengthen society 3. provide good quality, sustainable housing. 4. enable access to high quality education 5. enable sustainable economic growth. 6. manage material assets sustainably. 7. protect physical resources and use sustainably. 8. encourage active and sustainable travel. 9. improve air quality. 10. reduce causes of and adapt to climate change. 11. protect, manage and use water resources sustainably. 12. protect natural resources and enhance biodiversity. 13. maintain and enhance landscape character. 14. protect, conserve and enhance the historic environment and cultural heritage. Page iv October 2019 Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report Local Development Plan 2032 - Draft Plan Strategy LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................................................... VII 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Purpose of this Scoping Report ............................................................................................... 1 1.2 Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Local Development Plan .................................................. 1 1.3 Sustainable Development ........................................................................................................ 1 1.4 Strategic Environmental Assessment ...................................................................................... 2 1.5 Integrated Sustainability Appraisal .......................................................................................... 2 1.6 Stages in Sustainability Appraisal ............................................................................................ 2 1.7 Other Assessments .................................................................................................................. 3 1.8 Scoping Report Structure ........................................................................................................ 4 2. SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL: THE APPROACH .................................................................................... 5 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 5 2.2 Principles ................................................................................................................................. 5 2.3 Involving Others ...................................................................................................................... 5 2.4 The Evidence base ................................................................................................................... 6 2.5 The Sustainability Appraisal Framework .................................................................................. 6 2.6 Significant Effects .................................................................................................................... 6 2.7 Assessment Method ................................................................................................................ 6 2.8 Appraisal of options and reasonable