Local Transport Plan 3 Sustainability Appraisal Report Incorporating: Strategic Environmental Assessment, Health Impact Assessment,Habitats Regulations Assessment & Equality Impact Assessment SEPT 2010 1 Contents 1. Overview ....................................................................................... 5 2. Introduction .................................................................................. 6 Purpose of this document ................................................................................. 6 The Local Transport Plan ................................................................................. 6 Associated Documents ..................................................................................... 7 What is Sustainability Appraisal? ..................................................................... 8 New Approach to Appraisal (NATA) and SEA ................................................ 13 Relationship between the LTP & Sustainability Appraisal Stages .................. 16 Methodology ................................................................................................... 16 Stage A: Setting the context and Sustainability Appraisal objectives, establishing the baseline and deciding on the scope .................................... 16 Stage B: Developing and refining options .................................................... 18 Stage C: Appraising the effects of the Draft LTP .......................................... 19 Stage D: Consultation on the LTP and Sustainability Report ........................ 19 Stage E: Monitoring and implementation ...................................................... 20 3. Stage A1: Related Plans and Policies ....................................... 21 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 21 4. Stage A2: Baseline Information ................................................. 24 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 24 Summary of baseline data .............................................................................. 24 Biodiversity, Fauna and Flora ....................................................................... 24 Population and Human Health ...................................................................... 28 Water and Soil .............................................................................................. 41 Air & Noise .................................................................................................... 47 Climatic Factors ............................................................................................ 49 Cultural Heritage and Landscape ................................................................. 50 Social Inclusiveness & Accessibility .............................................................. 55 Economic Development ................................................................................ 61 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 67 Difficulties in collecting data and limitations of the data .................................. 67 5. Stage A3 (Part 1): Issues ............................................................ 69 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 69 Issues ............................................................................................................. 69 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 69 6. Stage A3 (Part 2): Objectives ..................................................... 71 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 71 Objectives ....................................................................................................... 71 1 Testing compatibility of Sustainability Appraisal Objectives ........................... 72 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 73 7. Stage A4: Sustainability Appraisal Framework ........................ 74 8. Stage A4: Sustainability Appraisal Framework Outcome ....... 78 LTP Policy Options Identification .................................................................... 87 9. Habitat Regulations Assessment .............................................. 92 Appendix 1: Related Plans and Policies ............................................ 98 Appendix 2: Quality Assurance ....................................................... 132 Appendix 3: Signed Equality Impact Assessment Forms .............. 135 2 List of tables Table 2-1: Compliance with Health Impact Assessment Guidance ............................... 9 Table 2-2: Equality Impact Assessment Target Groups .................................................. 12 Table 3-1: Summary of related plans and policies ........................................................... 21 Table 4-1: Life expectancy at birth ...................................................................................... 34 Table 4-2: Results of national health survey ..................................................................... 35 Table 4-3: Road collisions and casualties in Cheshire East ........................................... 36 Table 4-4: Britain's persistently higher risk roads (2002-2004 & 2005-2007) .............. 37 Table 4-5: Britain's highest risk roads when collisions involving motorcyclists are removed (2005-2007) ........................................................................................................... 38 Table 4-6: Some Economic Costs of the Impact of Transport on Health .................... 39 Table 4-7: Key stage performance in Cheshire East ....................................................... 39 Table 4-8: NVQ attainment in Cheshire East .................................................................... 39 Table 4-9: Shows the percentage of Cheshire East’s population and their religious beliefs ...................................................................................................................................... 40 Table 4-10: Biological and chemical quality of rivers in Cheshire East ........................ 42 Table 4-11: Methods of travelling to work .......................................................................... 48 Table 4-12: Listed Buildings in Cheshire East .................................................................. 51 Table 4-13: Geological Conservation Review sites in Cheshire East ........................... 54 Table 4-14: Results of the 2007 Index of Deprivation ..................................................... 56 Table 4-15: Assessment of town centres in Cheshire East ............................................ 65 Table 4-16: Tourist Attractions (Pay for entry attractions only) ...................................... 67 Table 5-1: Sustainability issues identified in Cheshire East ........................................... 69 Table 6-1: Sustainability Objectives to be supported and achieved through the Cheshire East LTP ................................................................................................................ 71 Table 6-2: Matrix assessing the compatibility of the identified objectives .................... 72 Table 7-1: Sustainability Appraisal Framework ................................................................ 74 Table 8-1: LTP Policy Impacts on Sustainability Objectives .......................................... 78 Table 8-2: Uncertain impacts of Sustainability Assessment ........................................... 86 Table 9-1: Habitat Regulation Assessment Matrix ........................................................... 92 List of figures Figure 1: NATA Process Steps Grouped by SEA Stages ............................................... 15 Figure 2: East Cheshire East and the Peak National Park ............................................. 23 Figure 3: Environmentally designated sites ...................................................................... 26 Figure 4: Internationally recognised environmental designations in and surrounding Cheshire East ......................................................................................................................... 27 Figure 5: Cheshire East Population Pyramid .................................................................... 28 Figure 6: EuroRAP Risk Assessment................................................................................. 37 Figure 7: Rivers in Cheshire East ....................................................................................... 42 Figure 8: Agricultural land quality across Cheshire East and the surrounding area ... 45 Figure 9: Location of mineral extraction sites in Cheshire East ..................................... 46 Figure 10: Cheshire East: Designated Historic Environment Sites ............................... 53 Figure 11: Access difficulties in Cheshire East ................................................................. 57 Figure 12: Distance from Bus Stop ..................................................................................... 58 Figure 13: Access to GP surgeries ..................................................................................... 59 Figure 14: Access to hospital..............................................................................................