St Ives Area Neighbourhood Development Plan Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report June 2014 St Ives Area NDP Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report 2014 Contents 1. Introduction 2. Process Summary 3. St Ives Area Neighbourhood Development Plan: Scope 4. Environmental, social and economic baseline Information for St Ives Area 5. Draft Sustainability Objectives List of Maps Map 1 St Ives Parish Map 2 Sites of Special Scientific Interest Map 3 Cornwall Biodiversity Action Plan Priority Project Areas Map 4 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Areas of Great Landscape Value Map 5 Landscape Character Map 5 Historic Landscape Character Map 7 Flood Risk Zones St Ives Map 8 Flood Risk Zones Carbis Bay Map 9 Flood Risk Zones Lelant Map 10 Shoreline Management Map 11 Tidal Extremes Map 12 Combined Indices of Multiple Deprivation Map 13 Recycling Centre at St Erth Map 14 Soil Landscapes Map 15 Agricultural Land Classification Map 16 Listed Buildings St Ives and Carbis Bay Map 17 Listed Buildings Lelant Map 18 Conservation Areas Map 19 St Ives Car Parks Map 20 Traffic Sensitivity Areas Map 21 Public Rights of Way St Ives and Carbis Bay Map 22 Public Rights of Way Carbis Bay and Lelant 2 St Ives Area NDP Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report 2014 1. Introduction This is the Scoping Report for the St Ives Area NDP Sustainability Appraisal (SA). The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 introduced a requirement to carry out Sustainability Appraisal (SA) as an integral part of preparing local development documents. Regulation 19(5) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires authorities which are responsible for preparing the plans covered by the Act to “(a) carry out an appraisal of the sustainability of the proposals in each document; [and] (b) prepare a report of the findings of the appraisal”. Regulation 18(5) defines this process as Sustainability Appraisal (SA). The purpose of Sustainability Appraisal is “to promote sustainable development through better integration of sustainability considerations into the preparation and adoption of plans. [It is] an iterative process that identifies and reports on the likely significant effects of the plan and the extent to which the implementation of the plan will achieve the social, environment and economic objectives by which sustainable development can be defined” (ODPM, 2004) The Department of Communities and Local Government have advised that a separate SA of Neighbourhood Plans is not always required. However, Cornwall Council recommend that a ‘Sustainability Checklist’ is completed by towns and parishes producing Neighbourhood Plans as a minimum. St Ives Area Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) Group are therefore producing a SA to comply with this Sustainability Checklist and the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 20041. St Ives Parish consists of four main settlements – St Ives, Carbis Bay, Lelant and Halsetown (see Map 1 overleaf). This Scoping Report covers environmental, social and economic issues affecting the whole parish. The SA Scoping Report of the St Ives Area NDP has used a similar methodology and approach to the emerging Cornwall Local Plan, to ensure consistency of the appraisal. As the St Ives Area NDP has community-led development at its heart, the Scoping Report has been prepared by the NDP Steering Group, with advice from a Planning Aid SA consultant. 1 Which transpose the requirements of the European Directive 2001/42/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment. 3 St Ives Area NDP Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report 2014 4 St Ives Area NDP Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report 2014 2. Process Summary This report sets out the process and outcomes of the scoping stage of the sustainability appraisal process for the St Ives Area NDP. Sustainable development aims to balance the present need for development and growth against the need to protect the natural and built environment without compromising the needs of future generations. The purpose of Sustainability Appraisal is to promote sustainable development in the preparation of development plan documents. The Government advocates a five-stage approach, as detailed below. This incorporates the requirements of the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive. Stage 1: Setting the context and objectives, establishing the baseline and deciding on the scope Identify other relevant plans, programmes and sustainability objectives Collect baseline information Identify sustainability issues Developing the SA Framework Testing the scoping report objectives against each other Consulting on the scope of the SA Stage 2: Testing the plan objectives against the Sustainability Appraisal framework, developing and refining options, predicting and assessing effects Stage 3: Documenting the appraisal process Stage 4: Consulting on the plan and the Sustainability Appraisal report Stage 5: Monitoring the implementation of the plan This Scoping Report documents the findings from Stage 1 of the SA process. A framework has been adapted from the SA for the Cornwall Local Plan, presented in Section 4 of this report. 5 St Ives Area NDP Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report 2014 Consultation on this Scoping Report will be carried out in accordance with the regulations. The three statutory bodies will be consulted: English Heritage Natural England Environment Agency In addition, Cornwall Council will also be consulted. Full public consultation is not necessary at this stage of the SA process, but this Scoping Report is being publicised alongside consultation on our preferred policy options and is available on the St Ives Area NDP website. The full SA Report will be consulted on along with the draft NDP in late 2014. The SA is following guidance set out in Sustainability Appraisal: Neighbourhood ‘Development Plans and Neighbourhood Development Orders’ by Cornwall Council 2013; and the ‘DIY SA for Neighbourhood Plans’ by Levett-Therivel consultants. 3. St Ives Area Neighbourhood Development Plan: scope At the time of writing the SA Scoping Report, St Ives Area NDP is at draft proposed policy option stage. Sixty one proposed policy options are being put forward for community consultation, to be refined into draft policies for the final NDP report. Proposed policy options and allocations have been drawn up with full reference to the emerging Cornwall Local Plan, so as to complement and enhance the policies contained therein. Proposed policy options cover housing, built environment (particularly public spaces), open and green spaces, local economic development, amenities and facilities, transport and culture and heritage. Allocations are being proposed for housing, amenities and facilities, protected open spaces and economic development sites. Housing policy options focus largely on encouraging development that provides primary residence, affordable housing to local people and that is accompanied by infrastructural improvements. Site allocations are also proposed, within the Cornwall Council Framework areas. 6 St Ives Area NDP Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report 2014 Built environment policy is aimed more at public buildings and spaces within the settlements in the parish, ensuring that development respects the distinctive and historic character of the towns. Eight open spaces are proposed for protection from any future development, and protection for countryside, especially trees, hedgerows and Cornish hedges is provided for. Potential sites for economic development, including light industrial expansion and live-work units are proposed around the parish. Renewable energy schemes are supported. Transport policy options identify types of proposals that will be supported by St Ives Area NDP, namely those that provide viable transport options and help to ease traffic flows within town centres and around the parish. Three sites are proposed for new community amenities and facilities. Cultural and heritage buildings are listed for protection, with St Ives Community Land Trust given first refusal on the purchase of community buildings. The specific policies in the Cornwall Local Plan that are supported by the St Ives Area NDP are: Policy 2: Key Targets and Spatial Strategy – particularly in the areas of job provision; employment floorspace provision; increased renewable energy capacity; new home provision. Policy 3: Role and Function of Place – particularly in the areas of site allocations for housing; infill for the purposes of residential development; preference for brownfield development sites. Policy 6: Housing Mix – particularly in the area of affordable housing provision. Policy 8: Affordable Housing – 50% provision. Policy 9: Affordable Housing Led Schemes – particularly in relation to Exceptions sites. Policy 13: Design – particularly relating to character, layout, scale, density, height and mass. Providing for development ‘with a clear understanding and response to its landscape, seascape and townscape setting’. 7 St Ives Area NDP Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report 2014 Policy 14: Development Standards – provision in development for open spaces, off-street parking, cycle parking; avoidance of adverse environmental impacts such as dust, noise and odour during construction. Policy 15: Renewable and Low Carbon Energy – to support renewable and low carbon energy generation proposals. Policy 17: Health and Well-being – maximise the opportunity for physical activity through the use of indoor and outdoor sports and leisure facilities.