Clydeplan (Glasgow and Clyde Valley Strategic Development Planning Authority) Forestry and Woodland Strategy for the Glasgow City Region x SEA Environmental Report Final report Prepared by LUC August 2020 Clydeplan (Glasgow and Clyde Valley Strategic Development Planning Authority) Forestry and Woodland Strategy for the Glasgow City Region SEA Environmental Report Version Status Prepared Checked Approved Date 1. Final draft E Hynes S Orr S Orr 28.08.2020 S Underwood Bristol Land Use Consultants Ltd Landscape Design Edinburgh Registered in England Strategic Planning & Assessment Glasgow Registered number 2549296 Development Planning London Registered office: Urban Design & Masterplanning Manchester 250 Waterloo Road Environmental Impact Assessment London SE1 8RD Landscape Planning & Assessment landuse.co.uk Landscape Management 100% recycled paper Ecology Historic Environment GIS & Visualisation Contents Forestry and Woodland Strategy for Glasgow City Region August 2020 Contents Chapter 1 Chapter 6 Introduction 1 Mitigation and Enhancement 89 Purpose of the Environmental Report 1 Introduction 89 Introducing the Forestry and Woodland Strategy for the Recommendations 89 Glasgow City Region 2 Chapter 7 Chapter 2 Monitoring 91 Relationship with Other Plans, Programmes or Strategies (PPS) 11 Chapter 8 Introduction 11 Next Steps 94 Policy Relationships of the Forestry and Woodland Strategy for the Glasgow City Region 11 National Policy Context 17 Appendix A Regional Policy Context 23 Collated Aims, Objectives and Policies Chapter 3 Appendix B Environmental Baseline 24 Relationship with Other Plans, Programmes and Strategies (PPS) and Introduction 24 Baseline Maps Relevant Aspects of the Current State of the Environment 24 Summary of Environmental Issues 26 Appendix C Assessment Matrices Chapter 4 SEA Methodology 49 Introduction 49 Framework for Assessing Environmental Effects 49 Assessment of Alternatives 52 Summary of Effects of Alternatives 55 Assessment of Alternatives 57 Chapter 5 Assessment of Environmental Effects 61 Introduction 61 Assessment findings 61 Summary of Effects by SEA Topic 62 Assessment of Alternatives 83 Cumulative, Secondary and Synergistic Effects 86 LUC I i Non-Technical Summary also distinguishes between effects arising directly from the Introduction to the Draft Clydeplan Forestry Draft Corporate Plan and any ‘secondary’ effects, which would and Woodland Strategy indirectly impact on the environment. The draft Clydeplan Forestry and Woodland Strategy (hereafter referred to as the draft CFWS) is intended to set out Which reasonable alternatives have been a long-term spatial and policy framework that will broadly considered? define the scope, nature and extent of woodland expansion The assessment considers the strategy framework set out across the Glasgow and Clyde Valley city-region, and it will within the draft CFWS, and the spatial priorities for woodland establish policies for management of new and existing expansion. The consideration of alternatives has focused on woodland assets. four different levels of woodland expansion. These The draft CFWS updates the existing Glasgow and the Clyde alternatives are focused on low, moderate, and high levels of Valley Forestry and Woodland Strategy which was prepared in expansion, with a fourth scenario based on the broad 2016 to support the Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Strategic environmental capacity of the area to support woodland Development Plan (SDP2 approved in 2017). The updated expansion. Glasgow and Clyde Valley Forestry and Woodland Strategy reflects changes in the use of peat data in informing the What are the key environmental challenges Strategy, alongside other policy and data updates. relevant to the Draft Clydeplan FWS? The draft CFWS comprises a vision statement, and a spatial Schedule 3 of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act framework defining areas with potential to accommodate 2005 requires that the Environmental Report includes a woodland expansion, and areas with significant sensitivities. It description of “the relevant aspects of the current state of the also defines key spatial and strategic policies environment and the likely evolution thereof without implementation of the plan or programme” and “the What is Strategic Environmental environmental characteristics of the area likely to be Assessment? significantly affected”. The following paragraphs summarise the environmental context of the Strategy. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a way of considering the environment when preparing public plans, The Clydeplan area has a number of internationally and programmes and strategies. It identifies potential significant nationally designated sites for their ecological or landscape environmental effects and, where necessary, describes how value. This includes a number of active and degraded raised these effects can be avoided or reduced. Through bog Special Areas of Conservation, the Muirkirk and North consultation, SEA also provides an opportunity for the public Lowther uplands Special Protection Area (SPA), the Inner to express their views on proposed policies and their potential Clyde SPA, Slamannan Plateau SPA, Renfrewshire Heights environmental impacts. In this case, SEA is being used to SPA, Black Cart SPA, Loch Lomond SPA and Westwater assess the likely environmental effects of the Draft Clydeplan SPA. The Inner Clyde, Loch Lomond and Westwater sites are Forestry and Woodland Strategy. also designated as Ramsar sites. The Clydeplan area also includes a significant resource of ancient or semi natural How was the Strategic Environmental woodland which have high biodiversity value. However there Assessment undertaken? has been a decline in woodland cover within Clydeplan from the construction of new wind farms, which results in a loss of SEA is an assessment of the likely significant environmental biodiversity. effects of the Draft Clydeplan Forestry and Woodland Strategy and the alternatives to it. The Environmental Report considers There are key issues with inequality within the Clydeplan area. the environmental effects of the policy framework of the draft This includes lower life expectancy and mortality, issues with CFWS and the spatial distribution of woodland expansion. substance abuse and low levels of active travel. The area also performs worse than the national average in relation to The assessment identifies positive and negative health, the economy, crime and environmental quality. environmental effects and the significance of these; considers However the number of people living in the 15% most ‘access whether they would be temporary or permanent; and, notes deprived’ areas is statistically significantly better than the where they would arise in the short, medium or long term. It national average. LUC I ii Non-Technical Summary Clydeplan Forestry and Woodland Strategy July 2020 The distribution of vacant and derelict land within Clydeplan The Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park lies on the shows high concentrations within the main urban areas, with a periphery of the Clydeplan area. The Clydeplan area includes number of larger sites within North Lanarkshire and Glasgow several extensive areas of local landscape designations, City. The agricultural land classification for the Clydeplan area particularly in the north and southwest, and the northern hills shows the majority of the land is rough grazing. Carbon rich in West Dumbartonshire and North Lanarkshire. There are soils are located predominantly to the south, the south several Geological Review Sites within the Glasgow and western fringe and the northern hills of the Clydeplan area. Clyde Valley boundary, and one wild land area within Significant impacts to the Clydeplan area are associated with Muirshiel Country Park. soil sealing, decrease in biodiversity, acidification and eutrophication through pollution. Leaching is also a problem Which existing environmental protection as the Clydeplan area is exposed to wetter than average objectives are relevant? conditions. Environmental protection objectives relating to biodiversity, There are 13 sizeable potential vulnerable areas (PVAs) within flora and fauna aim to protect habitats and species from the Clydeplan area. These areas coincide with main damage and disturbance, by identifying areas of particular settlements. Water quality is an issue within the Clydeplan value such as designated sites. These policies define a area, particularly in the main urban area. Diffuse source hierarchy of protection, from the international to local level. pollution is a particular problem across large parts of the The strategy seeks to expand habitat networks to bring Clydeplan area. Coastal flooding poses a threat to areas biodiversity net gain. Population and health objectives centre adjacent to the coast and the River Clyde through to the city on environmental quality associated with provision of centre. Fluvial flooding poses a threat particularly within the greenspace, access to the outdoors, pollution control and built up areas, but also along most of the main river corridors. sustainable transport. Greenhouse gas emissions contribute to climate change, and Soil objectives recognise the importance of soil resources and the main sources of human derived greenhouse gases include seek to avoid adverse impacts on soil and valuable soil energy generation, transportation, domestic, industrial, resources such as prime agricultural land and carbon rich business and agricultural processes. Ambitious targets have soils. Objectives