Colchester Borough Council Core Strategy Regulation 26 Consultation Strategic Environmental Assessment And Sustainability Appraisal Environmental Report Prepared for Colchester Borough Council By Essex County Council 2 Contents Page Title Number Non Technical Summary 8-27 Chapter 1 – Methodology 28-33 Methodology 29-33 Introduction to Sustainable Development 29 Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment 29-31 Scope of the Report 31 Methodology Adopted in the SEA 32-33 Chapter 2 – Background 34-36 Background 35-38 Purpose of this Sustainability Appraisal/Strategic Environmental Assessment 35 Colchester Borough Council Draft Core Strategy Regulation 26 Consultation and the 35-38 Objectives Chapter 3 – SEA Objectives, Baseline and Context 40 SEA Objectives and Baseline and Context 40-45 Review of the Plans and Programmes 45 Baseline Characteristics 45-116 Key Trends and Predicting Future Baseline 45-46 Location 46-53 Population 46-53 Housing 54-59 Education and Employment 60-63 Deprivation 64-73 Crime 73-76 Floorspace 77-83 Cultural Heritage and material Assets 84-92 Biodiversity 93-100 Water Quality 101-108 Air Quality 109-116 SEA Objectives and Sustainability Framework 117-128 Assessing the Compatibility of the Objectives 128-131 Chapter 4 – Core Strategy Policy and Options Appraisal 132-222 Significant Social, Environmental and Economic Effects of the Options 133-137 3 Policy with No Options Summary of Appraisal 138-171 Policy Options Appraisal Summary 172-222 Chapter 5 – Secondary, Cumulative and Synergistic Effects 223-225 Secondary, Cumulative and Synergistic Effects 224-225 Chapter 6 - Monitoring Implementation of the Core Strategy 226-236 Monitoring Implementation of the Core Strategy 227-236 Appendices 237-350 Appendix 1 – Review of the Plans and Programmes Appendix 2 - Listed Buildings in the Borough of Colchester Appendix 3 – Archaeological Sites in the Borough of Colchester Appendix 4 – Conservation Areas in the Borough of Colchester Appendix 5 – Historic Assets and Constraints in the Borough of Colchester Appendix 6 – Areas of Flood Risk in the Borough of Colchester Maps Map 1 Illustrating the Location of the Borough of Colchester 46 Map 2 Illustrating the ‘Seriously Deprived’ within the Borough of Colchester 67 Utilising the Indices of Multiple Deprivation in 2004 Map 3 Mersea Road AQMA 114 Graphs Graph 1 Illustrating the Total Population and Projected Population for the Borough 47 Council in 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021 Graph 2 Illustrating the Total Population and Projected Population for Essex 48 County in 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021 Graph 3 Illustrating the 2001 and Projected Percentage Sex Composition of the 49 Borough of Colchester and Essex County Population Graph 4 Illustrating Total Percentage Population in Each Age Cohort Throughout 50 the East of England, Essex County and the Borough of Colchester in 2001 Graph 5 Illustrating the Percentage Marital Status of Persons Aged 16 and Over 52 within the Borough of Colchester, the County of Essex, the East of England Region and England and Wales in 2001 4 Graph 6 Illustrating the Household Composition of Persons within England and 54 Wales, the East of England Region and the Borough 0of Colchester Graph 7 Illustrating Household Dwelling Type within England and Wales, the East 55 of England Region and the Borough of Colchester in 2001 Graph 8 Illustrating the Average Dwelling Price (£’s) within Colchester Borough, 56 the East of England and England and Wales in 2001 Graph 9 Illustrates the Average Gross Income (£) excluding Benefits 58 Graph 10 Illustrating Educational Attainment of Pers0ons Within England and 60 Wales, the East of England Region and the Borough of Colchester in2001 Graph 11 Illustrating the Employment Status of Persons in the Borough of 62 Colchester, Essex County, the East of England Region and England and Wales in 2001 Graph 12 Illustrating the Proportion of Small Areas that are Seriously Deprived on 69 the Domain Scores Graph 13 Illustrating the Health of Persons within England and Wales, the East of 71 England Region and the Borough of Colchester in 2001 Graph 14 Illustrating the Number of Hereditaments in Each Use Class category 77 within the Local Authorities that Comprise the Haven gateway and the Average for the Haven Gateway Graph 15 Illustrating the Haven Gateway Districts and the Haven Gateway Average 78 Thousand meter Squared Floorspace in 2005 Graph 16 Illustrating the rateable Value Per Meter Squared of Floorspace within the 79 Haven Gateway and the Average for the Haven Gateway in 2005 Graph 17 Illustrating the Bid Rent of the Hereditaments in each Use Class Category 80 Throughout the Essex Districts Graph 18 Commercial and Industrial Property Vacancy Statistics 81 Graph 19 Showing the Percentage of Vacant Commercial and Industrial Properties 82 Throughout the Essex Districts and the Essex District Average Graph 20 Percentage of Residential Development on Previously Developed Land in 98 the Borough of Colchester from 2001-2004 Graph 21 Illustrating the Travel to Work Patterns for Persons Aged 16-74 Years 109 within England and Wales, the East of England Region and the Borough of Colchester in 2001 Graph 22 Illustrating the Household Car/Van Ownership within England and Wales, 110 the East of England Region and the Borough of Colchester in 2001 Graphs The Performance of the Policies with No Options Against the SEA 138-169 5 23-32 Objectives Graphs The Performance of the Policy Options Against All The SEA Objectives 172-219 33-43 Tables Table 1 Spatial Objectives of the Core Strategy 36-38 Table 2 List of Plans and Programmes Reviewed 41-44 Table 3 Population Density within the Borough of Colchester, the County of Essex 51 and England and Wales in 2001 Table 4 Demonstrates the Minimum and Average Property Prices or Rents in 57 Colchester in May 2002 Table 5 Illustrates the Number of Full Time Entrants Aged 18-20 Years that have 60-61 Commenced Full Time Higher Education in 1996/97 and 2002/03 Table 6 Illustrates the Large Area Index of Multiple Deprivation Scores for All 65 Districts within Essex Table 7 Shows the Percentage of Small Areas that are Seriously Deprived on 68 each Domain Score for the Borough of Colchester, the County of Essex and the Average for the Essex Districts Table 8 Health Services Currently Available in the Borough of Colchester 72 Table 9 Illustrates the Total Number of Offences Per 1000 Persons of the 74 Population From 2003-2004 Within England and Wales, the East of England Region, Essex County and the Borough of Colchester Table 10 Crime Statistics Per 1000 of the population within Colchester (2004-2005) 75 Table 11 Outlines the Listed Buildings Composition for the Borough of Colchester 84 Table 12 Illustrates the Number of Buildings at Risk in 2003, 2004 and 2005 85-86 Table 13 Illustrates the Total Number of Listed Buildings Removed From the Risk 86-87 Register Table 14 Description of the Countryside Conservation Areas 89-90 Table 15 Population Estimate of EBAP Species 94-95 Table 16 River Quality Targets 102 Table 17 Water Chemistry 103 Table 18 River Biology 104 Table 19 Phosphate and Grade Classification 105 Table 20 Phosphate Classification 105 Table 21 Nitrate Classification Grades 106 Table 22 Nitrate Classification in Colchester 106 Table 23 Travel to Work and Traffic Flows 112-113 Table 24 Sustainability Framework 118-127 Table 25 Illustrates the Inter-Relationships Between the Strategic Alternatives and 134-136 Options with the Spatial Policies Table 26 Outlines the Cumulative, Synergistic and Secondary Effects 225 Table 27 Outlines the SEA Monitoring Framework for the Borough of Colchester 229-236 6 Matrices Matrix 1 Illustrating the Compatibility Appraisal of the SEA Objectives 129 Matrix 2 SEA Objectives Against Colchester Borough Council Core Strategy 130 Objectives Matrices The Performance of the Policies with No Options Against Each SEA 139-170 3-12 Objective Throughout Time Matrices Performance of the Policy Options Against each SEA Objective 175-220 13-24 Throughout Time 7 Non Technical Summary 8 Non Technical Summary Non Technical Summary Chapter 1 - Methodology Introduction to Sustainable Development Sustainable development is defined as ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). The UK Government has adopted 5 principles of for sustainable development they include; • Living within environmental limits, • Ensuring a strong, healthy and just society, • Achieving a sustainable economy, • Promoting good governance, • Using sound science. Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment The European Directive 2001/42/EC (EC, 2001) ensures that a Strategic Environmental Assessment of a wide range of plans and programmes shall be conducted. The Colchester Borough Council Draft Core Strategy DPD Regulation 25 Version therefore requires a Strategic Appraisal that incorporates the dual statutory requirement of both Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). This report has been prepared in accordance with the following Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) guidance; • A ‘Practical Guide to the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive’ (September, 2005). • ‘Sustainability Appraisal (SA) of Regional Spatial Strategies and Local Development Frameworks’ (November, 2005) 9 Methodology Adopted in the SEA The Scoping stage of the SEA/SA involves investigation into the relevant plans, programmes and environmental protection objectives. The Scoping Report also outlines the baseline information which provides the basis for predicting and monitoring environmental effects, aids in the interpretation of environmental problems and allows identification of possible mitigation measures. A list of Sustainability objectives is also outlined in the Scoping Report. The Colchester Borough Council Draft Core Strategy DPD Regulation 26 Version was consulted for a 5 week period. The second part of the SEA approach involves the development and refinement of alternatives and assessing the effects of the plan. The third stage is the development of the Environmental Report.