Northampton Central Area Action Plan Final Sustainability Appraisal Report Northampton Borough Council Date: January 2013 Contents Page Glossary 1 Introduction 1.1 Background 1.2 Purpose of the Sustainability Appraisal 1.3 Habitat Regulations Assessment 1.4 Aim and structure of this report 1.5 How to comment on the report 2 Northampton Central Area Action Plan 2.1 Spatial planning in Northampton 2.2 The Northampton Central Area Action Plan 2.3 The vision and objectives of the CAAP 3 Methodology of the Appraisal 3.1 Sustainability appraisal stages 3.2 Stage A: Scoping 3.3 Stage B: Options assessment 3.4 Stage C: Assessment of the draft plan (Pre-Submission Draft DPD) 3.5 Stage C: Production of the SA report 4 Setting the Scope of the SA 4.1 Relationship with other plans and programmes 4.2 The sustainability baseline 5 Results of the Appraisal 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Assumptions made during the assessment and difficulties encountered 5.3 The reasons for selecting alternatives 5.4 Appraisal of the Pre-Submission Draft DPD 5.5 Significant effects identified 5.6 Cumulative assessment 6 Monitoring 6.1 Introduction 7 Next steps Glossary Acronym and Title Explanation AAP (Area Action Plan) A Development Plan Document that provides a detailed planning policy framework for a part of the Council’s area that is a key area for change or conservation. AMR (Annual Monitoring A document within the LDF that monitors progress in implementing the Report) Local Development Scheme and the effectiveness of the Council’s adopted policies. Core Strategy A Development Plan Document that sets out the key elements of the planning framework, including strategic objectives and core policies, with which other DPDs must be in conformity. Development Plan The statutory framework for planning decisions, comprising the Development Plan Documents prepared by local planning authorities (including the County Council and District Councils). DPD (Development Plan The main type of Local Development Document which form part of the Document) Development Plan, and include a Core Strategy, site specific allocations, development control policies and area action plans. LDF (Local Development A portfolio of Development Plan Documents which provide the framework Framework) for delivering the spatial planning strategy for the area. Local Plan A plan prepared by district, unitary and national park authorities but which is being superseded by Development Plan Documents. NPPF (National Planning Sets out the Government’s planning policies and how these are expected Policy Framework) to be applied. PPG (Planning Policy Government planning guidance notes on a number of different topics, Guidance) now replaced by the National Planning Policy Framework. PPS (Planning Policy Government planning guidance statements on a number of different Statement) topics, now replaced by the National Planning Policy Framework. Proposals Map A map accompanying the LDF showing areas of protection and identifying locations for land use and development proposals included in the adopted Development Plan Documents. RSS (Regional Spatial A planning policy document at the regional level (for Northampton the Strategy) relevant strategy is the East Midlands Regional Plan 2009) which sets out planning policies which lower tier plans such as Core Strategies and Area Action Plans should be in general conformity with. SA (Sustainability A systematic process required by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Appraisal) Act 2004 and incorporating the requirements of the SEA Directive, aimed at appraising the social, environmental and economic effects of plan strategies and policies and ensuring that they accord with the objectives of sustainable development. SCI (Statement of A document within the LDF setting out the County Council’s proposals for Community Involvement) involving the local community and other stakeholders in the preparation of LDDs and the determination of planning applications. SEA (Strategic A process required by EU Directive 2001/42/EC (known as the SEA Environmental Directive) for the formal strategic assessment of certain plans and Assessment) programmes which are likely to have significant effects on the environment. 1 Introduction 1.1 Background In October 2012, the Central Area Action Plan (CAAP) being prepared by Northampton Borough was found Sound by the Inspector. The CAAP is a Development Plan Document (DPD) and its preparation has been subject to an integrated sustainability appraisal (SA) and strategic environmental assessment (SEA) in line with the requirements of: • Statutory Instrument 2004 No. 1633: The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004 (which requires a environmental assessment to be carried out on certain plans and programmes prepared by public authorities that are likely to have a significant effect upon the environment); and • The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended 2008) requires SA of all emerging Development Plan Documents. The SA has been carried out by Northampton Borough Council officers in its latter stages and ENVIRON who are a team of consultants experienced in SA and SEA of local authority spatial planning documents in its earlier stages. ENVIRON have supported the Council in the latter stages through a ‘critical friend’ role. 1.2 Purpose of the Sustainability Appraisal The purpose of the SA is to promote sustainable development by integrating sustainability considerations into the plan making process. This has been done through a number of stages: • The production of a SA Scoping Report (Jan 07) which examined the sustainability issues of relevance to the Central Area and used these to produce a SA framework against which to measure the plan; • The production of the SA Issues and Options Report (Sep 07) which outlined the results of the SA on the Vision and Strategic Objectives in the AAP Issues and Options and assessed the sustainability effects of the proposed site selection criteria and design principles in readiness to support the development through the next stages of the plan; • The production of the SA Report for the Pre-Submission CAAP (Oct 10). The results of this stage were used to develop the final Submission DPD. • The production of a Sustainability Appraisal on the Pre-Submission CAAP Focused Changes (Oct 11). The results of this stage were used to refine the Submission DPD. • The production of a situation update (Aug 12) on the selection of alternative options to explain how the SA considered the main strategic options and their social, environmental and economic impacts as part of the examination process • The production of a Sustainability Appraisal on the Main Modifications (Nov 12) proposed by the Inspector This report presents the results of all of the appraisals of the sustainability of the CAAP DPD and forms part of the Adopted Plan. This Appraisal is accompanied by an Adoption Statement, which sets out how the results of the appraisals at each stage have been incorporated into the final document. Northampton Central Area Action Plan Submission 5 Sustainability Appraisal Report All of the material presented in this report draws on this earlier work. 1.3 Habitat Regulations Assessment The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 require any proposals for development which may adversely affect the integrity of Special Protection Areas (SPAs) or Special Areas for Conservation (SACs) to be subject to an Appropriate Assessment. The West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy (JCS) is a higher order, strategic planning document within the hierarchy of Local Development Framework (LDF) documents. Therefore it was the first LDD within the LDF to be subject to a Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening in 2007 (Issues and Options Discussions Paper). The Screening determined that the JCS had the potential for Likely Significant Effects and therefore, required an Appropriate Assessment (AA). The Emergent joint Core Strategy was subject to the AA. Measures to avoid the potential adverse effects of certain JCS policies on the Upper Nene Gravel Pits SPA and Ramsar and Rutland Water SPA and Ramsar were put forward through the AA and incorporated into the JCS. Following the addition of text within Policy BN4 on the request of Natural England it has been concluded through the Pre Submission JCS that there will be no adverse effect on site integrity. Northampton Borough Council sought advice from Natural England regarding whether a separate HRA was required. Natural England advised that a HRA was required in order to determine if recreational disturbance was likely to cause a significant effect on the Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits. The Council has produced HRA screening and Appropriate Assessment report that also takes into account the work carried out for the Joint Core Strategy. This report entitled Northampton Borough Council (April 2012): Northampton Central Area Action Plan Submission Appropriate Assessment is available on the Council’s website. The report concludes that mitigation measures that are likely to exist as a result of policies within the Joint Core Strategy and the AAP, will ensure that development opportunities being promoted in the AAP when undertaken in association with other proposals cumulatively will not create any likely significant effects on the Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits SPA/Ramsar. Natural England provided formal comments on the report. They were satisfied with the conclusions regarding water issues and air pollution. They asked for the wording of policies 26-31 to be amended to require the development of the Waterside area to make a contribution towards the implementation of access management at the nearby Clifford Hill area of the SPA. Amendments were made to the AAP and agreed with Natural England prior to the Submission of the Plan to the Secretary of State in May 2012. Natural England provided formal comments on earlier versions of the report. They are satisfied with the conclusions regarding water issues and air pollution. They have asked that the wording of policies 26-31 be amended to require the development of the Waterside area to make a contribution towards the implementation of access management at the nearby Clifford Hill area of the SPA.