Members’ Library Service Request Form Date of Document 17/05/18 Originator Iain McFarlane Originator’s Ref (if any) Document Title Proposed ELC LDP Strategic Environmental Assessment Environmental Report Site Assessments Prestonpans Area Please indicate if access to the document is to be “unrestricted” or “restricted”, with regard to the terms of the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985. Unrestricted Restricted If the document is “restricted”, please state on what grounds (click on grey area for drop- down menu): For Publication Please indicate which committee this document should be recorded into (click on grey area for drop-down menu): East Lothian Council Additional information: To be read in conjunction with Report to East Lothian Council dated 29/05/18 titled East Lothian Local Development Plan 2018 Authorised By Douglas Proudfoot Designation Head of Development Date 17/05/18 For Office Use Only: Library Reference 70/18 Date Received 17/05/18 Bulletin May 2018 local development plan 2018 environmental report appendix 6 PRESTONPANS AREA SITE & STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS NOTE ON THE USE OF ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPPING The Ordnance Survey mapping included within this publication is provided by East Lothian Council under licence from the Ordnance Survey in order to fulfil its public function as planning authority. Persons viewing this mapping should contact Ordnance Survey Copyright for advice where they wish to licence Ordnance Survey mapping for their own use. All maps are reproduced from the Ordnance Survey with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationary Office, Crown Copyright 2018. Unauthorised reproduction of the maps in this document infringes Crown Copyright. 2 Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 4 Background ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Purpose of this Document .................................................................................................................. 4 Introduction to the Site Assessment Process ..................................................................................... 4 How Sites were Assessed .................................................................................................................... 5 Prestonpans Area: Environmental Characteristics .................................................................. 13 Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna ........................................................................................................ 14 Population ..................................................................................................................................... 15 Health ............................................................................................................................................ 16 Soil ................................................................................................................................................. 17 Water ............................................................................................................................................ 18 Cultural Heritage ........................................................................................................................... 19 Landscape ..................................................................................................................................... 20 Air .................................................................................................................................................. 21 Climatic Factors ............................................................................................................................. 22 Material Assets.............................................................................................................................. 22 Site Assessments and SEA ........................................................................................................ 23 Detailed Site Assessments – Prestonpans Catchment ............................................................ 24 List of Figures Figure 1: Prestonpans Area ................................................................................................................... 13 Figure 2: Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna Characteristics ........................................................................ 14 Figure 3: Population Characteristics ..................................................................................................... 15 Figure 4: Health Characteristics ............................................................................................................ 16 Figure 5: Soil Characteristics ................................................................................................................. 17 Figure 6: Water Characteristics ............................................................................................................. 18 Figure 7: Cultural Heritage Characteristics ........................................................................................... 19 Figure 8: Landscape Characteristics ...................................................................................................... 20 Figure 9: Accessibility ............................................................................................................................ 21 Figure 10: Sites in Prestonpans area assessed for Main Issues Report ................................................ 23 3 Introduction Background 1. Planning Authorities are required to produce a Local Development Plan (LDP). That document sets out the strategy and policies to guide where and how development of land should take place. The LDP has been produced following a process of informal consultation, formal consultation through the Main Issues Report, and finally examination of its proposed LDP following a period for representation in 2016. The LDP gives a spatial strategy for the area, including where development should and should not occur. 2. Environmental Assessment has been carried out in tandem with the LDP. The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 requires ‘Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)’ of LDPs. The Strategic Environmental Assessment is required to predict and evaluate the likely significant effects on the environment of implementing both the LDP approach and reasonable alternatives considered. It must describe measures envisaged to prevent, reduce and as far as possible offset any significant adverse effects (mitigation). The LDP is to be site specific, and so the same is true of the SEA. Purpose of this Document 3. This document provides an objective assessment of the planning merits and strategic environmental assessment of potential development sites submitted for consideration as part of the LDP process. 4. The document provides an overview of the key environmental characteristics of the Prestonpans area and highlights key sensitivities of the area and environmental features that could be affected, positively or negatively, by any future development. The site assessment methodology is fully explained below, and the result of each site assessment is included in this report. 5. The intention of this work is to show the background information considered when selecting sites for inclusion in the LDP. At MIR and proposed LDP stages, it also allowed people to take an informed view on if they agree or disagree with the sites included. The document fulfils Strategic Environmental Assessment requirements by considering the potential environmental effects of all the individual sites. The cumulative impact of preferred and alternative sites is assessed through consideration of each strategy option overall as set out in the Environment Report (ER). Scottish Ministers advise that “the aim of SEA is to provide information on the environmental effects of plan options; it cannot be expected to decide which one is ultimately adopted into the plan”. The site assessments therefore are intended to inform, not dictate, the choice of sites finally included in the LDP. Introduction to the Site Assessment Process 6. In early 2012 East Lothian Council commenced public engagement on the preparation of its Local Development Plan. It did this with a series of community events as well as a ‘call for sites’ exercise. Members of the public, landowners, agents and any other interested parties were invited to suggest potential development sites to be considered at MIR stage. Responders filled in a ‘Development Options Appraisal Form’ to provide information about the potential site, its proposed land use, and any potential impacts on the environment that could arise from its development. 4 7. Almost 100 site submissions were received in response to the initial call for sites which concluded in March 2012; however, submissions were accepted until the final deadline of 14th April 2013. In addition, a number of additional sites have been considered as part of the assessment including those put forward for the SESPlan Main Issues Report. The vast majority of site submissions promoted housing development, however there were a small number of site submissions for business land, mixed use development, mineral extraction and for nature conservation/open space. In addition, the Council itself put forward proposed sites for cemetery