STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT Prepared on behalf of Queen Camel Parish Council QUEEN CAMEL NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN MAY 2019 CONTENTS Non-Technical Summary ..................................................................................................... i 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 The Neighbourhood Plan Area .......................................................................................... 1 Legislative background and process ................................................................................. 2 Screening ........................................................................................................................... 2 Meeting the SEA Directive Requirements ......................................................................... 3 2. Potential Environmental Issues .......................................................................................... 5 Biodiversity, Geodiversity, Flora and Fauna ...................................................................... 5 Landscape .......................................................................................................................... 5 Cultural Heritage ................................................................................................................ 6 Soil, Air, Water, Climatic Factors and Material Assets ...................................................... 7 Population and Human Health ......................................................................................... 10 Existing environmental problems ..................................................................................... 10 3. Relevant Plans, Programmes and objectives .................................................................. 11 4. Scope of the Neighbourhood Plan ................................................................................... 13 The relationship with other relevant plans and programmes .......................................... 13 The plan’s contents and main objectives ......................................................................... 13 5. Assessment Process ........................................................................................................ 14 Determining the Environmental Assessment Objectives................................................. 14 Scoping consultation ........................................................................................................ 14 Technical or other difficulties with the assessment process ........................................... 16 6. Testing .............................................................................................................................. 16 Testing of the Plan’s Objectives ....................................................................................... 16 Testing of the Plan’s Policies and reasonable alternatives ............................................. 17 Section 3.1 - Housing: Policies QC1-5 ............................................................................ 17 Section 3.2 – Business and Employment: Policy QC6 .................................................... 19 Section 3.3 – Community and Services: Policies QC7-8 ................................................ 20 Section 3.4 – Getting About: Policies QC9-12 ................................................................. 21 Section 3.5 – Environment: Policy QC13 ......................................................................... 22 Section 3.6 – Our Heritage: Policies QC14-15 ................................................................ 22 Section 3.7 – Community Consultation: Policy QC16 ..................................................... 22 Cumulative and other effects of the Plan’s policies ......................................................... 22 7. Conclusions and proposed Monitoring ............................................................................ 23 Likely Significant Impacts ................................................................................................. 23 Monitoring ......................................................................................................................... 23 Appendix 1: A diagram summarising the SEA screening process. ............................................. 24 Appendix 2: SEA Stages .............................................................................................................. 25 Appendix 3: Draft Policies Assessed ........................................................................................... 26 Appendix 4: Site Options assessment summaries ...................................................................... 31 Sustainability Checks ....................................................................................................... 31 Neighbourhood Plan Objectives Checks ......................................................................... 32 Site Options ...................................................................................................................... 33 NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT Prepared on behalf of Queen Camel Parish Council QUEEN CAMEL NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN MAY 2019 This non-technical summary explains the scope and main findings of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the pre-submission draft of the Upper Marshwood Vale Neighbourhood Plan. The assessment has been undertaken to comply with the SEA Regulations. It considers the likely effects of the plan on the environment, and its evaluation includes an assessment of reasonable alternatives. It also considers appropriate mitigation and monitoring measures. It is subject to consultation with the Environment Agency, Natural England and Historic England, the public and any other interested parties. The Neighbourhood Plan area © Crown Copyright and database right 2019. All rights reserved (100058783) P a g e | i As a first step, various plans and programmes were reviewed and information collected on the environmental characteristics of the Neighbourhood Plan Area. The review included an appraisal of the National Planning Policy Framework, the adopted South Somerset Local Plan, and key documents that informed the Local Plan’s own sustainability appraisal. The views of the Environment Agency, Natural England and Historic England were also sought on the proposed scope of the SEA (with a response received from Natural England). As a result of this work the following conclusions were reached: Cultural heritage – there is potential for development to harm the significance of heritage assets, including the setting of Listed Buildings, the Conservation Area and assets of archaeological interest, with the objective of conserving and enhancing heritage assets in a manner appropriate to their significance. Soil, water, air and climatic factors – the potential flood risk (from fluvial and surface water flooding) should be considered with the objective of steering development away from areas of highest flood risk where there are alternative sites of lower risk, and including mitigation as necessary to reduce any residual risk to acceptable levels. Material assets – the impact on minerals and agricultural resources should also be considered through the SEA process with the objective of safeguarding sites of higher value. The other topic areas (landscape, biodiversity, geology, flora and fauna, population and human health) are unlikely to require further assessment through the SEA process, given the likely scope of the plan and the environmental issues pertaining to the parish. On this basis the following objectives have been identified to inform the assessment of the plan: The objectives for this environmental assessment were then defined as follows: Cultural heritage conserve and enhance heritage assets in a manner appropriate to their significance Soils and minerals safeguard sites containing important minerals resources and high quality agricultural land Climate change steer development away from areas of highest flood risk where there are alternative sites of lower risk, and including mitigation as necessary to reduce any residual risk to acceptable levels The draft Neighbourhood Plan’s objectives and related contents are summarised as follows: Aims / Objectives Relevant contents included in the pre- submission draft plan To create new opportunities for local The plan enables infill development within the people to live and work in the parish settlement (Policies QC1 and 2), allocates two and so strengthen the community and sites in order to meet projected housing need the local economy (Policies QC3 and 4) To make sure new development The plan includes design guidelines (Policy QC5), strengthens Queen Camel’s character and the removal of street clutter (Policy QC12) To support businesses which provide The plan provides a flexible approach to enable services and employment within the small-scale businesses (Policy QC6) community To improve and extend safe routes in Policy QC10 deals with improving Public and around the village for horse riders, Footpaths and creating Cycle Paths /Bridleways. cyclists and pedestrians Policy QC9 also seeks contributions towards traffic calming measures To make sure there is sufficient off-road Policy QC11 sets out parking requirements car parking for existing and new development To preserve existing green spaces