Sustainability Appraisal (SA) of the Maidstone Local Plan SA Report March 2014 SA of the Maidstone Local Plan SCHEDULE Rev Date Details Prepared by Reviewed by Approved by 1 March 2013 SA Report to accompany Ian McCluskey Anita Anita regulation 18 consultation Copplestone Copplestone Senior Consultant version of the Maidstone Local Principal Principal Plan Consultant Consultant Limitations URS Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited (“URS”) has prepared this Report for the sole use of Maidstone Borough Council in accordance with the Agreement under which our services were performed. No other warranty, expressed or implied, is made as to the professional advice included in this Report or any other services provided by URS. This Report is confidential and may not be disclosed by the Client nor relied upon by any other party without the prior and express written agreement of URS. 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SA REPORT SA of the Maidstone Local Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 1 1 BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................................... 2 2 SA EXPLAINED .................................................................................................................... 2 PART 1: WHAT’S THE SCOPE OF THE SA? .................................................................................... 3 3 INTRODUCTION (TO PART 1) .............................................................................................. 4 4 WHAT IS THE PLAN SEEKING TO ACHIEVE? ................................................................... 5 5 WHAT’S THE SUSTAINABILITY ‘CONTEXT’? .................................................................... 6 6 WHAT’S THE SUSTAINABILITY ‘BASELINE’ AT THE CURRENT TIME? ........................ 19 7 WHAT’S THE BASELINE PROJECTION? .......................................................................... 32 8 WHAT ARE THE KEY ISSUES? ......................................................................................... 35 PART 2: WHAT HAS PLAN-MAKING / SA INVOLVED UP TO THIS POINT? ................................. 38 9 INTRODUCTION (TO PART 2) ............................................................................................ 39 10 STRATEGIC APPROACH TO HOUSING GROWTH ........................................................... 40 11 STRATEGIC APPROACH TO EMPLOYMENT DEVELOPMENT ....................................... 47 12 SITE OPTIONS FOR HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT AND MIXED USE/RETAIL .................... 52 13 GYPSY AND TRAVELLER SITE ALTERNATIVES ............................................................. 72 14 FUTURE LOCATIONS FOR HOUSING GROWTH.............................................................. 74 15 ALTERNATIVES FOR SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT ........................................................ 78 16 ALTERNATIVES FOR SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION .................................................. 79 17 OTHER LOCAL PLAN ISSUES........................................................................................... 80 PART 3: WHAT ARE THE APPRAISAL FINDINGS? ....................................................................... 81 18 INTRODUCTION (TO PART 3) ............................................................................................ 82 19 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................ 82 20 APPRAISAL FINDINGS ...................................................................................................... 82 21 CONCLUSIONS AT THIS STAGE ..................................................................................... 128 PART 4: WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS (INCLUDING MONITORING)?....................................... 132 22 INTRODUCTION (TO PART 4) .......................................................................................... 133 23 PLAN FINALISATION, ADOPTION AND MONITORING .................................................. 133 APPENDIX I: REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................ 134 APPENDIX II: ALTERNATIVES APPRAISAL (HOUSING GROWTH AND DISTRIBUTION) ......... 135 APPENDIX III: ALTERNATIVES APPRAISAL: EMPLOYMENT LAND DISTRIBUTION ............... 150 APPENDIX IV: OPTIONS APPRAISAL (SITE ALLOCATIONS) ..................................................... 159 APPENDIX V: TAKING ON-BOARD THE FINDINGS OF SITE OPTIONS APPRAISAL ................ 165 APPENDIX VI: APPRAISAL OF FUTURE BROAD LOCATIONS FOR HOUSING ......................... 199 SA REPORT SA of the Maidstone Local Plan APPENDIX VII: APPRAISAL OF ALTERNATIVES (MODES OF TRAVEL) ................................... 205 APPENDIX VII: APPRAISAL OF ALTERNATIVES (SUSTAINABILITY) ........................................ 209 SA REPORT SA of the Maidstone Local Plan INTRODUCTION 1 SA of the Maidstone Local Plan 1 BACKGROUND 1.1.1 URS is commissioned to undertake Sustainability Appraisal (SA) in support of the emerging Maidstone Borough Council Local Plan. SA is a mechanism for considering and communicating the likely effects of a draft plan, and alternatives, in terms of sustainability issues, with a view to avoiding and mitigating adverse effects and maximising the positives. SA of the Local Plan is a legal requirement.1 2 SA EXPLAINED 2.1.1 Sustainability Appraisal (SA) is a process for helping to ensure that Local Plans achieve an appropriate balance between environmental, economic and social objectives. SA should help to identify the sustainability implications of different plan approaches and recommend ways to reduce any negative effects and to increase the positive outcomes. 2.1.2 SA is also a tool for communicating the likely effects of a Plan (and any reasonable alternatives), explaining the decisions taken with regards to the approach decided upon, and encouraging engagement from key stakeholders such as local communities, businesses and plan-makers. 2.1.3 Although SA can be applied flexibly, it is a legal requirement under the ‘Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004 (which were prepared in order to transpose into national law the EU Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive).2 The regulations set out prescribed processes that must be followed. In particular the Regulations require that a report is published for consultation alongside the draft plan that ‘identifies, describes and evaluates’ the likely significant effects of implementing ‘the plan, and reasonable alternatives’.3 The SA/SEA report must then be taken into account, alongside consultation responses when finalising the plan (See Appendix 1 for an explanation of the regulatory requirements). 2.1.4 SA/SEA can be viewed as a four-stage process that produces a number of statutory and non- statutory outputs. This SA Report is set out in four parts to mirror the process illustrated in figure 2.1 below. Figure 2.1: The ‘four stage’ SA process4. 2.1.5 1 The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 require that an SA Report is published for consultation alongside the ‘Proposed Submission’ Plan document. 2 Directive 2001/42/EC 3 Regulation 12(2) 4 Mandatory processes and outputs are represented by shaded boxes. Voluntary outputs are illustrated by clear boxes with dashed lines. 2 SA of the Maidstone Local Plan PART 1: WHAT’S THE SCOPE OF THE SA? SA REPORT 3 PART 1: SCOPE OF THE SA SA of the Maidstone Local Plan 3 INTRODUCTION (TO PART 1) 3.1.1 This is Part 1 of the SA Report, the aim of which is to introduce the reader to the scope of the SA. In particular, and as required by the Regulations5, this Chapter answers the series of questions below. Table 3.1: Scoping questions answered SCOPING QUESTION CORRESPONDING REQUIREMENT (THE REPORT MUST INCLUDE…) What’s the Plan An outline of the contents, main objectives of the plan’ seeking to achieve? The relationship of the plan with other relevant plans and What’s the programmes’ sustainability The relevant environmental protection objectives, established at ‘context’? international or national level What’s the The relevant aspects of the current state of the environment sustainability The environmental characteristics of areas likely to be ‘baseline’ at the significantly affected current time? What’s the baseline The likely evolution of the current state of the environment projection? without implementation of the plan’ What are the key Any existing environmental problems / issues which are relevant issues that should be to the plan including, in particular, those relating to any areas of a a focus of SA? particular environmental importance 3.2 Consultation on the scope 3.2.1 The Regulations require that: ‘When deciding on the scope and level of detail of the information that must be included in the report, the responsible authority shall consult the consultation bodies’. In England, the consultation bodies are Natural England, The Environment Agency and English Heritage.6 As such, these authorities were first consulted on the scope of this SA in 20097. This consultation was achieved by providing a draft ‘Scoping Report’ for their comment. The draft Scoping Report was also sent to a range of other stakeholder organisations at this time so that they might have the opportunity to comment. 3.2.2 The Scoping Report was subsequently finalised and is available online at: http://www.maidstone.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/12113/Sustainability-Appraisal- Scoping-Report-2009.pdf 3.2.3 The scope of the SA was updated in 2012, and the findings presented in an interim SA Report8 for the Maidstone Strategic Site Allocations consultation. 5 Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004 6 In-line with Article 6(3).of the SEA Directive, these consultation bodies were selected because ‘by reason of their specific environmental responsibilities,[they] are likely to be concerned by the environmental effects of implementing plans and programme’.’ 7 Scott Wilson (2009) Maidstone Borough Council Sustaianbility Appraisal Scoping Report, Final Report, November 2009. 8 URS (2012) Maidstone Borough Council Strategic Site Allocations Sustainability Appraisal, Interim Report. [online] available at: http://www.maidstone.gov.uk/residents/planning/local-plan/local-plan-progress SA REPORT 4 PART 1: SCOPE OF THE SA SA of the Maidstone Local Plan 4 WHAT IS THE PLAN SEEKING TO ACHIEVE? 4.1.1 The Local Plan, once adopted, will set the scale and distribution of development in Maidstone from 2011-2031. It plans for homes, jobs, shopping, leisure and the environment, including the associated infrastructure to support development. The plan will also guide how and when development will be delivered, whilst protecting and enhancing the environment. 4.1.2 The local plan contains eleven spatial objectives, which will be delivered to meet the spatial vision: 1) To provide for a balance of new homes and related retail and employment opportunities, with an emphasis on increasing skilled employment opportunities in the borough alongside developing learning opportunities; 2) To focus new development: i. Principally within the Maidstone urban area and at the strategic development locations at the edge of town, including junction 7 of the M20 motorway; ii. To a lesser extent at the seven rural service centres of Coxheath, Harrietsham, Headcorn, Lenham, Marden, Staplehurst and Yalding consistent with their range of services and role; and iii. Limited development at the three larger settlements of Boughton Monchelsea, Eyhorne Street (Hollingbourne) and Sutton Valence,where appropriate; 3) To transform the offer, vitality and viability of Maidstone town centre including its office, retail, residential, leisure, cultural and tourism functions together with significant enhancement of its public realm and natural environment including the riverside; 4) To reinforce the roles of the rural service centres through the retention of existing services, the addition of new infrastructure where possible, and the regeneration of employment sites including the expansion of existing employment sites where appropriate; 5) To support new housing in villages that meets local needs and is of a design, scale, character and location appropriate to the settlement and which supports the retention of existing services and facilities; 6) To safeguard and maintain the character of the borough's landscapes including the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and other distinctive landscapes of local value whilst facilitating the economic and social well-being of these areas including the diversification of the rural economy; 7) To retain and enhance the character of the existing green and blue infrastructure and to promote linkages between areas of environmental value; 8) To ensure that new development takes account of the need to mitigate the impacts of climate change, implementing sustainable construction standards for both residential and non- residential schemes; 9) To ensure that new development is of high quality design, making a positive contribution to the area including protection of built and natural heritage and biodiversity; 10) To provide for future housing that meets the changing needs of the borough’s population including provision for an increasingly ageing population and family housing, an appropriate tenure mix, affordable housing and accommodation to meet the needs of the Gypsy and Traveller community; and SA REPORT 5 PART 1: SCOPE OF THE SA SA of the Maidstone Local Plan 11) To ensure that key infrastructure and service improvements needed to support delivery of the Maidstone Borough Local Plan are brought forward in a co-ordinated and timely manner, and that new development makes an appropriate contribution towards any infrastructure needs arising as a result of such new development. 4.2 What’s the plan not trying to achieve? 4.2.1 It is important to emphasise that the plan will be strategic in nature. Even the allocation of sites should be considered a strategic undertaking, i.e. a process that omits consideration of some detailed issues in the knowledge that these can be addressed further down the line (through the planning application process). The strategic nature of the plan is reflected in the scope of the SA. 5 WHAT’S THE SUSTAINABILITY ‘CONTEXT’? 5.1 Introduction 5.1.1 An important step when seeking to establish the appropriate ‘scope’ of an SA involves reviewing ‘sustainability context’ messages (e.g. issues, objectives or aspirations) set out within relevant published plans, policies, strategies and initiatives (PPSIs). Sustainability context messages are important, as they aid the identification of the ‘key sustainability issues’ that should be a focus of the SA. Key messages from this review are summarised below. 5.2 Key messages from the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)9 5.2.1 In March 2012 the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was published. The NPPF, read as a whole, constitutes the Government’s view of what sustainable development in England means in practice for the planning system. The following is a summary of guidance included in the NPPF that is of relevance to this SA. 5.2.2 Community wellbeing social role of the planning system is defined in the NPPF as ‘supporting vibrant and healthy communities’, with a ‘core planning principle’ being to ‘take account of and support local strategies to improve health, social and cultural wellbeing for all’. 5.2.3 The NPPF advises that planning policies should promote the retention and development of local services and community facilities such as local shops, meeting places, sports venues, cultural buildings, public houses and places of worship. The NPPF states that ensuring that there is a ‘sufficient choice of school places’ is of ‘great importance’. To this end, local authorities are called upon to take a ‘proactive, positive and collaborative approach’ to bringing forward ‘development that will widen choice in education’. 5.2.4 Specific protection and promotion of town centres is encouraged. Specifically, local planning authorities should ’define the extent of town centres’ and set policies that ‘make clear which uses will be permitted in such locations’, and ‘promote competitive town centres that provide customer choice and a diverse retail offer and which reflect the individuality of town centres’. The Economy 5.2.5 The NPPF highlights the contribution the planning system can make to building a strong, responsive economy by: ‘Ensuring that sufficient land of the right type is available in the right places and at the right time to support growth and innovation; and by identifying and coordinating development requirements, including the provision of infrastructure’. 5.2.6 There is an emphasis on capitalising on ‘inherent strengths’, and to meeting the ‘twin challenges of global competition and of a low carbon future’. There is a need to support new and emerging business sectors, including positively planning for ‘clusters or networks of knowledge driven, creative or high technology industries’. 9 CLG (2012) National Planning Policy Framework [online] available at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/2116950.pdf (accessed 08/2012) SA REPORT 6 PART 1: SCOPE OF THE SA