Sustainability Appraisal 23.6.08 · 2018-08-03 · Trinity College Gas Field Site, Madingley Road,...
Transcript of Sustainability Appraisal 23.6.08 · 2018-08-03 · Trinity College Gas Field Site, Madingley Road,...
Sustainability Appraisal Appendix A
Trinity College Cambridge Gas Field Site, Madingley Road
June 2008
Trinity College Gas Field Site, Madingley Road, Cambridge
Quality Assurance
Site name: Gas Field Site, Madingley Road, Cambridge
Client name: Trinity College
Type of report: Sustainability Appraisal Appendix A
Prepared by: Helen Thompson BSc MSc MPhil MLI MRTPI
Signed ____________________________________________________
Date ____________________________________________________ Reviewed by: Marcia L Whitehead BA Hons DMS MRTPI
Signed ____________________________________________________
Date ____________________________________________________
Trinity College Gas Field Site, Madingley Road, Cambridge
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................. 1
2 REGIONAL AND LOCAL PLANNING POLICY................................................................. 2
3 THE NORTH WEST CAMBRIDGE AREA ACTION PLAN................................................ 3
4 REFERENCE DOCUMENTS.............................................................................................. 3 Sustainability Appraisal of the North West Cambridge Area Action Plan............................ 3 Site Footprint Assessment 2007.......................................................................................... 6 Site Footprint – Supplementary Paper 2008 ....................................................................... 6
5 EXTRAPOLATION OF INFORMATION ON THE OPTIONS. ............................................ 6
6 ASSUMPTIONS UNDERPINNING THIS SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL ....................... 7
7 ASSESSMENT OF SITE .................................................................................................... 7
8 CUMULATIVE EFFECT.................................................................................................... 24
9 MITIGATION..................................................................................................................... 24
10 CONCLUSION.................................................................................................................. 24
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1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 This report supports the submission of representations to the North West Cambridge Area
Action Plan (NWCAAP) in relation to the Gas Field site to the north of Madingley Road and
west of the Madingley Road Park and Ride. The site is illustrated in Plan 1. This report
undertakes a sustainability appraisal of the likely changes to the AAP which would occur as a
consequence of the Gas Field site being removed from the Green Belt to Open Countryside
and incorporated in the AAP Submission Proposals Map.
1.2 A Sustainability Appraisal (SA) for North West Cambridge Area Action Plan has been
prepared for Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council by Scott
Wilson and submitted in April 2008.
1.3 A SA is the process of assessing the likely impacts of a plan on the environment, the
community and the economy. By law, a Sustainability Appraisal must be carried out on plans
that set out the spatial planning requirements of a local authority. At the moment, local
authorities are in the process of preparing new plans for their Local Development Framework
(LDF) which consists of Local Development Documents (LDD) of which there are two types
Development Plan Documents (DPD) and Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD). The
NWCAAP is a DPD.
1.4 In addition, the European Directive 2001/42/EC also requires certain plans to undergo a
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). This directive was incorporated into UK law in
2004. The Government recommends that these two processes are integrated and simply
referred to as SA.
1.5 The relevant guidance separates the SA process into five stages. These stages run parallel to
the development of the AAP and broadly examine:
setting the context and objectives, establishing the baseline and deciding on the scope
through examining the context of a plan, information on the area, identification of key
issues and defining the sustainability objectives of the area;
testing the LDF Objectives against the SA Framework, developing and refining options,
predicting and assessing effects, identifying mitigation measures and developing
proposals for monitoring;
documenting and appraisal process;
consulting of the plan and SA report; and
monitoring and interpretation of the plan.
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1.6 To avoid confusion, the term Sustainability Appraisal or SA will be used to describe the
Sustainability Appraisal including Strategic Environmental Assessment required by legislation.
A sustainability appraisal will be undertaken in this document which will seek to demonstrate
whether or not the consequent alterations to the plan if the representation were adopted
would:
alter the effects of the Plan on the environmental, social or economic objectives, and
either support or be to the detriment of the Sustainability Appraisal objectives.
2 REGIONAL AND LOCAL PLANNING POLICY
2.1 The previous Regional Spatial Strategy (RPG6) and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Structure Plan 2003 aimed to provide for a sustainable pattern of development to
accommodate necessary growth in the sub-region, with a better balance between employment
and housing focused on Cambridge and the surrounding area. The strategy for the sub-region
in the Structure Plan is carried forward largely unchanged into the East of England Plan
(EEP).
2.2 The EEP continues that Local Development Documents should provide for development
focused on making the most of the development potential of land in the following order of
preference:
in the built-up area of Cambridge, subject to considerations of environmental capacity;
on the periphery of the built-up area of Cambridge on land released from the Green
Belt following the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Structure Plan 2003 and through
the Cambridge Local Plan and Development Plan Documents prepared by the local
planning authorities;
at the new settlement of Northstowe, linked to the guided busway; and
on land within or on the peripheries of the sub-region’s market towns and within key
service centres (or on the peripheries of key service centres, mainly limited to existing
commitments) where such development would contribute to the social and economic
needs of the community and good public transport exists or can be provided.
2.3 The EEP makes it clear that the focus in the early years will be on delivery.
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3 THE NORTH WEST CAMBRIDGE AREA ACTION PLAN
3.1 The NWCAAP outlines the urban extension to Cambridge between Madingley Road and
Huntingdon Road. The extension covers land in both Cambridge City and South
Cambridgeshire and addresses the long-term development needs of Cambridge University.
3.2 The NWCAAP Submission Proposals Map 2008 illustrates the Major Development Site, Open
Space and Green Belt. This is reproduced here as Plan 2.
3.3 Plan 3 illustrates the Concept Diagram of the NWCAAP. This is described as comprising two
areas totalling approximately 73ha, with the retention of a strategic gap to ensure separation is
maintained between Cambridge and Girton village.
4 REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
4.1 This appraisal relies heavily on three documents; the Sustainability Appraisal of the North
West Cambridge Area Action Plan – Submission Draft, Site Footprint Assessment 2007 and
Site Footprint Assessment Supplementary Paper 2008.
Sustainability Appraisal of the North West Cambridge Area Action Plan
4.2 A Sustainability Assessment has been undertaken on behalf of Cambridge City Council and
South Cambridgeshire District Council. The SA examines the likely impacts of a plan on the
environment, the community and the economy.
4.3 The summary of SA objectives developed by both Cambridge City Council and South
Cambridgeshire District Council and which are used throughout the SA are shown below.
These objectives are used to determine the likely impacts of a plan. In other words, the
objectives provide a yardstick against which to assess the effects of the plan.
1.1 Minimise the irreversible loss of undeveloped land and productive agricultural holdings
1.2 Reduce the use of non-renewable resources, including energy sources
1.3 Limit water consumption to levels supportable by natural processes and storage systems
2.1 Avoid damage to designated sites and protected species
2.2 Maintain and enhance the range and viability of characteristic habitats and species
2.3 Improve opportunities for people to access and appreciate wildlife and wild places
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3.1 Avoid damage to areas and sites designated for their historic interest, and protect their settings.
3.2 Maintain and enhance the diversity and distinctiveness of landscape and townscape character
3.3 Create places, spaces and buildings that work well, wear well and look good
4.1 Reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses and other pollutants (including air, water, soil, noise, vibration and light)
4.3 Limit or reduce vulnerability to the effects of climate change (including flooding)
5.1 Maintain and enhance human health
5.2 Reduce and prevent crime, and reduce the fear of crime
5.3 Improve the quantity and quality of publicly accessible open space
6.1 Improve the quality, range and accessibility of services and facilities (e.g. health, transport, education, training, leisure opportunities)
6.2 Redress inequalities related to age, gender, disability, race, faith, location and income
6.3 Ensure all groups have access to decent, appropriate and affordable housing
6.4 Encourage and enable the active involvement of local people in community activities
7.1 Help people gain access to satisfying work appropriate to their skills, potential and place of residence
7.2 Support appropriate investment in people, places, communications and other infrastructure
7.3 Improve the efficiency, competitiveness, vitality and adaptability of the local economy
4.4 The objectives of the AAP were assessed against these objectives and options for the site
were developed. Five options named 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4 and 10.5 were identified in the
Issues and Options consultation.
4.5 None of the site options consulted upon performed sufficiently well against the two key tests of
meeting the University’s needs and protecting the Green Belt setting of Cambridge that they
could be recommended as the preferred site. In order to try to identify a site footprint that
could better meet the two key tests of meeting the University’s needs and protecting the
Green Belt setting of Cambridge, a number of further site footprint options were identified
during the assessment process. The Non-Technical Summary of the SA states that 'Options
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A to E, were also tested against the same site assessment criteria and subjected to Initial
Sustainability Appraisal in the same way as the options consulted on'. These options are
illustrated in the Site Footprint Assessment 2007.
4.6 The Councils' officer team investigated options to secure the maximum site footprint, in order
to go as far as possible towards meeting the University’s stated needs/aspirations. The team
recommended site Option A to the North West Cambridge Joint Member Reference Group
(JMRG) meeting on 29 June 2007. At the JMRG meeting, City Members raised concerns that
there should be a large scale open space within the site in the strategic gap running through
the development to reflect the character of Cambridge, more akin to the large open space
proposed in the University’s (Option)10.1.
4.7 A further site option was subsequently developed with Lead Members of the two Councils that
is based on Option A but with a larger central open area - Option E. The preferred site is
illustrated in Plan 3. However the Non-Technical Summary and the SA are confusing in this
respect as these infer that Option E is the preferred site (page vii of the Non Technical
Summary and page vii of the SA).
4.8 The SA sets out the rationale for the footprint options in 3.3 paras 3.3.1 to 3.3.13. Options
10.1 to 10.5 are illustrated. Option A to D are not illustrated. Option E is illustrated. No
mention is made nor illustrations given of Footprints (i) (ii) and (iii) which were subsequent
iterations of the footprint.
4.9 SA Paragraph 3.7.4 is missing from the CD version of the SA supplied by Cambridge City
Council.
4.10 SA Paragraph 3.7.5 states 'Two additional footprints were also proposed by consultees (one
by Cambridge University (Footprint (i)) and another by Mr. David Taylor (Footprint (ii)).' It
continues 'Further to these additional footprints, the Councils carried out a final “health check”
on the site boundary before submission testing it against the AAP objectives, and this
proposed relatively modest amendments to the site footprint boundary in South
Cambridgeshire, which increases the site area but retains a green foreground setting to
Cambridge provided by the slope of land rising from the Washpit Brook. In order to ensure that
the footprints were adequately and fairly considered, they were assessed in comparison with
all the reasonable footprint options that were proposed in the Issues and Options Stage (found
in full in Appendix VII). The summary of this assessment is presented below'. The full
assessment of Footprints (i), (ii) and (iii) against the objectives of the SA/AAP is not included.
4.11 It is understood from Sara Cass, Cambridge City Council, that Footprint (iii) is the preferred
footprint option that has been carried through to the Submission Draft AAP. Nowhere in the
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SA is Footprint (iii) illustrated, nor reference made to the fact that Footprint (iii) is the preferred
option.
4.12 It is here assumed in the context of the comments from Sara Cass that Option E was
amended to Footprint (iii)
Site Footprint Assessment 2007
4.13 The NWCAAP Site Footprint Assessment 2007 outlines the five footprints included in the
Issues and Options stage namely 10.1 to 10.5 and the development of five further Variant
Options A to D and E.
4.14 It includes an assessment of Options 10.1 to 10.5 and A to E. The site assessment was made
against criteria and a Sustainability Appraisal undertaken and summarised in the document to
satisfy the legislative requirements of SA.
4.15 Impacts of potential development footprints were assessed.
Site Footprint – Supplementary Paper 2008
4.16 Supplementary Paper – March 2008 illustrates the conclusions of a further review of the site
footprint following representations to the Preferred Options Report. It includes a revised site
boundary that would be shown on the Proposals Map contained within the draft AAP for
submission to the Secretary of State.
4.17 This report illustrates three sites, the Preferred Options site boundary (Option E), one showing
the most recent footprint boundary proposed by Cambridge University and the new proposed
AAP preferred revised site boundary.
4.18 There is no assessment made of these footprint options, and no summary or Sustainability
Appraisal is given in this paper.
4.19 The impact of potential development footprints was not assessed.
5 EXTRAPOLATION OF INFORMATION ON THE OPTIONS.
5.1 There is no clear paper trail in the SA document to infer which Option in the SA is the new
proposed AAP preferred revised site boundary. It is assumed here that Footprint (iii) is the
new preferred revised site boundary. Sara Cass from CCC has confirmed verbally that
Footprint (iii) is one and the same as the preferred revised site boundary.
5.2 There appears to be no assessment of the new proposed AAP preferred revised site boundary
in the SA against either SA objectives or the AAP objectives, rather the assessment is a
comparison with all the reasonable footprint options (Table 3.7).
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5.3 The Variant Options (i), (ii) and (iii) were assessed in the SA Para 3.7.5 'in comparison with all
the reasonable footprint options that were proposed in the Issues and Options Stage (found in
full in Appendix VII)'. However, in actuality, the comparison is to the Preferred Option and to
the University submission.
5.4 It is extrapolated that the Preferred Option referred to is Option E.
6 ASSUMPTIONS UNDERPINNING THIS SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL
6.1 For the purposes of undertaking this sustainability appraisal, Footprint (iii) is considered to be
the new proposed AAP preferred revised site boundary.
6.2 For the purpose of undertaking this sustainability appraisal Option E is considered to be the
Preferred Option and that Footprint (iii) is a variation of this so that, in the absence of data for
Footprint (iii), Option E data can be considered.
6.3 In the absence of an assessment of the new proposed AAP preferred revised site boundary
against the SA Objectives or the AAP Objectives this appraisal will use the assessment of
Policy NW4 against the SA Objectives as base line data. SA Table 3.6 indicates that the
footprint variant assumed here to be Footprint (iii), whilst having a major effect, is not
considered significant enough to change the score given at the Preferred Options SA stage. It
is therefore assumed that the assessment of Policy NW4 against the Sustainability Objectives
is one and the same as the assessment of Footprint (iii) against the Sustainability Objectives.
7 ASSESSMENT OF SITE
7.1 The representation requests that the Gas Field site should be omitted from the Green Belt for
the purpose of Open Countryside to allow the owners flexibility in the longer term. No
development is proposed. The site is assessed on this basis.
7.2 SA Table 3.6 summarises the implications on the SA of the proposed changes resulting from
consultations. The format of this table is used here to assess the implications on the SA of the
proposed change of removing the Gas Field site from the Green Belt for the purpose of Open
Countryside.
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Reference Footprint Proposed change Predicted change
in SA
Policy NW4: Site and Setting
Land between Madingley Road and Huntingdon Road, comprising two areas totalling approximately 73ha, as shown on the Proposals Map, is allocated for predominantly University-related uses. A strategic gap is retained between the two parts of the site to ensure separation is maintained between Cambridge and Girton village and to provide a central open space for reasons of biodiversity, landscape, recreation and amenity, whilst ensuring a cohesive and sustainable form of development. Development will create a high quality built edge to the urban area and provide an appropriate setting to Cambridge that maintains the purposes of the Cambridge Green Belt.
Removal of the Gas Field site from the Green Belt for the purpose of Open Countryside.
Major
No increase of development area. No change in land use – change is in designation.
The proposed change is not considered significant enough to change the score given at the preferred options SA stage.
7.3 Section 3.5.1 of the SA sets out the key findings from the appraisal of the North West
Cambridge AAP Preferred Option policies.
7.4 In order to provide the assessment information in an accessible format, summary tables for
the short, medium and long-term impacts are set out overleaf in SA Tables 3.3 – 3.5. The
summary matrices provide an overview of the general performance of the policies against the
SA objectives.
7.5 The SA states 'The most appropriate way of using this matrix is to treat it as a summary of the
whole SA. It helps to identify issues of importance such as; where the burden of negative
impacts lie, which options are characterised by a high degree of uncertainty, and which
options perform well'. The matrices are reproduced here and referring to the Table in para 7.2
it is considered there will be no change in the performance of policy NW4 against the SA
objectives if the Gas Field site is removed from the Green Belt for Open Countryside.
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NW4 – Short term sustainability impact summary for policy NW4
1.1 1.2 1.3 2.1 2.2 2.3 3.1 3.2 3.3 4.1 4.2 4.3 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 7.1 7.2 7.3
POLICY
NW4
xx 0 ? + ? 0 0 X 0 ? 0 0 0 ++ xx 0 ? 0 0 0 0 0
NW4 – Short term sustainability impact summary for policy NW4 – AAP footprint with Gas Field Site removed from GB
1.1 1.2 1.3 2.1 2.2 2.3 3.1 3.2 3.3 4.1 4.2 4.3 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 7.1 7.2 7.3
POLICY
NW4
xx 0 ? + ? 0 0 X 0 ? 0 0 0 ++ xx 0 ? 0 0 0 0 0
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NW4 – Medium term sustainability impact summary for policy NW4
1.1 1.2 1.3 2.1 2.2 2.3 3.1 3.2 3.3 4.1 4.2 4.3 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 7.1 7.2 7.3
POLICY
NW 4
0 + + + ? + 0 ++ 0 ? 0 ++ 0 ++ xx ++ ++ + 0 + 0 0
NW4 – Medium term sustainability impact summary for policy NW4 – AAP footprint with Gas Field Site removed from GB
1.1 1.2 1.3 2.1 2.2 2.3 3.1 3.2 3.3 4.1 4.2 4.3 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 7.1 7.2 7.3
POLICY
NW4
0 + + + ? + 0 ++ 0 ? 0 ++ 0 ++ xx ++ ++ + 0 + 0 0
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NW4 – Long term sustainability impact summary for policy NW4
1.1 1.2 1.3 2.1 2.2 2.3 3.1 3.2 3.3 4.1 4.2 4.3 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 7.1 7.2 7.3
POLICY
NW4
0 + + + ? + 0 ++ 0 ? 0 ++ 0 ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ 0 0 0 0
NW4 – Long term sustainability impact summary for policy NW4 – AAP footprint with Gas Field Site removed from GB
1.1 1.2 1.3 2.1 2.2 2.3 3.1 3.2 3.3 4.1 4.2 4.3 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 7.1 7.2 7.3
POLICY
NW4
0 + + + ? + 0 ++ 0 ? 0 ++ 0 ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ 0 0 0 0
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7.6 The SA para 3.5.3 continues 'The reader should then turn to Appendix V (of the SA) and refer
to the appraisal tables to obtain more detail on the background to the appraisal scores'.
These tables are reproduced here as it is contended that the removal of the Gas Field site
from the Green Belt for Open Countryside not considered significant enough to change the
score given at the Preferred Options SA stage, and therefore the score remains the same.
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7.7 The summary extracted from SA Appendix V Preferred Options Assessment Matrices states
that the site will change character from predominantly rural to semi urban. In this scenario of
removing the Gas Field site from Green Belt for Open Countryside no land use change is
proposed so the balance between rural and semi urban will not be affected. The summary
states that there will also be a change of use from agricultural to residential and economic
uses. The Gas Field site is not currently in agricultural use. There is no proposed change of
use of the site. No issues arise from the non-permeable covering of the site and associated
risks of surface water flooding as this will not happen.
7.8 SA Table 3.7 gives the Additional footprint SA summary for Footprint (iii). The removal of the
Gas Field site will have no additional development footprint and no land use change. There is
therefore no change to the summary of the new proposed AAP preferred revised site
boundary if the Gas Field site were removed from the Green Belt as Open Countryside.
7.9 In the document Site Footprint Assessment 2007 at Issues and Options Stage site
assessments are undertaken for all the variants at the Issues and Options Stage, as well as
an SA required by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act (2004) for all planning policy
documents to undergo a Sustainability Appraisal. The SA undertaken in this report is
repeated in the SA Appendix VII Significant Changes Assessment. No site assessment has
been undertaken for Footprint (iii) within the SA and therefore the closest footprint variant to
Footprint (iii) is Option E. There is no change to the site assessment of Option E if the Gas
Field site were to be removed from the Green Belt as Open Countryside.
8 CUMULATIVE EFFECT
8.1 There are no additional cumulative effects to the removal of the Gas Field site from the Green
Belt as Open Countryside.
9 MITIGATION
9.1 There are no additional effects to the removal of the Gas Field site from the Green Belt as
Open Countryside and therefore no additional mitigation is required.
10 CONCLUSION
10.1 This sustainability appraisal is intended to be read in conjunction with and links to the
NWCAAP SA to inform whether by removing the Gas Field site from the Green Belt for Open
Countryside this has any effect on the SA.
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10.2 The SA process is separated into five stages. The first stage, setting the context and
objectives, establishing the base line and scope and defining sustainability objectives has
been undertaken in the SA,
10.3 This appraisal inputs into developing and refining the options and predicting and assessing the
effects, identifying mitigation measures and developing proposals for monitoring,
10.4 AAP Policy NW4 focuses on the site itself as well as on the wider Cambridge area. The SA
states that development will not be without its impacts, positive and negative. It is clearly
shown in this sustainability appraisal that the site will have no further impact – neither on the
landscape character nor land use. There will be no additional issues arising from water
flooding for example. The SA does not undertake an assessment of the footprint variants
against the sustainability objectives and therefore the assessment against Policy NW4 is used
as a base line to test the possible additional effects of removing the Gas Field site from the
Green Belt for Open Countryside. It is demonstrated that the proposed change is not
considered significant enough to change the score at the preferred option stage.
10.5 The removal of the Gas Field site from the Green Belt has been tested against the additional
footprint summary of Footprint (iii). There will be no change of effect if the Gas Field Site were
to be removed from the Green Belt for Open Countryside. Nor is there any substantial change
to the Site Assessment of Option E (no Site Assessment has been found for Footprint (iii)).
10.6 This sustainability appraisal finds no substantial change to the current assessment of the
NWCAAP including Footprint (iii) against the SA objectives.
Plan 1
Sites owned by Trinity College
Plan 2
Plan 3
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