Doncaster Local Plan - Housing & Employment Site Selection …€¦ · vision, aims and objectives, a site selection methodology will need to be developed and followed consistently

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Doncaster Local Plan - Housing & Employment

Site Selection Methodology

Draft for Public Consultation

Tuesday 24th

November – Monday 21st

December 2015

Introduction & Context 1.1 Doncaster Council is preparing a new Local Plan that will have a big influence on the amount and location of new development across the borough in the period up to 2032. The Doncaster Local Plan will address borough-wide strategic planning issues such as deciding which towns and villages should be allowed to grow and by how much, and the quantity and type of new homes, jobs, services and infrastructure that are needed. The Local Plan will also cover local planning issues such as deciding which sites should be developed and what policies are needed to ensure that new development is well designed and that our built and natural heritage is properly looked after. 1.2 Once adopted, the Local Plan will be the development plan by which all future planning applications will be determined (alongside national planning policy and any adopted Neighbourhood Plans). It will replace the Local Development Framework Core Strategy and Saved Unitary Development Plan policies. 1.3 As well as identifying how much development the borough needs over the Local Plan plan period (2015-2032) the Local Plan will also need to allocate sufficient land to meet the development requirements. These sites (known as ‘allocations’) will need to be sustainable and justified through extensive evidence base in order for them to stand up to scrutiny. In time, the Local Plan will progress through to Examination by an independent Planning Inspector who will be appointed to examine whether the plan is ‘sound’ or not. There is inevitably far more land being put to the Council for consideration compared to what will actually be required for the next 15 years. The Local Plan will also need to take account of a significant number of developments which already have planning permission approved, but not yet built, as these will contribute to our overall requirement. 1.4 To ensure the Local Plan proposes the most sustainable development allocations, that are in conformity with national planning policy, and will deliver the plan’s vision, aims and objectives, a site selection methodology will need to be developed and followed consistently. This paper sets out the proposed process for what the various

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stages of this methodology will entail, including our proposed sustainability appraisal site selection criteria. This is the opportunity for you to make comments on the proposed approach. 1.5 It should be noted that this paper deals solely with potential housing (including Gypsy & Traveller sites) and economic development land allocations (including mixed use sites); a separate site selection methodology is being consulted on in respect to minerals sites. Likewise, potential retail sites will need to be subject to sequential testing and will need to be assessed through a slightly different process, and will be reported separately. Waste management sites have been identified through a separate process. The Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham Joint Waste Plan allocates a range of sites to accommodate waste management facilities.

What are the Opportunities for Public Consultation on Sites & Next Steps?

1.6 The ‘call for sites’ map and further information was published on the Council’s website earlier this year (2015), and in advance of the summer 2015 Issues & Options Consultation, although it should be noted that this stage was not site specific. The Council is now starting to progress its methodology for how sites will, in time, be assessed as proposed in this document. Any comments on this draft site selection methodology are welcome, and indeed are encouraged. Following this stage of continuous engagement, any amendments will be made to the methodology before being put into place and used for assessing potential sites as each stage of the methodology can be deployed over the next few months (January 2016 onwards). 1.7 The Council’s timetable for preparing the Local Plan identifies that a Publication version will be published in summer 2016. This, alongside a number of other things, will include a Proposals Map showing all the sites the Council is supporting for allocation for the various uses. All the supporting evidence, including the Sustainability Appraisal Report, (as set out in this paper) will also have to be made available at this point so that it is clear which sites have been identified (and the reasons why?) and vice-versa. It is envisaged however that most of the supporting evidence (e.g. HELAA, SFRA etc) will be published on the Council’s website before the formal Publication stage; everybody on the Local Plan contacts database will receive notification via e-mail as and when documents are available. 1.8 The Publication stage will run for a minimum of 6 weeks and anybody who wishes will have the opportunity to provide comments on the plan, including the proposed site allocations/rejected site options. These comments (known as representations on the soundness and legal compliance of the plan) are passed directly to the Planning Inspector who is independently appointed to then examine the ‘soundness’ of the plan at an Examination in Public. Only if the Inspector concludes the Local Plan is ‘sound’ can it then go forward for adoption by the Council through a resolution by Full Council. Following this, it can then be used to determine all future planning applications against (alongside national policy, and adopted Neighbourhood Plans, and other material considerations etc).

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What does the National Planning Practice Guidance say about ‘Publication Stage’ of the Local Plan? The publication stage plan should be the document that the local authority considers ready for examination. This Plan must be published for representations by the local planning authority, together with other “proposed submission documents”, before it can be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for examination. This provides a formal opportunity for the local community and other interests to consider the Local Plan, which the local planning authority would like to adopt.

Site Selection Methodology 1.9 Figure 1 overleaf sets out an overview of how the Council proposes to assess and compare potential housing and employment development site options to ensure that the ones supported to allocation will meet the Plan’s vision, aims & objectives and deliver sustainable development in line with national planning policy. Further information on each of the various stages 1-6 is set out in the remainder of this paper.

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Figure 1: Doncaster Local Plan: Housing & Employment Site Selection Methodology Overview

EITHER

OR

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Stage 1: ‘Call for Sites’ What does the National Planning Policy Framework say about ‘call for sites’? The Framework does not specifically make reference to the call for sites stage. What does the National Planning Practice Guidance say about ‘call for sites’? The Local Plan should include a call for potential development sites and broad locations for development and this needs to be aimed at as wide an audience as practicably possible including Parish Councils, landowners and developers. The Council should request information on location, development types being proposed, scale and constraints.

Background

1.10 As part of the early engagement stage of the new Local Plan, a 'call for sites' was undertaken for a period of eight weeks between October and December 2014 to establish which sites landowners and developers wish to see considered for development through the new Local Plan. Everybody on the Local Plan database was notified of this exercise and asked to complete a questionnaire to ascertain their intentions for the land as well as submit a supporting location plan. The stage was also publicised wider, for example through the use of social media, press releases, and events such as the Doncaster Property Forum.

1.11 Sites put to the Council for consideration through the ‘call for sites’ stage does not indicate that they will necessarily be supported for development (unless planning permission is already approved on the site). It will be the role of the Local Plan to identify how much development land is needed first and foremost to meet the growth and regeneration needs of the Borough, and then identify the most sustainable sites to accommodate this.

1.12 Following the close of the 'call for sites' stage, a total of 499 sites were put forward for consideration for various proposed uses, the exact breakdown as follows:

Housing - 376 sites

Employment - 30 sites

Mixed use - 25 sites

Retail - 1 site

Minerals Extraction - 7 sites (as set out above, minerals sites will be addressed through a separate document available in due course)

Gypsy & Traveller - 2 sites

Multiple Options - 33 sites (e.g. promoter has asked for the site to be considered as suitable for either housing or employment etc rather than just a single land use)

Other - 25 sites (e.g. renewable energy, holiday accommodation, site of local green space value etc)

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1.13 Since the ‘call for sites’ stage formally closed, a number of additional sites have been put forward to the Council for consideration through the emerging Local Plan and indeed continue to be put forward; these sites will be incorporated if the timetable permits.

1.14 As well as land put forward by landowners and the development industry, other land that may be suitable for development needs to be identified (as required by national guidance) so an additional exercise has been undertaken to identify any sites currently allocated for development in the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) that do not yet have planning permission (as of spring 2015) and have not been subject to representation to the 'call for sites' stage. Any proposed allocations in the withdrawn Local Development Framework Sites and Policies Plan which have not been resubmitted have also been identified. These sites will need to be assessed alongside all the 'call for sites' to establish whether they are still suitable, deliverable and developable sites? This exercise has identified an additional 'pool' of 40 sites as follows:

Unused UDP Housing Allocations - 11 sites

Proposed Housing Allocations in Sites and Policies Plan - 5 sites

Unused UDP Employment Allocations - 30 sites

This gives a total of 545 sites to be considered further.

How will potential development sites be assessed at this stage?

1.15 At this initial stage of the process, there is no assessment of the potential development sites that have been put forward. All sites have been mapped and can be viewed on the interactive map via the following link to the Council’s website (http://doncaster.opus3.co.uk/ldf/maps/call-for-sites#x=459170.0007745&y=404513.49847077&l=430065.84982407&r=488274.15172493&t=419647.65696499&b=389379.33997655&scale=150000&4469&4470&4471&4472&4473&4474&4475&4476).

1.16 The map includes an individual site reference which corresponds to the subsequent table where further information about these sites can be found (http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/planning/call-for-sites-stage). Please note that sometimes sites have been submitted more than once, for example where a site is being proposed on its own and as part of a larger site; the site reference of the duplicate is given together with how much of the site is duplicated. Further work is being done looking at duplicate site areas as part of the next stages of the Local Plan evidence base (see ‘HELAA Stage 2’ below).

Put simply, what does this mean? All new Local Plans need to have an understanding of what land may be available in the area for different development needs in order to be confident that it can develop a strategy that doesn’t just meet our development needs in theory, but that actual sites are available that could come forward in the future. These sites do not have any status at this time therefore (unless they have already been through the planning process and been granted) they are merely expressions of interest and there are far more sites being promoted than what the Local Plan will need to support.

http://doncaster.opus3.co.uk/ldf/maps/call-for-sites#x=459170.0007745&y=404513.49847077&l=430065.84982407&r=488274.15172493&t=419647.65696499&b=389379.33997655&scale=150000&4469&4470&4471&4472&4473&4474&4475&4476




http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/planning/call-for-sites-stage

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Stage 2: Housing & Economic Land Availability Assessment or Small Sites/Boundary Review Process

What does the National Planning Policy Framework say about Housing & Economic Land Availability Assessments & Local Plans? Para. 158 – The Council should ensure that the Local Plan is based on adequate, up-to-date and relevant evidence about the economic, social and environmental characteristics and prospects of the area. The Council should ensure that their assessment of and strategies for housing, employment and other uses are integrated, and that they take full account of relevant market and economic signals. Para. 159 – the Council should prepare a Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment to establish realistic assumptions about the availability, suitability and the likely economic viability of land to meet the identified need for housing over the plan period. Para. 161 – the Council should use this evidence to assess the existing and future supply of land available for economic development and its sufficiency and suitability to meet the identified needs. Reviews of land available for economic development should be undertaken at the same time as, or combined with, Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessments and should include a reappraisal of the suitability of previously allocated land. What does the National Planning Practice Guidance say about Housing & Economic Land Availability Assessments & Local Plans? The Housing & Employment Land Availability Assessment identifies a future supply of land which is suitable, available and achievable for housing and economic development uses over the plan period. Carrying out the assessment of housing and economic land uses as part of the same assessment is supported by the Framework and will help ensure allocations are proposed for the most appropriate uses. The assessment is a key part of the evidence base for underpinning policies in the Local Plan for housing and economic development, including identifying and supporting the delivery of land to meet identified need through the Local Plan. The assessment does not therefore allocate land because not all sites will be suitable due to, for example, policy constraints. The assessment provides information on a range of sites available to meet our needs, but it is the Local Plan process that must determine which sites are most suitable for allocation. What does the Planning Advisory Service ‘Good Plan Making Guide; Plan Making Principles for Practitioners (September 2014) say about Housing & Economic Land Availability Assessments for Local Plans? Principle 6: Develop a relevant and robust evidence base for housing and other topics: Para. 6.11 - The strategic housing land availability assessment (SHLAA) should cover all potential sources of supply. The SHLAA should be prepared in consultation with the development industry and key stakeholders, and should identify as many potential housing sites in the area as possible. Agreeing a methodology with neighbouring authorities will result in a consistent approach across the housing market area. The local

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plan should then seek to decide which of these identified sites should be allocated for housing. Para 6.12 - The SHLAA forms part of the evidence base and is not examined in its own right, but it does need to be sufficiently robust to justify and support the delivery of the plan. A plan is not unsound just because there is no SHLAA in place, but any available evidence of housing land supply should be updated taking into account the same basic principles. Housing supply evidence needs to be up to date, convincing and in accordance with NPPF paragraphs 47, 50 and 159.

Background

1.17 National planning policy requires the preparation of Housing & Economic Land Availability Assessments (HELAA) as a key piece of evidence to inform the selection of housing and employment (including mixed use) site allocations in Local Plans, and to provide the basis for demonstrating the on-going five year deliverable housing land supply position. The HELAA is an extensive survey of both existing and potential development sites; it identifies the capacity of places to accommodate growth but it does not allocate sites; that is a matter for the Local Plan; hence this site selection methodology paper. The inclusion of a site within the HELAA and any evidence relating to it does not imply that planning permission would be granted; many of the sites assessed are contrary to current development plan policy and might only be considered appropriate for permission if and when they are allocated in the new Local Plan. How will potential development sites be assessed at this stage? 1.18 The HELAA is being prepared in accordance with the guidance and methodology set out in the national guidance and the more detailed methodologies agreed by the 2 Stakeholder Groups who are assessing the suitability and deliverability/developability of sites put forward for consideration through the ‘Call for Sites’ stage Autumn 2014 (Stage 1 above). Thus this stage/assessment acts as a first filter for screening sites out of the Local Plan process. This stage of the process will also need to make some conclusions on suitability of site options for different land uses where sites are being assessed for potentially different uses, including the scope for mixed use sites as it is noted that a number of such sites have been put forward for consideration; likewise, there may be other mixed use sites that could be proposed based on a number of smaller component sites. The Sustainability Appraisal Report will include a list of all HELAA not deliverable/developable sites. The Council will publish its HELAA on our website imminently and this will replace the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (last updated March 2011) and Employment Land Review (December 2009 & updated 2011). 1.19 As well as the HELAA process, there are a number of sites that have been put forward for consideration that fall below the housing (5 units) or economic land (0.25ha) threshold which, based on national guidance, are too small to allocate through the Local Plan. These will therefore be assessed through a separate ‘Small Sites/ Boundary Review’ report. Many of these sites include requests for amendments to settlement boundaries. For example, where a large residential curtilage may exist on the edge of a settlement and the Green Belt of Countryside Policy Area designation cuts through the ‘site’ and the promoter is requesting a more ‘defensible boundary’ should be identified. This report will be prepared in due course and published on the Council’s website as part of the evidence for the Local Plan. Any non-defensible boundaries may be amended though the Local Plan Proposals Map.

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Put simply, what does this mean? All of the sites being promoted that are large enough to potentially allocate will go through this first stage of assessment. Stakeholder groups of representatives from the development industry assess the sites to come to a view as to whether they are ‘suitable’ for further consideration through the Local Plan process. Some sites may be ruled out at this stage (e.g. they may be landlocked and not have any access) and others will go forward to the next round of assessment. This stage does still not give any indication of whether a site would be supported as sites still do not have any status; it merely narrows the number of sites in need of further appraisal. Smaller sites will be assessed through a separate exercise, primarily concerned with looking at making changes to boundaries on the edge of towns and villages where current boundaries are ‘not defensible’ i.e. do not make sense, or are not based on a recognisable line/feature on the ground .

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Stage 3: Local Plan Spatial Strategy

Background

1.20 Over the summer 2015, the Council consulted on 3 options for distributing development across the borough for the Local Plan period 2015 – 2032. It was town and village-specific but not site-specific. The options were informed by a published Settlement Audit which provides an up-to-date count of the services in each community (shops, schools, bus services, doctors etc) and provides each community with an overall key services ‘score’. The consultation material is available to view via the following link to the Council’s website (http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/planning/local-plan-issues-and-options).

1.21 In brief, there are a number of ways that development could be spread around the borough but there are also some important limitations; the Local Plan must:

take account of national planning policies and their support for sustainable development and be based on an objective assessment of the borough’s development and infrastructure needs;

have regard to the various other strategies of the Council and its partners (such as the Borough Strategy, Housing Strategy and the Sheffield City Region Growth Plan);

take into account evidence of market demand for different types of development and the availability of land that can be expected to be developed. Decisions and developments will continue whilst the Local Plan is being prepared and these too must be taken into account;

take into account evidence of environmental constraints on development (such as flood risk) and the need to conserve the built and natural heritage; and

be supported by a sustainability appraisal. This is a legal requirement and is used at different stages of the Local Plan to assess the impacts of the plan (see Stage 4.

1.22 The Council has reviewed all of the responses received to the summer consultation and is identifying which of the 3 options, or combination of the options, is the best strategy to peruse through the new Local Plan. All of the consultation comments received will be published in due course.

How will potential development sites be assessed at this stage? 1.23 Once the most sustainable Local Plan spatial strategy has been identified with development requirements quantified for broad locations or specific towns and villages then inevitably there will be a number of sites put forward through the ‘call for sites’ stage 1 that will not meet the plan’s aims and objectives, or fulfil national planning policy requirements. For example, none of the options consulted on above directed growth towards our 30 ‘small villages’ which were identified in the Settlement Audit as having 2 or less key services and unsustainable locations therefore for growth. It is unlikely that any of the proposals which would constitute large housing extensions to these small villages will be identified as being sustainable locations for future growth for reasons set out above.

http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/planning/local-plan-issues-and-options


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1.24 The emerging spatial strategy will therefore confirm which towns and villages are potentially suitable for development, as well as which ones are not and need to be protected and conserved. Sites that are located outside of the settlements identified in the spatial strategy as suitable for allocations will not be assessed any further therefore through the Local Plan process and will be filtered out at this stage. Likewise isolated sites unattached to settlements are unlikely to be sustainable. It is noted that there is inevitably an element of overlap between this stage and the HELAA stage 2 given the HELAA methodology e.g. isolated sites, and extensions to villages without a number of key services were identified as ‘unsuitable’ already given national planning policy requirements. 1.25 The Sustainability Appraisal Report will identify which sites are being filtered out because of non-conformity with the Local Plan spatial strategy. The exception to this would be any sites already within existing settlement limits (infill development) or sites below the HELAA site size threshold which will be considered through the Small Sites/ Boundary Review process as set out in Stage 2 already.

Put simply, what does this mean? Doncaster is the largest metropolitan borough in England at over 225 square miles in size and contains a diverse and dispersed distribution of towns and villages of varying sizes and with varying levels of facilities and services (shops, buses, doctors, green spaces etc). National planning policy requires that the Local Plan brings forward sustainable development. A key element of this is making sure people have the best possible access to facilities and services via modes of travel that are not reliant on cars such as walking, cycling and public transport. The Local Plan will need to come up with a list of the towns and villages where future development should be directed, these will need to be sustainable places as well as giving consideration as to where development is needed. Likewise, it will need to be clear which towns and villages are not appropriate for future development and in need of being conserved and protected. Any sites that would not be able to contribute therefore to the towns and villages being supported through the Local Plan will not need any further assessment therefore as they will not be supported by national planning policy, or help deliver the Local Plans’ vision, aims and objectives.

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Stage 4: Strategic Environmental Assessment & Sustainability Appraisal What does the National Planning Policy Framework say about Strategic Environmental Assessment & Sustainability Appraisal for Local Plans in respect to sites? Para. 165 – A sustainability appraisal which meets the requirements of the European Directive on strategic environmental assessment should be an integral part of the Local Plan process, and should consider all the likely significant effects on the environment, economic and social factors. What does the National Planning Practice Guidance say about Strategic Environmental Assessment & Sustainability Appraisal for Local Plans in respect to sites? A sustainability appraisal is a systematic process that must be carried out during the preparation of a Local Plan. Its role is to promote sustainable development by assessing the extent to which the emerging plan, when judged against reasonable alternatives, will help to achieve relevant environmental, economic and social objectives. This process is an opportunity to consider ways by which the plan can contribute to improvements in environmental, social and economic conditions, as well as a means of identifying and mitigating any potential adverse effects that the plan might otherwise have. By doing so, it can help make sure that the proposals in the plan are the most appropriate given the reasonable alternatives. It can be used to test the evidence underpinning the plan and help to demonstrate how the tests of soundness have been met. Sustainability appraisal should be applied as an iterative process informing the development of the Local Plan. The Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive is a European Union requirement that seeks to provide a high level of protection of the environment by integrating environmental considerations into the process of preparing certain plans and programmes. The aim of the Directive is “to contribute to the integration of environmental considerations into the preparation and adoption of plans and programmes with a view to promoting sustainable development, by ensuing that, in accordance with this Directive, an environmental assessment is carried out of certain plans and programmes which are likely to have significant effects on the environment.” Sustainability appraisal is integral to the preparation and development of a Local Plan, to identify how sustainable development is being addressed, so work should start at the same time that work starts on developing the plan. Strategic environmental assessment considers only the environmental effects of a plan, whereas sustainability appraisal considers the plan’s wider economic and social effects in addition to its potential environmental impacts. What does the Planning Advisory Service ‘Good Plan Making Guide; Plan Making Principles for Practitioners (September 2014) say about Strategic Environmental Assessment & Sustainability Appraisal for Local Plans in respect to sites?

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Principle 4: Integrate the sustainability appraisal with each stage of the plan making process. Para. 4.17 - You may wish to consider using quantitative information where possible (for example, the distance of a site to services and facilities) to determine significant effects. But be careful with mathematical models to determine degrees of significance. It can be tempting to allow formulae and scoring of the effects but this can lead to an artificial 'certainty' in the model. Furthermore scoring systems which result in an overall ranking can be misleading as authorities need to be clear, and make it clear to others, that a sustainability appraisal is a tool to aid the selection of the most appropriate option and is not the actual decision-making mechanism. Para. 4.18 - When using symbols or other ways of presenting information regarding the likely effects (for example, positive, negative, uncertain), always explain and justify the choice of symbol with reference to the baseline situation and the relevant to the Sustainability Appraisal objective (thus demonstrating an evidence based, baseline-led approach). Flow diagrams can also have a role in identifying and illustrating cause-and-effect, indirect and secondary effects. Para. 4.19 - It is important to keep the process as simple and consistent as you can. Criteria should be as objective as possible, the range of scoring options should be limited and any baseline data must be kept up to date. There is also considerable merit in taking a team work approach to the sustainability appraisal – involving the local plan authors - to generate discussion on likely impacts and to aid consistency and objectivity. You may also wish to incorporate internal quality assurance checking or external review of the appraisal process.

Background 1.26 Sustainability Appraisal is a tool designed to assess, predict and monitor the effects of the plan. The main role of the appraisal is to ensure that decisions are made in accordance with the principles of sustainable development and aims to integrate social, economic and environmental considerations from the outset. The appraisal will set out measures or interventions to offset, reduce or militate against adverse effects and maximise beneficial effects of the option, as far as is practicable. These measures are known as mitigation measures. 1.27 The Council has already prepared and consulted on its Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report (July 2015) (incorporating Strategic Environmental Assessment) and this is available to view on the Council’s website (http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/planning/local-plan-issues-and-options). The Scoping Report sets out how the appraisal will be carried out and how it will be integrated into the preparation of the Local Plan. How will potential development sites be assessed at this stage? 1.28 The Sustainability Appraisal process itself does not allocate sites; it is another part of the evidence to inform the overall site selection process. The Scoping Report identifies a Framework for assessing the likely impacts of the plan based on 14 sustainability objectives (several also containing a number of sub-objectives) and a number of guide questions for how the objective will be achieved (see Appendix 3 of the Scoping Report). In order to assess the likely impacts of potential sites on these objectives a number of site selection criteria have been identified which are being


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proposed to be used to appraise the sustainability of site options (housing, and employment (including mixed use)) using a simplified matrix of symbols (+/-/0/?) commonly employed by sustainability appraisal. 1.29 Appendix 1 sets out the proposed sustainability appraisal framework and provides further information and justification for the approach being proposed for each objective and site option. It is also proposed to produce an interactive sustainability appraisal map containing all of the relevant layers of information in order for added transparency to the process so that it is clear how and why a site has been appraised on any criteria and conclusion reached on any symbol. Following this, the Council will provide a broad summary of the results of the appraisal including consideration of the significance of the potential impacts arising from development, including the scale, nature and magnitude of the impacts. Further details are set out in section 5 of the Council’s Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report. 1.30 There may be some sites where the Sustainability Appraisal process identifies major significant adverse negative effects that, despite mitigation, may not be possible to resolve. However, given the HELAA methodology at stage 2 also required consideration of national policy suitability criteria (heritage, biodiversity, functional flood plain constraints etc) then again there is inevitably a degree of overlap between the two stages and some sites that would be identified as having significantly adverse effects may not have made it past the HELAA stage 2 in the first instance. Where it may be possible to mitigate negative effects, then mitigation measures will be identified against each objective (where relevant). If a site goes forward to allocation then these measures will also form the basis of the site-specific requirements that will inform the future design and scale of the development within the Local Plan. The sustainability appraisal will scrutinise the reasons why specific sites have been selected and why alternative sites have been rejected. The recommendations set out in the appraisal will inform the final decisions on which sites will be included within the Local Plan. The matrices will be included as an appendix to the sustainability appraisal that will accompany the Doncaster Local Plan at the Publication stage. 1.31 The Sustainability Appraisal process traditionally uses a range of symbols to predict and quantify the effects of a policy or proposal, as provided by the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive, and as set out in the Council’s Scoping Report (pg. 19). It is proposed to adopt this same approach to appraisal of sites, but to follow a slightly simplified set of symbols as set out in the following table (Table 1). It is not proposed that the symbols will be weighted or numerical ‘scores’ assigned as discussed in the Council’s SA Scoping Report (pg.20 para. 5.27) and PAS guidance above. Instead a RAG (red-amber-green) rating approach is being proposed which will provide a visual overview of how sites have performed across the range of SA criteria by using a fairly common ‘traffic light’ approach of showing positive effects as green, neutral effects as amber, and negative effects as red. 1.32 It is proposed that any mixed use site options will be assessed through all the relevant SA criteria to account for such sites being made up of more than one land use element e.g. housing and employment uses.

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Table 1: Proposed SA Symbols & RAG Rating for Site Options

1.33 It is also proposed that the flood risk avoidance sub objective (see SA Objective 11a) be scoped out from the sustainability appraisal as a separate stand-alone flood risk sequential test (and exceptions test where necessary – see Stage 5) will be prepared so to include as an SA criteria also would lead to an element of double-counting. This approach is endorsed by national planning practice guidance. Likewise, other SA objectives are not necessarily relevant to all land uses, or do not have an impact on appraising one site option over another (i.e. they may require an element of detail around the development proposal not known at allocation stage) and these are being proposed to be ‘scoped-out’ from the assessment. 1.34 Sites with existing planning permission (commitments) that are being proposed to be allocated through the Local Plan (as they may not yet begun building on the site, but the development will contribute to our development requirements over the plan period) will also be assessed through the same sustainability appraisal process in order to demonstrate they are (as) sustainable as any of the proposed competing option sites to justify allocating them.

Put simply, what does this mean? The ‘sustainability appraisal’ process is a legal requirement that must be complied with in order for the Local Plan not be found ‘unsound’ when it gets examined by an independent Planning Inspector. The process helps to ensure that the plan, and the proposed site allocations in it, are the most sustainable ones when compared to other choices available i.e. they will contribute to economic, social and environmental benefits for the borough, and will not negatively impact on any of these to a level that is unacceptable. Appendix 1 shows what ‘tests’ we propose to apply to every site that has reached this stage in order to demonstrate this and, where there are potential negative impacts, help to inform whether they can be realistically resolved.

+ Mainly positive effects

0 Neutral effects

? The effects are uncertain

- Mainly negative effects

- - Major significant negative effects that may not be possible to mitigate regardless of further detail on proposal/layout/density etc

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Stage 5: Flood Risk Sequential & Exceptions Test (if required) & Green Belt What does the National Planning Policy Framework say about Flood Risk for Local Plans? Para. 99 – states that Local Plans should take account of climate change over the long term, including flood risk, and plan so that development avoids increased vulnerability to impacts arising from climate change, but where development is brought forward in vulnerable areas ensure the risks are managed. Para. 100 - Inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk, but where development is necessary, making it safe without increasing flood risk elsewhere. Local Plans should be supported by Strategic Flood Risk Assessment and develop policies to manage flood risk from all sources, taking account of advice from the Environment Agency and other relevant flood risk management bodies, such as lead local flood authorities and internal drainage boards. Local Plans should apply a sequential, risk-based approach to the location of development to avoid where possible flood risk to people and property and manage any residual risk, taking account of the impacts of climate change, by: ● applying the Sequential Test; ● if necessary, applying the Exception Test; Para. 101 - The aim of the Sequential Test is to steer new development to areas with the lowest probability of flooding. Development should not be allocated if there are reasonably available sites appropriate for the proposed development in areas with a lower probability of flooding. The Strategic Flood Risk Assessment will provide the basis for applying this test. A sequential approach should be used in areas known to be at risk from any form of flooding. Para. 102 - If, following application of the Sequential Test, it is not possible, consistent with wider sustainability objectives, for the development to be located in zones with a lower probability of flooding, the Exception Test can be applied if appropriate. For the Exception Test to be passed: ● it must be demonstrated that the development provides wider sustainability benefits to the community that outweigh flood risk, informed by a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment where one has been prepared; and ● a site-specific flood risk assessment must demonstrate that the development will be safe for its lifetime taking account of the vulnerability of its users, without increasing flood risk elsewhere, and, where possible, will reduce flood risk overall. Both elements of the test will have to be passed for development to be allocated. What does the National Planning Practice Guidance say about Flood Risk for Local Plans? The guidance includes the following flow diagram for application of the sequential test for Local Plans.

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A local planning authority should demonstrate through evidence that it has considered a range of options in the site allocation process, using the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment to apply the Sequential Test and the Exception Test where necessary. This can be undertaken directly or, ideally, as part of the sustainability appraisal. Where other sustainability criteria outweigh flood risk issues, the decision making process should be transparent with reasoned justifications for any decision to allocate land in areas at high flood risk in the sustainability appraisal report. The Sequential Test can also be demonstrated in a free-standing document, or as part of strategic housing land or employment land availability assessments. The guidance provides the following flow diagram for application of the Exceptions Test for Local Plans.

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Evidence of wider sustainability benefits to the community should be provided, for instance, through the sustainability appraisal. If a potential site allocation fails to score positively against the aims and objectives of the sustainability appraisal, or is not otherwise capable of demonstrating sustainability benefits, the local planning authority should consider whether the use of planning conditions and/or planning obligations could make it do so. Where this is not possible the Exception Test has not been satisfied and the allocation should not be made. In considering an allocation in a Local Plan a level 2 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment should inform consideration of the second part of the Exception Test.

Background

1.35 The borough of Doncaster includes the two catchment areas of the river Don (western parts of the borough) and the river Trent (eastern parts of the borough). The river Don’s two main tributaries are the river Rother to the south and the Dearne to the north. A further two main rivers, Ea Beck and the river Went, join the Don downstream of Doncaster. The Bentley flood corridor is an area of low-lying land on the left bank of the river Don between the river Don and Bentley. The river Trent and its catchments cover parts of the north-east, south, and south-east corner of Doncaster.

1.36 According the Environment Agency’s flood risk map for Planning, nearly 34% of the borough is at high risk of flooding (flood risk zone 3) with a further 9% at medium risk (flood risk zone 2) as identified on the map below. This equates to over 24,400 hectares. Areas at risk include the main urban area of Doncaster (parts of Doncaster town centre, Bentley, Wheatley Hall Road and Kirk Sandall), Thorne, Moorends, Hatfield-Stainforth, Carcroft, Askern, and a number of other smaller villages.

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1.37 However, this ‘risk’ does not take into account the presence of flood defences, as there is always a possibility that defences could fail, but many of these areas are well defended by existing flood defence infrastructure. 1.38 Surface water flooding occurs where high levels of rainfall exceed drainage capacity in an area and these events can lead to serious flooding of property as demonstrated by the flood event in summer 2007. The topography of the borough, especially in and around a number of built-up areas, make them potentially prone to flooding caused by direct rainfall due to the amount of impermeable surfaces and the lack of sufficient sewer capacity. Areas where surface water may generate particularly high risk can be found at Intake, Bentley, Toll Bar, and Adwick-le-Street. How will potential development sites be assessed at this stage? 1.39 National policy in respect to the application of the flood risk sequential and, if necessary, exceptions test will be applied. Sites will be ranked in order of flood risk (from all sources) on a settlement-by-settlement basis using the findings from the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment Level 1 (2015) which will be published imminently as part of the key evidence on flood risk for the Local Plan. This is known as the sequential test as required by national planning policy set out above. Priority to allocation should be given to sites at lowest risk of flooding first and foremost, unless it is not possible, consistent with wider sustainability, to avoid flood risk in which case consideration can be given to sites at medium risk of flooding and so forth. There is relatively little guidance or advice on what constitutes ‘wider sustainability’ and how this should be demonstrated at plan-making stage? However, it is generally accepted that in areas like the borough of Doncaster, with 43% of its land area constrained by flood risk (including virtually entire settlements such as Thorne) and a legacy of de-industrialisation, that it is unlikely that complete avoidance will be possible without the alternatives meaning brownfield sites will not be regenerated, and an increase in travel by non-sustainable modes being likely.

Put simply, what does this mean? National planning policy seeks to ensure that development avoids flood risk areas. However, it also recognises that this may not always be possible. In order to demonstrate whether flood risk areas/sites are required through the Local Plan, national policy needs sites to be ranked in order of flood risk (least risk to highest risk) from all sources of flooding (main rivers, surface water flooding, groundwater etc). This process is called a ‘sequential test’. Sites at lowest risk of flooding should be supported before sites at medium risk of flooding and so forth. However, this may not always be possible, for example some towns and villages are almost entirely at risk of flooding. This is partly because the maps used for planning purposes that show the risks do not take account of the impact of flood defences as there is always a chance these could fail. Where it can be demonstrated that flood risk sites are necessary, then some forms of development are at more of a risk from residual flooding than others e.g. housing is more vulnerable than a shop. National policy puts in place the necessary ‘checks and balances’ so it must be demonstrated therefore that any such development in high flood risk areas provides for wider sustainability benefits to the community that outweighs the residual flood risk, and that it will be safe and flood risk will not be displaced elsewhere. This is known as the ‘exceptions test’.

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What does the National Planning Policy Framework say about Green Belt and Local Plans? Para. 79 – 80 - The Government attaches great importance to Green Belts. The fundamental aim of Green Belt policy is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open; the essential characteristics of Green Belts are their openness and their permanence. Green Belt serves five purposes: ● to check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas; ● to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another; ● to assist in safeguarding the countryside from encroachment; ● to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns; and ● to assist in urban regeneration, by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land. Para. 83 – Council’s with Green Belts in their area should establish Green Belt boundaries in their Local Plans which set the framework for Green Belt and settlement policy. Once established, Green Belt boundaries should only be altered in exceptional circumstances, through the preparation or review of the Local Plan. At that time, authorities should consider the Green Belt boundaries having regard to their intended permanence in the long term, so that they should be capable of enduring beyond the plan period. Para. 84 - When drawing up or reviewing Green Belt boundaries the Council should take account of the need to promote sustainable patterns of development. They should consider the consequences for sustainable development of channelling development towards urban areas inside the Green Belt boundary, towards towns and villages inset within the Green Belt or towards locations beyond the outer Green Belt boundary. Para. 85 - When defining boundaries, the Council should: ● ensure consistency with the Local Plan strategy for meeting identified requirements for sustainable development; ● not include land which it is unnecessary to keep permanently open; ● where necessary, identify in their plans areas of ‘safeguarded land’ between the urban area and the Green Belt, in order to meet longer-term development needs stretching well beyond the plan period; ● make clear that the safeguarded land is not allocated for development at the present time. Planning permission for the permanent development of safeguarded land should only be granted following a Local Plan review which proposes the development; ● satisfy themselves that Green Belt boundaries will not need to be altered at the end of the development plan period; and ● define boundaries clearly, using physical features that are readily recognisable and likely to be permanent. What does the National Planning Practice Guidance say about Green Belt and Local Plans? The guidance does not make specific reference to Green Belt and Local Plans.

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Background

1.40 The main purpose of the South Yorkshire Green Belt is to prevent the large metropolitan areas of Doncaster, Rotherham, Barnsley and Wakefield from merging together and to support the regeneration of these places. For this reason, the Green Belt designation covers the western part of the Borough, but does not extend to cover the countryside in the eastern half of the borough. However, this is currently protected by the local designation Countryside Protection Policy Area. The map below shows the extent of the Green Belt boundary. Green Belt covers nearly 23,250 hectares of land which equates to 41% of the borough’s total area.

How will potential development sites be assessed at this stage? 1.41 National policy in respect to the Green Belt will be applied which allows land to be taken out of Green Belt only in exceptional circumstances, for example if the homes target for the borough or for a specific town could not otherwise be sustainably achieved. The Council has commissioned an independent Green Belt review and this will be published in due course. The Green Belt review will not make changes to Green Belt boundaries but will appraise parcels of land and their relative importance to the purposes of the Green Belt. This will be evidence that will then be considered alongside other findings of the site selection appraisal. It may also be the case that a Green Belt site is clearly more sustainable for development than non-Green Belt alternatives.

Put simply, what does this mean? National planning policy provides strong protection to the Green Belt and there are relatively few examples of development that is supported as being appropriate in the Green Belt (e.g. agriculture uses). Indeed, national policy presumes most forms of development are, by definition, harmful to the Green Belt and should not be supported. However, the Local Plan is a process which can take land out of the Green Belt as long as it can be demonstrated that there are what are called ‘exceptional circumstances’ for doing so. For example, if we were unable to meet our development needs for a town or village without using Green Belt land as no other land is available, or not suitable.

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Stage 6: Viability Testing

What does the National Planning Policy Framework say about viability and Local Plans? Paras 173-174 requires the Council to ensure that sites identified in Local Plans are deliverable through not being subject to a scale of policy requirements (affordable housing, infrastructure contributions, design standards etc) that their ability to be developed is put at risk. The Council will need to demonstrate through proportionate and reasonably available evidence that sites proposed will provide a competitive return to a willing landowner and developer after factoring in the normal costs of development throughout the economic cycle. What does the National Planning Practice Guidance say about viability and Local Plans? The appropriate method for assessing viability of sites and testing Local Plan policies is through a ‘viability assessment’ and this will need to be an iterative process. It is not necessary to test every proposed site allocation; site typologies and samples of sites may be used at plan-making stage instead based on the types of development expected to be delivered in the plan, with more detailed assessment for challenging market areas, or key strategic sites which are critical to the success of the Local Plan. The cumulative impact of all costs to a development must be factored into the assessment. Plans should not be based on the margins of viability, but allow for a buffer to reflect changes to market conditions over the plan period. Further guidance is provided on how viability assessments should take account of development value, costs, land values and developer profit. What does the Planning Advisory Service ‘Good Plan Making Guide; Plan Making Principles for Practitioners (September 2014) say about viability and Local Plans? Principle 10: Ensure the Local plan is deliverable, viable and supported by necessary infrastructure Para. 10.1 - Local plans need to be deliverable over the plan period. You need to show in an implementation/delivery plan how the plan will be delivered. A key part of deliverability is identifying land. This has often been one of the hardest and most controversial aspects of plan-making, as the decisions involved can be difficult and unpopular. Your authority will often also have a role in helping to deliver another authority’s plan, and vice versa. Para. 10.2 - Aspirational policies can be acceptable, but they still need to be deliverable over time. Plans shouldn’t have policies that are so aspirational that the plan will not be delivered. One aspect of this is around identification of sites – for example identifying land for employment without any likelihood of development for employment purposes. Para. 10.3 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) has placed much stronger emphasis on viability in plan-making. It is clear that all policy requirements need to be considered together in assessing whether the plan can be delivered. This gives rise to the need for “whole-plan” viability testing. Two main points to remember are that this is about the cumulative cost of policies, and that full account has to be taken of relevant market and economic signals.

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Para. 10.4 - 10.4 Under the NPPF, you will need to test the whole plan and all its policies together to show its impact on viability; however, separate viability testing of strategic sites is also recommended if they are key to the delivery of the plan. Para. 10.6 - 10.6 There are several ways of testing viability but it needn’t be over- complicated. In assessing viability, Inspectors will bear in mind the advice set out in the Viability Testing local plans document of June 2012 by the Local Housing Delivery Group. For the first 5 years of a plan period policies should be based on current market costs and values. What does the Local Housing Delivery Group (June 2012) Viability Testing Local Plans: Advice for Planning Practitioners say about viability and Local Plans? The best practice guidance supports a collaborative approach to Local Plan viability assessment as set out in the following flow diagram (pg. 19) The following diagram is a simplified overview of the elements that the assessment will need to consider in order to come to a view as to whether the Local Plan is viable or not? (pg. 25)

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Background 1.42 Since the downturn in the market post 2008, and the publication of the National Planning Policy Framework in 2012, the planning system has had to be responsive to issues around development viability, both through planning applications that are being determined, and through policy and plan-making. The need for viability testing of both proposed sites, and policies in the Local Plan is clear and the two are inextricably linked as a Local Plan with extensive policy requirements and planning obligation asks will have a direct impact on the ability of the proposed site allocations to be viable and deliverable, as well as windfall development sites not identified in the plan. How will potential development sites be assessed at this stage? 1.43 At plan making stage, an area-wide viability testing model is deemed appropriate as much of the detail around specific sites will be unknown. As such, the viability testing will use a number of assumptions (e.g. average sales values, build costs, professional fees etc.) based on reasonably available evidence which is supported by the guidance above. 1.44 The Council will publish in due course an independent Whole Plan Viability Testing study which will be another key part of the evidence base for the Local Plan and its findings will feed into the selection of sites proposed in the Local Plan as identified in this paper. This work will be commissioned imminently once the Local Plan draft policies have been drawn up so that the viability testing model can be based on potential Local Plan policy asks. The approach will need to accord with the Local Housing Delivery Group best practice guidance. This process will need to be an iterative one and the findings may require revisions to either policy requirements and/or proposed allocations to be able to demonstrate the Local Plan will be deliverable in accordance with NPPF.

Put simply, what does this mean? National planning policy requires that we produce evidence that the Local Plan policies which require a cost to a developer (such as providing affordable housing, green spaces, contributions towards increasing school capacity, improving roads and public transport etc) are not at a scale that they will put the development at risk of coming forward because it will not be viable. In other words, we need to calculate how much financial headroom is in a development to be able to pay for these sort of requirements before they make the development unviable. This process requires an understanding of what the total sales values are likely to be from any type of development which then need to have all the costs of the development subtracted from it (building materials, labour, professional fees, contingencies etc). A reasonable cost for the landowner to part with the site also needs to be factored in, as does a reasonable profit to incentivise a developer to develop a site. In some challenging market areas, where sales values are lower, or where sites have expensive issues to resolve (flood risk, contamination etc). then it may not be possible to achieve all of our original policy asks and there will need to be a redrafting/ flexible application of policy, and/or reconsideration of sites being proposed as we must be confident that sites will come forward to meet our development needs.

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Appendix 1: Sustainability Appraisal Framework – Proposed Site Appraisal Criteria for appraising Site Options Sustainability Appraisal number & objective

Detailed decision making criteria Proposed SA Criteria for assessing… Proposed data source(s) & test(s)

Notes/comments

Housing Site Options Employment Site Options

1. Maintain and increase Doncaster’s growth and prosperity and diversify its economic base

A) Maintain and strengthen economic growth

• Create jobs / new businesses

• Support existing businesses

• Increase wealth • Attract investment and

trade • Close the ‘output gap’ • Improve financial security • Provide a supply of

available land for all business needs

• Promote tourism • Support home working/ e-

commerce • Improve quality of life

Loss of existing employment use:

0 Housing proposal on land not in existing employment use

- Housing proposal on land in existing employment use

It is not considered that this criteria is influenced by the location of development sites per se, so the effects on all site options will be similar in SA terms – scope out from appraisal

Housing site options – HELAA identifies whether sites are GF/BF. Assume all GF sites are not in existing employment so filter these out. BF sites will then be assessed against known uses via classifications in the ‘Basic Land & Property Units’ (BLPU) data. This is the classification given to each address point.

Maintain & strengthen economic growth: There is often pressure for housing proposals on land in current active employment use. Although such sites may provide short-term employment opportunities, through the construction industry for example, the loss of the existing employment use to other land uses will be permanent. All potential employment sites will, by their nature, contribute significant positive effects against this SA objective.

B) Economic diversification

• Provide a skilled workforce.

• Broaden sectoral mix • Less reliance on current

high volume sectors • More workers in ‘higher

value’ sectors • Promote rural

diversification



n/a

2. Reinforce and support community identity and pride

A) Support community identity

• Maintain and protect the physical identity and setting of existing settlements

• Conserve and protect existing services and facilities (especially in more remote areas)

• Promote greater community cohesion

• Don’t make everywhere the same

It is not considered that this criteria is influenced by the location of development sites per se, so the effects on all site options will be similar in SA terms – scope out of appraisal


n/a Support community identity: This is most relevant to the Development Management stage. All sites have the opportunity, through good design, layout etc to promote community cohesion and maintain/promote distinctive settlements and communities.

B) Pride • Get people involved in local issues.

• Foster positive perceptions of the area

• Make people proud of their own community and Doncaster

It is not considered that this criteria is influenced by the location of development sites per se, so the effects on all site options will be similar in SA terms – scope out from appraisal.


n/a

3. Improve accessibility to places and services, both within and outside of the borough

A) Accessibility to places

• Ensure places can be accessed via public transport

• Encourage a modal shift • Minimise travel to work

distances • Has footpath access where

possible • Has cycle paths where

possible • Have adequate parking

Public transport accessibility: + Site scores ‘green’ based on SYPTE Land Use Transport Integration model 0 Site scores ‘amber’ based on SYPTE Land Use Transport Integration model - Site scores ‘red’ based on SYPTE Land Use Transport Integration model

Public transport accessibility: + Site scores ‘green’ based on SYPTE Land Use Transport Integration model 0 Site scores ‘amber’ based on SYPTE Land Use Transport Integration model - Site scores ‘red’ based on SYPTE Land Use Transport Integration model

Housing & employment site options – Land Use Transport Integration modelling as per the SYPTE assessment of sites

Public transport accessibility: South Yorkshire Public Transport Executive (SYPTE) perceive public transport accessibility to sites as an integral contributor and opportunity to reduce the individuals need to use the private car for their everyday journeys (to the shop, to work etc.). By ensuring that people have access to sustainable forms of transport, it can therefore have a significant impact on reducing congestion, improve local air quality and increase public transport patronage. By locating sites near the public transport network, this will help influence sustainable travel behaviour by providing residents with an opportunity to use public transport as a realistic mode of transport. SYPTE welcomes

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Sustainability Appraisal number & objective


Notes/comments


facilities • Has road access where

possible

Access to Cycle Network:

+ Site is located within 100m of the identified cycle network

0 Site is located beyond 100m of the identified cycle network

Access to Cycle Network: + Site is located within 100m of the identified cycle network

0 Site is located beyond 100m of the identified cycle network

Housing & employment site options - The Doncaster Cycle Map (6

th Edition) was published in

2013 and is available to view on the Council’s website via the following web-link: http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/transport-streets-parking/cycling It is proposed that the following cycle networks will be used: Traffic-free paths, sign posted cycle routes, advisory routes, cycle lanes, and bus and cycle lanes in order to identify what we class as being the cycle network for SA purposes.

development sites that are located on the existing public transport network as this makes efficient use of current resources. By allocating sites in these locations, a proactive approach to sustainable travel behaviour is being applied as public transport options are available to the site before development of the site has begun. Access to Cycle Network: Every route on the Doncaster Cycle Map has been cycled and evaluated and many of the advisory routes have been suggested by local cyclists. The Map covers the whole of the borough and also offers a means of interaction with cycle networks covered by adjacent Local Authorities.

B) Accessibility to services

• Facilitate access to services and facilities such as health, education, open spaces and shops etc

• New development should be close to services

• Facilitate the transport of freight by sustainable means

Minimise the need to travel

Access to services: + Site lies within 400m of a town, district, local centre or neighbourhood shopping parade 0 Site lies within 400m - 800m of a town, district, local centre, or neighbourhood shopping parade; - Site lies over 800m away from a town, district, local centre, or neighbourhood shopping parade

Access to services: + Site lies within 400m of a town, district, local centre or neighbourhood shopping parade 0 Site lies within 400m - 800m of a town, district, local centre, or neighbourhood shopping parade; - Site lies over 800m away from a town, district, local centre or neighbourhood shopping parade

Housing & employment site options - The Local Plan will identify a hierarchy of retail centres (Town, district, local or neighbourhood shopping parade). Distances will be established using GIS buffers.

4. Ensure resources are available and efficiently used to sustain development and reduce waste and consumption

A) Energy resources

Reduce the reliance on, and the consumption of, finite fossil fuels

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Reduce energy use and encourage the production and use of renewable energy



n/a Energy resources: All new development potentially increases use of energy resources. However, some sites may provide renewable energy technologies, and all development is required to meet certain levels and standards set by Building Regulations meaning it is not possible at plan-making stage to assess one development site over another. This will be more relevant to the Development Management stage once actual details are known.

B) Minerals and construction

Reduce primary mineral extraction

Increase the use of recycled and reclaimed aggregates

Incorporate sustainable design and construction practices



n/a Minerals & construction: All new development will be expected to incorporate sustainable design and construction practices and comply with minimum requirements as set by Building Regulations meaning it is not possible at plan-making stage to assess one development site over another. This will be more relevant to the Development Management stage once actual details are known.

C) Efficient use of waste

Encourage reuse/recycling and minimise waste



n/a Efficient use of waste: All new development has the opportunity to provide recycling facilities as part of the proposal to encourage recycling and minimise waste. Although it is noted that larger developments may provide the critical mass to make waste collection more efficient for the local authority, it is not considered appropriate to assess at plan-making stage. Every new dwelling will have standard local authority waste and recycling services meaning the effects across all developments will be similar.

http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/transport-streets-parking/cycling



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Notes/comments


5. Provide affordable, good quality housing that is available to everyone, including vulnerable and disadvantaged groups

A) Affordability

• Provide housing (including affordable housing) that is available to everyone to address future needs

Affordability: + Site is being proposed for 15+ units capacity and likely to trigger affordable housing contribution 0 Site is being proposed for 14 or less units capacity and unlikely to trigger affordable housing contribution

SA objective not relevant to employment site options – scope out from appraisal

Housing site options - All sites have a capacity assigned to them as part of the HELAA stage meaning the 15+ units threshold can be established and applied using this data.

Affordability: Current planning policy requires sites with proposals for 15 units or more to provide affordable housing contributions, either on-site or commuted sum in lieu of on-site provision. It is acknowledged that it is however also possible for a site of 14 or less units to deliver affordable housing (as a rural exceptions site for example) but it is not proposed to factor this into the appraisal.

B) Quality

• Promote and encourage good quality design and sustainable homes



n/a Quality: All new developments should promote and encourage good quality design and deliver sustainable development. At plan-making stage it is not considered appropriate to assess one site against another as the effects are likely to be similar. The criteria is more relevant to the Development Management stage when detailed proposals are known.

C) Mix and range of homes

• Ensure an appropriate mix of housing, tenures and types



n/a Mix & range of homes: All new housing developments should provide for an appropriate mx of house types and tenures. Although a larger site provides more scope than a smaller site for a range of houses, smaller sites cumulatively potentially provide greater scope for mix so not appropriate to assess site by site therefore as the effects are likely to be similar. Such detail will not be known until the Development Management stage. A Local Plan that provides for a variety of development allocations will most likely attract the full range of house builders e.g. smaller sites will be attractive to the smaller/independent developers, and larger sites will appeal to the volume house builders.

D) Availability

• Increase the supply of housing

• Address areas of housing market failure

Housing supply: All potential housing site options, if supported to allocation, would be expected to increase the supply of housing so the effects will be similar – scope out of appraisal. Market Failure: + Previous housing site cleared to provide for replacement housing 0 Other brownfield site - Greenfield site


Housing site options – colleagues in the Council’s Major Projects’ Team can provide information on schemes they are bringing forward on former housing sites that have been cleared, and HELAA identifies BF/GF status of all site options.

Housing supply: All new housing developments should increase the supply of housing by their very nature. A Local Plan that provides for a variety of development allocations will most likely attract the full range of house builders e.g. smaller sites will be attractive to the smaller/independent developers, and larger sites will appeal to the volume house builders. Market failure: Doncaster’s housing market is relatively active, but there are areas where market weakness exists. Many of these areas contain low cost housing and can be a target for landlords to purchase low value stock. Much of the west of Doncaster was subject to Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder regeneration. Weaknesses in the housing market in these areas resulted in the demolition of large sites of poor housing and many of these sites have yet to be developed resulting in anti-social behaviour. However, there is a long-term expectation that these will be delivered and plans are in place to redevelop them.

6. Reduce social exclusion and disadvantage

• Minimise disadvantage or discrimination

• Ensure that as many people as possible have good access to shops and services

• Reduce concentrations of socio-economic disadvantage

• Reduce the gap between affluent and deprived areas

Deprivation: + Site located within a quintile of ‘most deprived’ or ‘worse than average’ based on the index of multiple deprivation 0 Site located within a quintile of ‘average’ based on the index of multiple deprivation - Site located within a quintile of better than average’ or ‘least deprived’ based on the index of multiple deprivation

Deprivation: + Site located within a quintile of ‘most deprived’ or ‘worse than average’ based on the index of multiple deprivation 0 Site located within a quintile of ‘average’ based on the index of multiple deprivation - Site located within a quintile of better than average’ or ‘least deprived’ based on the index of multiple deprivation

Housing & employment site options – Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2015. The indices assign a quintile (1-5) of deprivation at super output area level with 1 being ‘most deprived’ through to 5 being ‘least deprived’.

Deprivation: Doncaster is the 39th most deprived borough out of

326 Local Authority areas in England and is the 3rd

most deprived out of the 21 Local Authority areas in the Yorkshire & Humber region. It is the most deprived area in South Yorkshire and the Sheffield City Region. Development within these most deprived areas will help provide new housing stock and tenures in the area, support existing services and facilities, as well as provide potential new employment opportunities and infrastructure which will help towards reducing social exclusion and disadvantage, and reduce the gap between affluent and deprived areas.

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Notes/comments


7. Make places that are safe, attractive, culturally interesting and distinctive to live, work and travel in

A) Attractive and distinctive places

• Deliver a high quality built environment

• Promote local distinctiveness

• Provide more green spaces and trees

• Maintain and improve the character and setting of the townscape and landscape

It is not considered that this criteria is influenced by the location of development sites per se, so the effects on all site options will be similar in SA terms - scope out of appraisal


n/a Attractive & distinctive places: This is most relevant to the Development Management stage. All sites have the opportunity, through good design, to ensure attractive and distinctive places and communities are maintained/ created, including provision of new green spaces and trees through either on-site provision, or commuted sums in-lieu of on-site provision towards existing green spaces etc.

B) Safety and security

• Promote buildings and developments which are ‘secure by design’

• Address anti-social behaviour

• Maximise the security of homes and workplaces

• Reduce crime • Reduce fear of crime • Minimise risk to health and

safety

Minimise risk to health & safety:

+ Site is located outside of the HSE consultation zone

- Site is located withihn HSE consultation zone

Minimise risk to health & safety:

+ Site is located outside of the HSE consultation zone

- Site is located withihn HSE consultation zone

Housing & employment site options – The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) provides a map for Development Management purposes which shows the location of constraints such high pressure pipelines and major hazard sites. It also sets out a number of consultation zones (buffers) around the constraint.

Safety & security: some of these criteria are most relevant to the Development Management stage. All sites have the opportunity, through good design, choice of materials, layout and orientation etc, to provide developments that are well designed and ‘secure by design’, whilst natural surveillance will help address anti-social behaviour thus helping to reduce both perceptions and incidents of crime.

8. Renew and reuse existing buildings, land and infrastructure

A) Land and buildings

• Encourage the re-use of brownfield land, vacant sites and existing buildings

• Avoid the unnecessary use of greenfield sites

• Support renewal of old and/or poor areas of housing

• Protect and enhance the amenity of the area

Remove unstable and contaminated land

Encourage the re-use of land and buildings:

+ Site is located on brownfield land and would bring back into effective use previously developed land and/or buildings

- Site is located on greenfield land that has not been previously developed

Contaminated land:

+ Site is located on an area with known contamination where development would incorporate suitable remedial measures to remove contaminated land bringing the site back into effective use 0 Site is not located on an area with known contamination

Encourage the re-use of land and buildings:

+ Site is located on brownfield land and would bring back into effective use previously developed land and/or buildings

- Site is located on greenfield land that has not been previously developed

Contaminated land:

+ Site is located on an area with known contamination where development would incorporate suitable remedial measures to remove contaminated land bringing the site back into effective use 0 Site is not located on an area with known contamination

Housing & employment site options – HELAA identifies the BF/GF status of all site options in order to apply this criteria.

Housing & employment site options – The Council holds data on contaminated land and it is proposed to use the GIS contaminated land maps to base an objective test for site options.

Encourage the re-use of land and buildings: redeveloping brownfield land, including conversion of existing buildings, provides the opportunity for efficient and effective use of land which is a relatively scarce asset, as well as providing opportunity to use existing infrastructure availability/capacity first and foremost before new infrastructure being necessary. Brownfield sites will also support renewal of existing housing areas.

Contaminated land - The late 18th century to the 20th century saw Doncaster emerge as an important industrial center. Processes such as mining, waste disposal and manufacturing have left contamination such as heavy metals, fuels, mining wastes in or on the land. This has left Doncaster with a legacy of potentially contaminated land. The Contaminated Land Regime, which forms Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act, defines contaminated land as: “any land, which appears to the local authority in whose area it is situated, to be in such a condition. By reason of substances either in, on or under the land, that: 1) significant harm is being caused or there is the significant possibility of such harm being caused; or, 2) pollution of controlled waters is being, or is likely to be, caused

B) Infrastructure

• Capacity of existing infrastructure to support new development

• Quality of existing infrastructure provision

Highways Capacity: + The individual site has no significant traffic impact on the SRN. 0 Impact on the SRN is expected to be mitigated by committed schemes. - Impact on the SRN will not be mitigated by committed schemes. Education Capacity: + Site is located within the catchment

Highways Capacity: + The individual site has no significant traffic impact on the SRN. 0 Impact on the SRN is expected to be mitigated by committed schemes. - Impact on the SRN will not be mitigated by committed schemes. Education Capacity - this criteria is not relevant to appraisal of employment site options – scope out of

Housing & employment site options - There are 3 possible overall rankings from the HE assessment of sites and their impact on the strategic road network and it is proposed to use these findings directly for the SA appraisal.

Housing site options – all primary schools have a catchment assigned to them so all housing

Highways capacity: as part of the HELAA process, Highways England have assessed all site options impact on the strategic road network using their Network Analysis Tool (NAT) and have highlighted sites of most concern, including site specific comments and where mitigation will be required. Where there are more than 30 one-way trips on one or more links on the SRN, the number of the primary strategic road network junction that is affected is recorded. There are sites that generate substantial numbers of trips that are close to junctions on the SRN even if they do not have a significant traffic impact on the SRN (30 or more one-way trips on one or more links on the network). This is because development traffic may pass through the junction and worsen traffic conditions on the gyratory with the possibility of causing queuing problems on slip roads. This has been identified

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Notes/comments


of a primary school with 10% surplus places. 0 Site is located within the catchment of a primary school with 5-10% surplus places - Site is located within the catchment of a primary school with additional places needed (5% or less surplus of places)

Fibre broadband coverage:

+ Site is located in an area where fibre broadband coverage is expected to be in place by 2017

- Site is located in an area ‘under review’ where solutions for coverage are not yet known

the appraisal

Fibre broadband coverage: + Site is located in an area where fibre broadband coverage is expected to be in place by 2017

- Site is located in an area ‘under review’ where solutions for coverage are not yet known

site options can be attributed to respective local primary school and colleagues in Education can provide information on school capacity and whether the school is operating at 10% surplus, 5-10% surplus, or less than 5% surplus of places.

Housing & employment site options - The Superfast Broadband South Yorkshire Project includes a map identifying timescales for expected network build completion between 2015-2017 (shown as purple, red and blue on the map), including the part s of the borough covered by BT & Virgin Medias commercial roll-out (shown as green on the map). Any site option within one of these areas will be assessed as being likely to have access to fibre broadband by 2017 (+). A number of areas are also identified as being ‘under review’ (shown grey on the map). Any sites located in these areas will be concluded as not yet having a solution for fibre broadband (-). The map, and further information on the project, can be viewed here: http://www.superfastsouthyorkshire.co.uk/sfsy/where It is noted that the project and data currently has the following caveat and will need to be kept under review therefore: “The project is currently working to achieve and map out greater coverage in South Yorkshire. This means that the deployment phase may be adjusted to accommodate all the other premises which will move from being “Under Review” to having a deployment phase. These adjustments should have been finalised within the next 3 – 6 months, when an announcement will be made”.

by judgment based on the size and location of the site, NAT output for the site, knowledge of the network and the opportunities for traffic to cross the motorway using the junction. Education capacity: It is generally accepted that the retention of a 5% to 10% level of surplus places is necessary in an area to be able to facilitate parental preference and mid-year admissions, for flexibility in timetable planning and for contingency planning. The Audit Commission document ‘Trading Places’ (2002 update) and School Places Diagnostic Tool (2010) supports this. Primary school capacity - The Council has seen a significant increase in the number of full primary schools for admission in recent years and many reception classes are full, and some are exceeding their Published Admission Number (PAN). The trend is projected to continue. There is a statutory maximum of 30 pupils to a class for pupils aged 4 to 7 and hence schools with surplus places higher up the age range may still need to expand to meet statutory requirements and meet educationally viable class structures. Secondary school capacity – Although there are some potential isolated hotspots of secondary school capacity shortfall, it is not considered that the pressure is as acute as primary and it is not proposed therefore to assess this as part of the SA criteria. N.b see objective 10A also. Fibre broadband coverage: The ongoing commercial roll-out of fibre broadband funded by BT and Virgin Media is currently expected to reach around 80% of premises across South Yorkshire. The remaining coverage will be derived from the Superfast South Yorkshire project; a partnership between the South Yorkshire authorities of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield and BT, to specifically address and intervene in areas (primarily rural premises across South Yorkshire) that are not commercially viable for providers to service without subsidy. Within this current roll-out it is hoped to reach well over 100,000 premises with a fibre service by the end of 2017. There are however a number of areas ‘under review’ where solutions are still to be identified. This is because: there is currently no technical solution; the cost is prohibitively high to meet value for money; or, funding is not yet available.

http://www.superfastsouthyorkshire.co.uk/sfsy/where

http://www.superfastsouthyorkshire.co.uk/sfsy/where

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Notes/comments


9. Improve the health and well-being of the borough’s population

A) Health

• Address health inequalities

• Make it easier for people to pursue a healthy lifestyle

• Promote access to healthcare

• Reduce the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour

Access to public open space: + Within catchment for BOTH Formal and Informal Open Space 0 Only within catchment for EITHER Formal OR Informal Open Space - NOT within catchment for Formal OR Informal Open Space, or would result in the loss of existing Open Space

Access to public open space: + Within catchment for BOTH Formal and Informal Open Space 0 Only within catchment for EITHER Formal OR Informal Open Space - NOT within catchment for Formal OR Informal Open Space, or would result in the loss of existing Open Space

Housing & employment site options – all public open space is identified by type and function, including buffers, in the Green Space Audit (2013) which is published on the Council’s website available to view via the following web-link: http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/planning/green-space-documents The Audit provides a quantitative assessment to assess deficiency by community profile area (88 within the Borough). The Council has mapped these sites in GIS and produced an interactive map available to view via the following web-link: http://doncaster.opus3.co.uk/ldf/maps/Open%20Space#x=459170.0007745&y=404513.49847077&l=430065.84982407&r=488274.15172493&t=419647.65696499&b=389379.33997655&scale=150000&1386&1371&1372&1374&1373&1375&1376&1377&1378&1379&1380&1381&1382&1383&1385 Any loss of public open space will be based on the following types only: informal, formal, public park, woodland, nature conservation area or allotment.

Access to public open space: there is significant and growing evidence on the health benefits of access to good quality green spaces. The benefits include: better self-related health; lower body mass index, overweight and obesity levels; increased life expectancy; and, improved mental health and well-being.

B) Well-being

• Increase personal satisfaction

• Improve quality of life • Enhance people’s ability

to access opportunities • Encourage community

participation



n/a Well-being: the Local Plan aims, objectives and policies will all significantly help towards improving quality of life for the population of the borough and help improve people’s general well-being. However, it is not considered that it is possible to appraise one site option against another for the purposes of this SA as all development has the potential to contribute to this objective so the effects will be similar. This is more appropriate at Development Management stage when more details of the proposal will be known.

10. Provide education and training provision to build the skills and capacity of the population

A) Education • Improve educational attainment

• Provide more/sufficient school places to address future need


This criteria is not relevant to appraisal of employment site options – scope out of the appraisal

n/a Education: the Local Plan will be supported by comprehensive infrastructure planning evidence base, including schools capacity and future need. This criteria is also being assessed through the infrastructure capacity objective 8B above. Housing sites may, where viable and complaint with the CIL Regulations, be required to make developer contributions towards school places. Larger sites may provide on-site education provision. Smaller sites may make contributions to education facilities off-site (subject to limit of 5 obligations as set out in the CIL Regulations).

B) Skills and training

• Improve qualifications and skills in young people

• Provide opportunities for adults to learn new skills

SA objective not relevant to housing site options - scope out of appraisal


n/a Skills & training: Doncaster has a relatively poor skills profile compared to other parts of the region. Skills and training is a key issue for diversifying the economy and closing the economic gap. Location of development sites will not directly be a factor affecting skills and training as it will depend on the type of business locating on a site. Rather improvement to skills and training will be tackled

http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/planning/green-space-documents



http://doncaster.opus3.co.uk/ldf/maps/Open%20Space#x=459170.0007745&y=404513.49847077&l=430065.84982407&r=488274.15172493&t=419647.65696499&b=389379.33997655&scale=150000&1386&1371&1372&1374&1373&1375&1376&1377&1378&1379&1380&1381&1382&1383&1385









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Notes/comments


by a range of other corporate and city region strategies although policies for commercial development could look to secure training and skills development plans.

11. Manage and adapt to climate change

A) Flood risk

Avoid inappropriate development in flood risk areas

Manage flood risk on sites at risk of flooding

Flood Risk: The flood risk sequential test will be carried out in a separate standalone document as set out in the main body of this report. Housing is classed as ‘more vulnerable’ development so any development which is necessary in high flood risk zones (i.e. can pass the sequential test) will also need to meet both parts of the exceptions test. This will also be included as part of the separate document – scope out of appraisal.

Flood Risk: The flood risk sequential test will be carried out in a separate standalone document as set out in the main body of this report. Employment uses are generally classed as ‘less vulnerable’ development so any development which is necessary in high flood risk zones (i.e. can pass the sequential test) does not need to meet both parts of the exceptions test. It will need to be demonstrated though that it will be safe.

n/a Flood risk: see main body of this report (Stage 5)

B) Greenhouse gas emissions

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Improve/increase Doncaster’s resilience to climate change

Support the delivery of renewable and low carbon energy and associated infrastructure

Secure energy efficiency improvements

It is not considered that this objective can be used to assess the impacts of site options per se - scope out of appraisal


n/a Greenhouse gas emissions: all site options have the ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make use of renewable energy generation and building to better levels of energy efficiency, thus reducing and managing against the impacts of climate change. Some of these objectives are also more directly addressed through other SA objectives and criteria e.g. reducing the need to travel/access to services and avoiding flood risk etc.

C) Water supply and drainage

Encourage sustainable drainage practices

Manage and protect our water supply



n/a Water supply & drainage: All developments have the opportunity to employ SUDs techniques and encourage sustainable drainage practices. This is most relevant therefore for the Development Management stage. Pollution to the aquifer is addressed and overlaps with SA Objective 14B.

12. Protect, increase and enhance the natural environment, including the landscape, its underlying geology and wildlife habitat

A) Biodiversity (habitats and species)

Protect, maintain and improve sites of international, national and local importance

Create new areas of biodiversity value

Offset / compensate for the loss of habitats and species as a result of development

Biodiversity: 0 Site is located outside all sites and buffers stated - Site is within 500m of a SPA/SAC; or, Site is within 100m of a SSSI; or, Site is within 25m of a LWS/LGS/Ancient Woodland; or, Site is within 3km of Thorne and Hatfield Moors SPA and contains nightjar foraging habitat; or, Site overlaps UK BAP priority habitat as listed by NE -- Site overlaps with a designated site (SSSI, SPA, SAC, NNR, LNR, LWS, LGS (includes candidates) and Ancient Woodland

Biodiversity: 0 Site is located outside all sites and buffers stated - Site is within 500m of a SPA/SAC; or, Site is within 100m of a SSSI; or, Site is within 25m of a LWS/LGS/Ancient Woodland; or, Site is within 3km of Thorne and Hatfield Moors SPA and contains nightjar foraging habitat; or, Site overlaps UK BAP priority habitat as listed by NE -- Site overlaps with a designated site (SSSI, SPA, SAC, NNR, LNR, LWS, LGS (includes candidates) and Ancient Woodland

Housing & employment site options – all of the nature conservation sites are mapped in GIS and appropriate buffers can be applied to them. The Council has an interactive biodiversity map available to view on the Council’s website via the following web-link: http://doncaster.opus3.co.uk/ldf/maps/Biodiversity#x=459170.0007745&y=404513.49847077&l=430065.84982407&r=488274.15172493&t=419647.65696499&b=389379.33997655&scale=150000&1359&1360&1362&1361&1364&1363&1356&1357&1358

Biodiversity: It is difficult to know whether a particular site allocation will ‘improve’ or ‘not improve’ a local national or international site without knowing the details of the proposal and a site could be accompanied by a suite of mitigation measures or detailed design choices that make an otherwise unacceptable development acceptable. However, this criteria screens sites against a well-established hierarchy of nature conservation designations and will help to identify where the most likely impacts from any potential development site option will be. It is possible that some of the effects may be so significantly adverse that they are not capable of being mitigated regardless of the detail of the proposal though.

B) Landscape

Maintain and enhancing landscape quality and character

Landscape Capacity: + Site located in urban area (‘Landscape Character Area Not Assessed for this Development Type) 0 Site located in a broad area assessed as having ‘moderate’

Landscape Capacity: + Site located in urban area (‘Landscape Character Area Not Assessed for this Development Type) 0 Site located in a broad area assessed as having ‘moderate’

Housing site options - ECUS

LC&CA Study – Figure 6

Strategic employment site options – ECUS LC&CA Study –

Figure 7

The ECUS LC&CA (including the

Landscape capacity: A Landscape Character and Capacity Assessment of Doncaster was carried out by ECUS Ltd in 2006/2007 (March 2007). This study identifies and describes eight landscape character types in Doncaster. The study assesses the overall landscape capacity of landscape character areas to accommodate different types of development including housing and strategic employment. There are no broad areas of ‘high landscape capacity’ identified in the borough. The study also

http://doncaster.opus3.co.uk/ldf/maps/Biodiversity#x=459170.0007745&y=404513.49847077&l=430065.84982407&r=488274.15172493&t=419647.65696499&b=389379.33997655&scale=150000&1359&1360&1362&1361&1364&1363&1356&1357&1358








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Notes/comments


landscape capacity - Site located in a broad area assessed as having ‘low to no’ landscape capacity

landscape capacity - Site located in a broad area assessed as having ‘low to no’ landscape capacity

maps above) are available to view on the Council’s website via the following web-link: http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/planning/doncaster-landscape-character-assessment-and-capacity-study

identifies the capacity of some settlement edges, but this is not a comprehensive assessment for all settlement edges across the borough, and not all sites will be located adjacent to settlement edges anyway, so it is not proposed to take account of this information for this SA objective. A further landscape study was published by Golders Associates (June 2010), but again did not look at complete coverage for the whole borough, just certain areas. As such, it does not provide a complete assessment on which to base comparatives for every site option on, so it is not proposed to use for the purposes of this SA.

13. Protect, conserve and enhance the historic and cultural heritage

A) Historic places

Protect, maintain and improve the character and appearance of conservation areas

• Maintain and protect historic buildings, scheduled monuments and their settings

• Protect, maintain and improve national and local historic parks and gardens

Heritage impacts: + Opportunity to enhance character/setting of a historic site or reuse a listed building at risk 0 No adverse impact - Adverse impact

-- Significant adverse impact which may not be possible to mitigate

Heritage impacts: + Opportunity to enhance character/setting of a historic site or reuse a listed building at risk 0 No adverse impact - Adverse impact

-- Significant adverse impact which may not be possible to mitigate

Housing & employment site options – heritage assets are mapped in GIS (Listed Buildings, Scheduled Monuments, Conservation Areas and Historic Parks & Gardens). The Council has published an interactive heritage map available to view via the following web-link: http://doncaster.opus3.co.uk/ldf/maps/Heritage_Map#x=459170.0007745&y=404513.49847077&l=430065.84982407&r=488274.15172493&t=419647.65696499&b=389379.33997655&scale=150000&1332&1333&1334&1335 It is proposed to screen site options against these heritage assets in order to generate a shorter list of sites that may require professional appraisal by Conservation Officer to come to a view as to whether the site may have an adverse impact on a heritage asset. It is also proposed to moderate this exercise through consultation and input from Historic England.

Heritage impacts: It is difficult to provide a measurable objective test for impact on a heritage asset as it depends on the ‘significance’ of the heritage asset which is qualitative and this can vary even between similar heritage assets. The only assessment that can be made therefore is by a qualitative assessment by a professional Conservation Officer (including input from Historic England). However, this criteria firstly screens sites against a well-established hierarchy of heritage designations and will help to identify where the most likely impacts from any potential development site option will be. It is possible that some of the effects may be so significantly adverse that they are not capable of being mitigated regardless of the detail of the proposal though.

B) Cultural heritage

Promote and increase tourism

• Sensitive management of historic townscape

• Protect undesignated archaeological assets from damage or loss

Archaeology: + No archaeological objection to the allocation of the site. 0 No known archaeological objection to the proposed allocation of the site but that further archaeological assessment and evaluation would be required for any future planning application stage. -- Major archaeological objection to the allocation of the site

Archaeology: + No archaeological objection to the allocation of the site. 0 No known archaeological objection to the proposed allocation of the site but that further archaeological assessment and evaluation would be required for any future planning application stage. -- Major archaeological objection to the allocation of the site

Housing & employment site options – The Council commissioned Arc Heritage to undertake an Archaeology Scoping Report which was a desk-top review of the potential implications on archaeology from development sites late 2013. It is proposed that an addendum be commissioned in due course to look at additional sites not yet assessed through that report. Each site option is assigned one of three possible conclusions on likelihood of there being an archaeological objection (as set out in the previous column) which are being directly used.

Archaeology: Existing cultural heritage assets and historic environment character data were assessed for each site and its 250m buffer zone, in order to allow an assessment to be made of the archaeological potential and significance of the sites and their suitability for development. Any major constraints such as the presence of statutorily designated archaeological sites, significant non-designated archaeological sites and important historic landscapes were also identified.

http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/planning/doncaster-landscape-character-assessment-and-capacity-study




http://doncaster.opus3.co.uk/ldf/maps/Heritage_Map#x=459170.0007745&y=404513.49847077&l=430065.84982407&r=488274.15172493&t=419647.65696499&b=389379.33997655&scale=150000&1332&1333&1334&1335







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Notes/comments


14. Protect and enhance soil, air and water quality (watercourses and ground water)

A) Land and soil

Avoid the sterilisation of minerals

Restore, reclaim and remediate vacant and derelict land (e.g. contaminated sites)

Encourage local food production

Minerals sterilisation: + Urban site where pre extraction is not feasible regardless of mineral resource 0 Shallow or deep coal underlies the site - Limestone underlies the site

? - Sand and/or gravel underlies the site but not possible to distinguish whether soft sand, sharp sand & gravel

Avoidance of Best and Most Versatile Agricultural Land:

+ Site is located on urban or non-agricultural land 0 Site is located on grade 5 or 4 agricultural land - Site is located on grade 2 agricultural land

? Site is located on grade 3 agricultural land and it is not possible to ascertain whether best or most versatile (3a) without survey work on site

Minerals sterilisation: + Urban site where pre extraction is not feasible regardless of mineral resource 0 Shallow or deep coal underlies the site - Limestone underlies the site

? - Sand and/or gravel underlies the site but not possible to distinguish whether soft sand, sharp sand & gravel

Avoidance of Best and Most Versatile Agricultural Land:

+ Site is located on urban or non-agricultural land 0 Site is located on grade 5 or 4 agricultural land - Site is located on grade 2 agricultural land

? Site is located on grade 3 agricultural land and it is not possible to ascertain whether best or most versatile (3a) without survey work on site

Housing & employment site options – The British Geological Society provides data on mineral resources and this is available via GIS making an objective test possible as to whether a site will impact on our minerals resource or not. Housing & employment site options – The Agricultural Land Classification maps are available as a GIS layer so it is possible to ascertain whether a site option is located on grade 2, 3,4 or 5 (or non-agricultural land/urban area).

Minerals Sterilisation: Economic prosperity and growth depends on an adequate and steady supply of minerals. In Doncaster these predominately include aggregate limestone and sand and gravel (particularly sharp sand and gravel because it is used in construction to make concreting products). However, the evidence base indicates that sharp sand and gravel is in short supply and extraction rates are below the national average. Coal deposits underlie much of the borough (shallow coal to the west and deep coal to the east). The data does not break down the sand and gravel so the SA criteria reflects this uncertainty through assigning a ? (the effects are uncertain). Agricultural Land Classification: Grades 1, 2 & 3a are classified as ‘best and most versatile agricultural land and have higher protection therefore compared to other grades. There is no grade 1 agricultural land in the borough. Grades 4 and 5 are classed as poor and very poor respectively. Agricultural land classification does not distinguish between grades 3a & 3b without undertaking on site survey. Grade 3b is not best or most versatile agricultural land. Any site options that are identified on grade 3 therefore will be assessed as ? (the effects are uncertain) due to the data limitations. It is noted that some landowners/developers may provide on-site survey assessment to confirm grade 3 breakdown.

B) Water Increase the quality and quantity of the water environment

Reduce direct and indirect pollution on the water environment

Groundwater Source Protection: 0 Site located within total catchment (Source Protection Zone 3) or further from source - An outer zone (Source Protection Zone 2) is located within the site

-- An inner zone (Source Protection Zone 1) is located within the site

Groundwater Source Protection: 0 Site located within total catchment (Source Protection Zone 3) or further from source - An outer zone (Source Protection Zone 2) is located within the site

-- An inner zone (Source Protection Zone 1) is located within the site

Housing & employment site options – The EA’s groundwater source protection zones are available as a GIS map so an objective test can be applied through overlaying the site options with the data. The EA map is available to view on their web-site via the following web-link:http://maps.environment-agency.gov.uk/wiyby/wiybyController?x=457500.0&y=402500.0&topic=groundwater&ep=map&scale=9&location=Doncaster, Doncaster&lang=_e&layerGroups=default&distance=&textonly=off#x=465959&y=402365&lg=1,10,&scale=6

Water quality – Groundwater provides a third of our drinking water in England and Wales, and it also maintains the flow in many of our rivers. It is crucial that we look after these sources and ensure that our water is completely safe to drink. The Environment Agency have defined Source Protection Zones (SPZs) for 2000 groundwater sources such as wells, boreholes and springs used for public drinking water supply. These zones show the risk of contamination from any activities that might cause pollution in the area. The closer the activity, the greater the risk. The maps show three main zones (inner, outer and total catchment) to a groundwater source.

C) Air

Reduce/minimise air pollution (e.g. increased traffic) and noise

Maintain or improve air quality especially at motorway junctions and

Air quality: 0 Site located outside of an AQMA

- Site located within or adjacent to an AQMA

Air quality: 0 Site located outside of an AQMA

- Site located within or adjacent to an AQMA

Housing & employment site options – The location of our Air Quality Management Areas are mapped so an objective test can be applied. Further information about these can be found on the

Air quality - The Doncaster Air Quality Action Plan review and assessment of air quality in the borough confirms that the government set air quality objectives are expected to be achieved in all but 7 areas of the borough, including parts of the town centre and motorway corridors. The borough has 7 Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) therefore where increasing levels of

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Notes/comments


busy A roads Council’s website via the following web-link: http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/environmental/air-pollution-in-doncaster

road traffic and congestion is the source of air pollution, alongside some other contributing factors such as commercial and domestic properties. Any proposed land use site options within, or in close proximity to, these AQMAs will potentially exacerbate the air quality situation in these areas further through increased traffic and vehicle emissions.

http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/services/environmental/air-pollution-in-doncaster



Documents

Doncaster Local Plan - Housing & Employment Site Selection …€¦ · vision, aims and objectives, a site selection methodology will need to be developed and followed consistently