DRAFT Sustainability Appraisal Report for the Emerging Local Plan ...

16.8 This effect could also be derived from a plan with policies whose detail remains largely
unspecified in terms of quanta and locations of development, but also unspecified in terms of
what development could do to further the principles of sustainable development or the
enhancement and protection of vulnerable environmental receptors. This is highlighted by
the contrast policies promoting growth like LP08 re‐development of DERA are considerably
more beneficial across a greater number of sustainable objectives reflecting the positive
impact in economic and social terms that generally accompany large scale redevelopment
opportunities and generally do not perform as well in SEA assessments.
SEA Environmental Receptor Conclusion
16.9 As outlined in Figure 6 in Section 3 above, the assessment framework used on this Local Plan
involves carrying out a number of different assessments/appraisals at any of the six levels
identified in this flow diagram. It must be stressed that whilst these are individual assessment
in their own right – they are ultimately integrated into the whole overall SAR process. For
example Level 6 (HRA) was required to be completed, prior to Level 4 (SEA) and likewise Level
3 (SA). This integrated method ensures that the SEA efficiently and effectively takes into
account likely significant effects the Local Plan will have on for example the ER01 – Natural
Environment and Biodiversity. The SA and SEA are thus fully informed by an assessment of
the most sensitive European Sites of TBH SPA and TAP&C SAC; an appropriate assessment at
Level 6 and attached at Appendices 8 and 9.
16.10 Overall, across the 10 environmental receptors identified in Table 1, a total of 1,230
individual Level 4 SEA assessments were carried out on the combined 18 accepted policies
and the 23 reasonable alternatives within this Local Plan. The results of this considerable
effort on the part of the assessment team are contained within Appendix 2 and presented in
Appendix 4.
16.11 Whilst these assessments provide ‘a general insight in terms of potential effects’, it is at
varying degrees of usability. Generally, greater confidence can be placed on assessments that
are closest to particular impact pathway, and correlates in the main to accepted industry
practice. It follows that by combining results in a form of summary, the resulting score needs
to be considered with this conclusion caveat and thus can only be an indication of the likely
effect implementation of the Local Plan might have on the environment as a whole. This is
not to say that inferences cannot be drawn from the overall summary; on the contrary there
would be little point in carrying out an extensive exercise such as this if one could not. It is
possible for the summaries to provide an indication of the possible ramifications the Local
Plan could have on a particular environmental receptor and/or overall environment.
16.12 This lack of certainty is in markedly contrasted in terms of the conclusions that can be drawn
from the Level 6 HRA assessments. Only a conclusion of ‘no adverse affect on the integrity of
the relevant European Site’ in these assessments will permit the Council to be able to agree
to continue with and adopt the Local Plan.
16.13 With the above cautions in mind, it is concluded that overall polices within the Local Plan are
likely to result in a neutral effect on the environment of Runnymede. This neutral effect is
largely derived from the plan where its policies are those which lack detail in terms of quanta
and locations of development and are apparitional in nature. There are a few exceptions to
this conclusion. In the main the exceptions relate to land‐use policies: such as Policy LP01,
LP02, LP04, LP05, and Policy LP08 re‐development of DERA. The green belt relaxation
promoted by Policy LP05 – RHUL is also considered to result in an overall uncertain adverse
affects on the environment. Once implemented, these policies will result in the promotion of
development towards environmentally constrained locations and thus the uncertainty. In
contrast, environmentally constrained polices, Policy LP03 – Development in Addlestone
Urban Area is considered to result in an overall neutral effect. These conclusions have been
considered in detail by the Local Plan policy drafting team and were taken into account in the
selection of preferred policies and rejection of other alternatives where applicable. This
consideration is detailed within Sections 4 to 15 above under the heading ‘Consideration of
Policy and its Alternatives on ER01 to ER10’ and has again been summarised in the
paragraphs following the SA Conclusions.
Page | 204 Runnymede BC FINAL Sustainability Appraisal Report – Feb 2013