Badby Parish Neighbourhood Plan 2018 - 2029 - WordPress.com€¦ · Badby Parish Neighbourhood Plan...
Transcript of Badby Parish Neighbourhood Plan 2018 - 2029 - WordPress.com€¦ · Badby Parish Neighbourhood Plan...
Badby Parish
Neighbourhood Plan
2018 - 2029
.
Basic Conditions Statement
March 2018
Table of Contents
Introduction
Basis of Submission 1
Basic Conditions 1
Section 1: National Planning Policy Framework Policy and Advice
1.1 National Framework 2
1.2 BPNP fit with the NPPF Core Planning Principles 2
1.3 BPNP fit with Sustainability Objectives 4
Section 2: Sustainable Development
2.1 Requirement for Sustainability 6
2.2 BPNP fit with the three dimensions of Sustainable
Development
7
Section 3: Local Planning Policies
3.1 Requirement 7
3.2 Conformity with Local Planning Policies 7
Section 4: European Union Obligations
4.1 Environmental Impact and Habitat Regulations 12
4.2 Human Rights 12
BPNP Basic Conditions Statement March 2018 1
Introduction
Basis of Submission
The draft Plan is submitted by Badby Parish Council, which is a qualifying body as defined by the Localism Act
2011.
The Parish Council applied to Daventry District Council for the designation of the whole of Badby Parish as a
Neighbourhood Area and the application was approved the Council on 26th February 2015
The draft Plan proposals relate to planning matters (the use and development of land) and have been prepared in
accordance with the statutory requirements and processes set out in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as
amended by the Localism Act 2011) and the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations 2012
The draft Plan identifies the period to which it relates as 2018 to 2029
The draft Plan does not deal with county matters (mineral extraction and waste development), nationally
significant infrastructure or other matters set out in Section 61K of the Town and Planning Act 1990.
Badby Parish Council confirms that this draft Plan relates only to the Parish of Badby and to no other
Neighbourhood Areas and is the only Neighbourhood Development Plan in the designated area. No other
Neighbourhood Development Plan exists nor is in development for part or all of the designated area.
Basic Conditions
Paragraph 8 of Schedule 4B to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 requires that Neighbourhood Plans must
meet the following basic conditions:
I. the draft Plan must have appropriate regard to national policies and advice contained in the National
Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
II. the draft Plan must contribute to the achievement of sustainable development
III. the draft Plan must be in general conformity with the strategic policies contained in the development
plan for the area of the local planning authority
IV. the draft Plan is compatible with relevant EU obligations.
At an early stage of developing our draft Plan the Working Group produced an “Outline of the Basic Conditions
governing our Plan”. Whilst not forming part of the Plan itself, this was maintained on our website as a means of
ensuring that Planning Group Members and other interested parties had a clear understanding of what our Plan
could and could do and that debate on our policies was as well informed as possible.
Within the Plan itself, each policy is linked to specific higher-level guidance and a full list of over-arching
requirements is included as Appendix E to the Plan
This Basic Conditions Statement has been prepared as a formal statement of compliance and addresses the
requirements in four sections as follows:
Section 1 demonstrates the conformity of the Plan (BPNP) with the NPPF policies and advice
Section 2 shows how the BPNP will contribute to the NPPF requirement for sustainable development;
Section 3 demonstrates the conformity of the BPNP with the West Northants Joint Core Strategy (WNJCS)
and Daventry District Council Saved Adopted Local Plan Policies
Section 4 demonstrates compliance with the appropriate EU obligations.
BPNP Basic Conditions Statement March 2018 2
Section 1: National Planning Policy Framework Policy and Advice
The National Planning Policy Framework was published in March 2012. It provides guidance to Local Authorities
and decision makers and lists 12 Core Planning Principles and 13 Sustainability Objectives against which plans will
be judged. To keep things simple our compliance with each list has been listed separately.
The underlying theme of “Sustainability” is further addressed in Section 2
NPPF Core Planning Principle How BPNP relates to guidance
1.Planning should be genuinely plan-led
empowering local people to shape their
surroundings with plans setting out a positive
vision for the area and addressing larger than local
issues
The draft Plan supports a vision for the parish based on
appraisals, surveys and consultations, with goals that will
help deliver the community’s aspirations whilst embracing
wider issues
2.Planning should be a creative exercise in finding
ways to enhance and improve the places in which
people live their lives
The draft Plan reflects the strong local desire to protect the
existing natural and built environment with particular policies
covering Landscape and Countryside (B1), Open spaces (B5 &
B6) and Built Heritage (B3)
At the same time, it seeks to ensure the continued viability of
the parish by supporting limited housing growth(B2),
protecting community facilities(B4) and fostering existing
employment opportunities(B7)
3.Planning should proactively drive and support
sustainable economic development to deliver the
homes, business and industrial units,
infrastructure and thriving local places that the
country needs
As indicated more fully in Section 2, the draft Plan seeks to
balance the three dimensions of Sustainability whilst
reflecting local opinion and WNJCS and DDC policies. Policy
B2 supports limited housing growth, particularly that which
meets established local needs for affordable housing, and
Policy B7 supports the establishment of new businesses and
the development of home-working
4.Planning should always seek to secure high
quality design and a good standard of amenity for
all existing and future occupants of land and
building
Policy B2 of the draft Plan requires that new development is
generally in sympathy with its surroundings and is of a scale
which retains the rural form character of the village
Policies B3 underscores the requirement for sympathetic
development in that part of the village designated a
Conservation Area
1.11.1National Framework
1.2 BPNP Fit with NPPF Core Planning Principles
BPNP Basic Conditions Statement March 2018 3
5.Planning should take account of the different
roles and character of different areas, promoting
the vitality of our main urban areas, protecting
the Green Belt around them, recognising the
intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside
and supporting thriving rural communities within
it
Policy B1 of the draft Plan recognises the importance of the
parish’s setting, not only to parishioners but to a wider local
community. It seeks to protect a number of important views
and limits new development to the Built Confines or
Exception Sites
6.Planning should support the transition to a low
carbon future in a changing climate, taking full
account of flood risk and coastal change, and
encourage the re-use of existing resources and
the use of renewable resources
The draft Plan makes a small contribution to carbon
reduction by focusing future development within the
Confines (and therefore within walking distance of principal
amenities) (Policy B), by asking Badby Parish Council to
safeguard bus services (Parish Action 8) and by encouraging
Home-working(B7)
It also seeks to mitigate flood risk by ensuring that new
developments incorporate Sustainable Drainage Systems and
are not located in areas designated at risk of flooding by the
Environment Agency (Policy B10)
7.Planning should contribute to conserving and
enhancing the natural environment and reducing
pollution. Allocations of land for development
should prefer land of lesser environmental value,
where consistent with other policies in the
Framework
As noted elsewhere, the landscape setting of the parish is
highly valued and Policy B1 of the draft Plan pays particular
attention to its protection and restricts land allocation to the
Built Confines or Exception Sites
8.Planning should encourage the effective use of
land by reusing land that has been previously
developed (Brownfield land) provided it is not of
high environmental value
Our draft Plan effectively meets this requirement by
restricting development to the Built Confines and precluding
further development in open countryside.
9.Planning should promote mixed-use
developments and encourage multiple benefits
from the use of land in urban and rural areas,
recognising that some open land can perform
many functions
The draft Plan explicitly recognises the multiple benefits of
recreational use of the open countryside (Policy B1), green
spaces (Policy B5) and Local Amenity Spaces(B6) and seeks to
protect them for this reason.
10.Planning should conserve heritage assets in a
manner appropriate to their significance, so that
they can be enjoyed for their contribution to the
quality of life for this and future generations
The draft Plan includes a policy B3 to conserve heritage
assets
11.Planning should actively manage patterns of
growth to make fullest use of public transport,
walking and cycling, and focus significant
development in locations which are or can be
made sustainable
By restricting development to the Built Confines, the draft
plan effectively ensures that new developments are within
walking distance of parish amenities and local transport
connections
BPNP Basic Conditions Statement March 2018 4
12.Planning should take account of and support
local strategies to improve health, social and
cultural wellbeing for all, and deliver sufficient
community and cultural services to meet local
needs
Policies B1, B5 &B6, relating to the countryside, greens and
Local Amenities underpin a healthy outdoor environment
whilst B4 supports other community facilities, including a
very well used Village Hall
1.3 BPNP Fit with the NPPF Sustainability Objectives
NPPF Sustainability Objective How BPNP relates to guidance
SO1 Build a strong competitive economy generally
Recognising and seeking to address potential barriers to
growth including a lack of housing
Policy B2 of the draft Plan supports
the provision of more housing to meet
established local needs
Policy B7 supports improvements in
the communications infrastructure to
facilitate home-working
SO2 Ensure the vitality of town centres Not applicable
SO3 Support a prosperous rural economy
Encouraging the expansion of all types of business and
enterprise in rural areas which respect the countryside,
including rural tourism and leisure enterprises and the
development and diversification of agricultural and other
land-based businesses
Policy B1 recognises the particular
value the parish’s setting and seeks to
protect it for the benefit, not only of
parishioners, but the many visitors
who help maintain the viability of
pubs and other enterprises
Policy B4 recognises the contribution
existing community facilities make to
the life and prosperity of the parish
and seeks to ensure their continued
existence
Policy B7 supports in particular
measures to support the growth of
home-working
SO4 Promote sustainable transport
Seeking to reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions
Ensuring that safe and suitable access to any proposed site
can be achieved for all people and
Protecting and exploiting the use of sustainable transport
modes (e.g. walking & cycling)
Policy B9 lays down requirements in
respect of new developments and
Parish Council Actions arising from
the Plan deal with other matters as
follows:
PA 4 deals with the maintenance of
rights of way
PA 10 supports the establishment of
cycle ways in the area
BPNP Basic Conditions Statement March 2018 5
PAs 6 & 7 request action on parking
and speeding
PA 8 relates to support for local bus
services
SO5 Support a high-quality communications infrastructure
Recognizing that improvements in broadband and other
communications technology can improve the quality of life
and reduce travel needs
The draft Plan supports improvements
in the telecommunications
infrastructure in Policy B7 and a Parish
Action is included at PA 9
SO6 Deliver a wide choice of high quality homes
In rural areas being responsive to local circumstances and
planning housing development to reflect local needs,
particularly affordable housing and
Locating housing where it will enhance or maintain the vitality
of rural communities and avoiding new isolated homes in the
countryside unless special circumstances demand them
Policy B2 supports the provision of
affordable housing to meet
established local needs.
By requiring development to be within
the Built Confines, it complies with
guidance on location
SO7 Require good design
Ensuring that local and neighbourhood plans include robust
and comprehensive policies that set out the quality of
development expected and
Responding to local character and history and reflecting local
surroundings and materials, while not preventing or
discouraging appropriate innovation
Policies B2 and B3 of the draft Plan
include policies which are designed to
protect the built heritage without
being overly proscriptive
SO8 Promote healthy communities
Planning positively for the provision & retention of shared
space and community facilities
Protecting & enhancing public rights of way & access
Policies B1, B5 &B6, relating to the
countryside, greens and Local
Amenities underpin a healthy outdoor
environment whilst B4 supports other
community facilities, including a very
well used Village Hall
SO9 Protect Green Belt land Not applicable
SO10 Meet the challenge of climate change and flooding
Planning for new development in locations and ways which
reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Supporting the transition to a low carbon future in a changing
climate, taking full account of flood risk and encouraging the
re-use of existing resources and the use of renewable ones
(CPP)
As outlined in 1.2 above contributions
to CO2 reduction come from
Policy B2 by focussing development
within the Confines
Policy B7 by encouraging home-
working
Parish Action 8 by asking Badby Parish
Council to safeguard bus services
Flood risk is addressed in Policy B10
BPNP Basic Conditions Statement March 2018 6
SO11 Conserve and enhance the natural environment
Protecting & enhancing valued landscapes
Minimising impacts on bio-diversity, protecting, in particular,
areas of ancient woodland and land within or outside
designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Policy B1 seeks to protect the
surrounding countryside and is
underpinned by a number of special
designations at national and local level
SO12 Conserve and enhance the historic environment
Sustaining and enhancing the significance of heritage assets
and putting them to viable uses consistent with their
conservation
Recognizing the contribution made by the heritage assets to
communities including their economic vitality
Ensuring that any new development makes a positive
contribution to maintaining local character & distinctiveness
Policy B3 is intended to protect the
historic built environment and is again
underpinned by a number of special
designations at national and local level
.
SO13 Facilitate the sustainable use of minerals Not applicable
Section 2: Delivering Sustainable Development
‘Sustainable Development’ is the over-riding theme of current government policy on planning. The NPPF
describes the terms as follows:
“Sustainable means ensuring that better lives for ourselves won’t mean worse lives for future generations.
Development means growth. We must accommodate the new ways by which we earn our living in a competitive
world, we must house a rising population which is living longer and wants to make new choices and we must
respond to the changes that new technologies offer us”. It goes on to postulate three dimensions of sustainability
and the roles planning should play in relation to each:
an economic role -contributing to building a strong, responsive and competitive economy, by ensuring
that sufficient land of the right type is available in the right places at the right time to support growth and
innovation; and by identifying and coordinating development requirements, including the provision of
infrastructure;
a social role -supporting strong, vibrant and healthy communities, by providing the supply of housing
required to meet the needs of the present and future generations; and by creating a high quality built
environment, with accessible local services that reflect the community’s needs and support its health,
social and cultural well-being and
an environmental role - contributing to protecting and enhancing our natural, built and historic
environment; and as part of this, helping to improve biodiversity, use natural resources prudently,
minimise waste and pollution, and mitigate and adapt to climate change including moving to a low carbon
economy.
2.1 Requirement
BPNP Basic Conditions Statement March 2018 7
2.2 Fit of BPNP Goals and Objectives with Sustainable Development
The following table summarises some responses made in Section 1.3
Sustainable
Dimension
BPNP Compliance
Economic In supporting limited housing development, the draft Plan (Policy B1)
makes an important contribution to this dimension whilst safeguarding the
environmental dimension.
Further contributions are made by support for homeworking and
communications infrastructure improvement (B7)
Social The Plan seeks to maintain the viability of the community by supporting
affordable housing and restricting development to the Built Confines (B2)
with easy access to facilities
It recognises the importance of community facilities to the vibrancy of life
and seeks to protect them (B4)
It further supports a healthy environment by protecting, for recreational
use, the surrounding countryside, village greens and local amenity spaces
Environmental As indicated in Section 1.3 above, the parish benefits from beautiful natural
and built environments and their protection forms an important part of the
Plan (B1 & B3)
Policies on building location (B2) and home-working (B7) contribute to CO2
reduction. Policy B10 seeks to obviate flood risk
Section 3: Local Planning Policies
The BPNP must demonstrate that it is in general conformity with the West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy
adopted in 2014 and the saved policies of the Daventry District Local Plan 1997
The BPNP is confirmed to be in general conformity with local planning policy and references to overarching
requirements are included in notes accompanying each BPNP policy in the body of the Plan
Given that the WNJCS alone contains no less than 77 policies, to keep matters simple the table below restricts
itself to those policies which are relevant to our Plan and go further than simply echoing national policy. They are
dealt with in the order that policies appear in the plan
3.2 Conformity with Local Planning Policy
3.1 Requirement
BPNP Basic Conditions Statement March 2018 8
BPNP Policy Related WNJCS and DDC Policies
B1. Landscape and Countryside
recognises the value of the
parish’s setting and seeks to
protect it by requiring that new
development
is located within the Built
Confines or on Exception
Sites
maintains the scale, form
and character of the
existing settlement
protects or enhances
identified views
important to an
appreciation of the
setting
WNJCS Policy S1 The Distribution of Development states
that ‘new development in rural areas will be limited with
the emphasis being on respecting the quality of
tranquiity’
WNJCS Policy R1 Spatial Strategy for the Rural Area
further states that ‘residential development in rural areas
should not affect open land which is of particular
significance to the form and character of the village
WNJCS Policy BN1 Green Infrastructure Corridors
designates 2 swathes of land bordering the parish as GICs
and requires that such areas will be ‘recognised for their
important contribution to sense of place and conserved,
managed and enhanced’.
WNJCS Policy BN8 The River Nene Strategic Corridor
makes similar provisions for the Nene and its tributaries
DDC Policy GN1 General. This states that general
development will be concentrated in towns, limited in
villages and severely restrained in open countryside
DDC Policy EN1 Special Landscape Area. The parish sits
within an SLA and the following requirements therefore
apply
Whilst new development for the purposes of
agriculture, forestry, recreation or tourism may
from time to time be necessary, they will be
strictly controlled
Villages situated within Special Landscape Areas
make their own contributions to the quality of
those areas and proposals within such villages
will be required to demonstrate that they are not
harmful to that quality
B2 Housing supports limited
further development providing
that
is located within the Built
Confines or on Exception
Sites
the size and height of
properties are in keeping
with properties in the
immediate locality
it brings a mix of tenure,
type and size of dwelling
that meets demonstrated
local needs for dwellings
WNJCS Policy H1 Density and Mix and Type of Dwellings
requires that new development will provide for mix of
house types, sizes and tenures to cater for different
accommodation needs including the needs of older
people and vulnerable groups and has regard to the
setting of the site and the existing character and density
of the local area
WNJCS Policy H2 Affordable Housing and WNJCS Policy
H3 Rural Exception Sites explain these terms and state
that the provision of affordable housing to meet
identified local needs in rural areas on ‘Exception Sites’
will be supported. Such sites must be within or
immediately adjoin the main built-up area of the
settlement
BPNP Basic Conditions Statement March 2018 9
that are affordable,
smaller-scale and suitable
for the retired.
It is of a scale that retains
and enhances the rural
form and character of the
Parish
DDC Policy HS22 Infill Villages Badby is designated a
Restricted Infill Village and this policy requires that
development
Is small scale & within the existing ’Village
Confines’
Has no impact on open land of particular
significance to the form or character of the
village or
Comprises a renovation or conversion
sympathetic to its surroundings
NB This designation may be changed in the DDC 2a Plan
currently at draft stage
DDC Policy EN42 Design of Development requires that
designs promote or reinforce local distinctiveness
and enhance their surroundings
take account of local building traditions and
materials
the scale, density. massing, height, landscape
layout and access of the proposal combine to
ensure the development blends well with its
surroundings
B3 Heritage recognises the value
of our built heritage and seeks to
safeguard it by ensuring that
development preserves
and enhances the
character of the
Conservation Area and is
in keeping with adjacent
buildings and spaces
proposals for new build
adjacent to Listed
Buildings are of a form
and scale in keeping with
their neighbours
historic stone boundary
walls and grass verges are
preserved
WNJCS Policy BN5 Historic Environment and Landscape
states that planning policy will seek to secure & enhance
heritage and landscape features which contribute to the
character of the area including
Conservation Areas
significant historic landscapes, including historic
parkland
locally and nationally important buildings,
structures and monuments
It adds that ‘proposals to sustain and enhance the area’s
understanding of heritage assets for tourism and historic
interest leisure pursuits will be supported
DDC Policy EN2 Conservation Areas & published
Guidance: DDC designated much of Badby as a
conservation area in 1993 and the following policies
therefore apply,
Any new development is required to be
sympathetic to the historic built environment in
style and scale
Development which would block important views
and lead to the enclosure of open spaces will be
discouraged
BPNP Basic Conditions Statement March 2018 10
B4 Local Community Facilities
contribute significantly to the
well-being of the community and
this policy seeks preserve them
WNJCS Policy RC2 Community Needs states that the loss
of existing community facilities, including built sports
facilities and areas of open space will be resisted unless it
can be demonstrated that:
there is evidence that improvements can be
made through the provision of a replacement
facility of equal or better quality, taking into
account accessibility, or
the proposal will bring about community benefits
that outweigh the loss of the facility
B5 Green Spaces adds one Local
Green Space and one Important
Open Space to the 8 Village
Greens (which already enjoy
statutory protection under the
Commons Act 2006) and seeks to
protect them.
WNJCS Policy R1 Spatial Strategy for the Rural Area
states that “residential development in rural areas should
not affect open land which is of particular significance to
the form and character of the village
WNJCS Policy RC2 Community Needs also applies (See
B4 above)
B6 Local Amenity Spaces lists 4
such amenities and supports
measures to maintain and
improve them
WNJCS Policy RC2 Community Needs again applies (See
B4 above)
B7 Employment supports job
creation as follows
Proposals for
agricultural
development will be
supported provided
they do not detract
from the character and
appearance of the
area. They should not
cause adverse impact
on the local area by
reason of noise, light
pollution, or traffic
levels beyond the
capacity of local rural
roads.
New business and
industrial development
within the parish will
be supported with
similar provisos
Proposals that
promote homeworking
and self-employment
through small-scale
WNJCS Policy R2 Rural Economy is as follows.
Proposals which sustain and enhance the rural economy
by creating and safeguarding jobs and businesses will be
supported where they are of an appropriate scale for
their location, respect the environmental quality and
character of the rural area and protect the best and most
versatile agricultural land.
DDC Policy EN 38 Agricultural Development supports
proposals for agricultural development provided that the
design, siting, and external appearance of the proposed
development is not damaging to the appearance of the
landscape or the amenity of residential areas
DDC Policies EM 11 to 14 Restricted Infill Villages* state
that in such villages planning permission for new business
and industrial development will normally be granted
provided that
the scale and character of the proposal reflects
the residential nature of the surroundings
it is within the existing confines of the village
it is not on open land which has a particular
significance to the form and character of the
village
where renovation or conversion of existing
buildings is involved, the proposal is in keeping
BPNP Basic Conditions Statement March 2018 11
changes of use of
buildings and
improvements in the
telecommunications
infrastructure will be
supported.
with the character and quality of the village
environment
(*Note at B2 above may apply)
B8 Community Facilities and CIL
makes clear the intention to seek
CILs where appropriate and
indicates priorities for
expenditure
WNJCS Policy INF2 Contributions to Infrastructure
Requirements The narrative supporting this policy (11.18
to11.26) explains the operation of CILs and outlines areas
to which they may be applied
B9 Traffic Management and
Transport states that
developments will be supported
providing that
they have satisfactory
means of access and
adequate parking
provision
roads within the village to
access the development
will support the
additional traffic or can
be appropriately adapted
at cost to the developer
The following Badby Parish
Council Actions also arise
Parish Actions 6 & 7 in
conjunction with NCC, address
concerns about parking and
speeding
Parish Action 8 support proposals
to retain and enhance bus
services
Parish Action 10 support
proposals for cycle ways to
Daventry and surrounding
villages
WNJCS Policy C1 Changing Behaviour and Achieving
Modal Shift states that priority will be given to proposed
transport schemes that will contribute to behavioural
change by:
providing access by walking, cycling and public
transport to key facilities and services;
promoting the use of walking, cycling and public
transport over and above car trips.
WNJCS Policy C5 Enhancing Local and Neighbourhood
Connections states that the connections within urban
areas, between neighbourhoods and town and district
centres, or the rural hinterlands of West
Northamptonshire with their most accessible service
centre will be strengthened by the following measures:
improvements to the strategic and local bus
networks
improvements to cycling networks and cycle
parking;
sustaining or improving existing demand
responsive transport, particularly in rural areas,
to fill key gaps to the scheduled network and
enhancing the network where gaps presently
exist;
WNJCS Policy R3 A Transport Strategy for the Rural
Areas states improved accessibility and sustainable
transport within rural areas and the avoidance of
congestion and ‘rat running’ will be secured by reviewing
walking connections within villages to identify specific
improvements required ensuring the safety of
pedestrians.
DDC Policy GN2 General Policy includes the following
BPNP Basic Conditions Statement March 2018 12
Permission will normally be granted for development
provided it
has satisfactory means of access and sufficient
parking facilities
will not have an adverse effect on the road
network
B10 Water Management
acknowledges the potential for
water related problems and
supports development with the
following provisos
it is not located in an area
designated at risk in the
Environment Agency’s
Long-term Flood Risk
Assessment
where, required it has
the necessary Land
Drainage Consents
it incorporates the latest
Sustainable drainage
Systems proposed by
Northamptonshire CC to
maximise water retention
within the site and
minimise run-off
WNJCS Policy BN7 Flood Risk requires that developments
comply with NPPF guidance and NCC Flood and Water
Management advice. “All new development, including
regeneration proposals, will need to demonstrate that
there is no increased risk of flooding to existing
properties and proposed development is safe and shall
seek to improve existing flood risk management”
(NCC on-line Flood Toolkit details the requirement for
Land Drainage Consent for developments near
watercourses)
WNJCS Policy BN7A Water Supply, Quality &
Wastewater Infrastructure adds the following:
“Development should use sustainable drainage systems,
wherever practicable, to improve water quality, reduce
flood risk and provide environmental benefits”
Section 4: European Union Obligations
Screening opinions were sought in respect of both Strategic Environmental Assessments and Habitat Regulations
Assessments which concluded that in neither case were full assessments required. We confirm therefore that the
draft Plan is fully compatible with relevant EU regulations
4.2 Human Rights
The Plan has been produced in full consultation with the local community and, in complying with overarching
national policies, has had regard to the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed under the European
Convention on Human Rights and complies with the Human Rights Act 1998
1.14.1 Environmental Impact and Habitat Regulation