Sustainability Appraisal

SA process Stage A (Scoping) complete – Scoping Report consulted on from the 7 th April to 12 th May 2008) Stage B and C started - Interim Sustainability Appraisal Report (ISAR) documenting the assessment of the options and Draft SA Report - documenting the appraisal of draft policies.

What are the issues? Flood Risk Deprivation Climate Change Vulnerable groups Cumulative effects Equality

What were the options? Car Parking Standards –Option A - Adopt the revised standards –Option B - Keep existing parking standards as detailed in RPG13 and Draft RSS

Interim SA findings Very different from the existing standards in their holistic approach Focus on public transportation and on curbing car dependency: –environmental benefit –equitable accessibility benefit Parking standards are important to the quality of the built environment and to health and wellbeing The management of parking is of crucial importance –In terms of a number of SA Objectives, the proposed parking standards perform better than the existing standards.

Interim SA findings Recommendations: –Tone down exclusionary language in tables discouraging certain types of development Do not discourage employment in inaccessible locations by public transport if employees reside nearby –Give higher priority to cycling spaces and therefore active transport Bicycle spaces standards could be more ambitious –Cost of services supporting alternatives to car must match Where possible, use economic analysis to ensure alternatives are financially competitive

Draft SA Report findings As the policy indicates that each site should be assessed case-by-case it is difficult at this stage to be precise in predicting effects. What can be said is that the general principle of the standards should result in positive effects. The policy explicitly provides to ‘encourage cycling for the specific development but also within the wider area’. The encouragement of cycling and other forms of active transport should create positive health benefits. The provision of disabled spaces above government standards but on a case-by-case basis should provide positive effects in terms of access for the disabled however it is not possible to state definitively at this stage. Theoretically, if there is an overall reduction in car parking spaces there may also be a reduction in car parks with associated light and noise pollution.

Next Steps Draft policies will complete consultation. Responses will be considered by 4NW. There is an opportunity for draft policies to be finalised before the publication of the pre-submission plan.