Integrated Sustainability Appraisal - Scoping Report (ISA)

Ends on 13 August 2025 (30 days remaining)

Chapter 1 Introduction

1.1 Isle of Anglesey County Council commissioned LUC in February 2025 to carry out Sustainability Appraisal (SA) incorporating Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the new Local Development Plan (LDP). As recommended in the Development Plans Manual¹, the SA/SEA will also incorporate other assessments such as Health Impact Assessment (HIA), Equalities Impact Assessment (EqIA) and Welsh language assessment, as well as addressing the Well- being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 (Section 6). The process is therefore referred to as an Integrated Sustainability Appraisal (ISA).

1.2 The purpose of this Scoping Report is to provide the context for, and determine the scope of, the ISA of the LDP and to set out the framework for undertaking the later stages of the ISA.

1.3 In summary, the Scoping stage involves reviewing other relevant plans, policies and programmes; considering the current state of the environment as well as social and economic conditions on Anglesey; identifying any key environmental, social and economic issues or problems which may be affected by the LDP; and setting out the 'ISA framework', which comprises a set of sustainability objectives against which the likely effects of the LDP can be assessed. This Scoping Report also presents the proposed methodology that will be used for the later stages of the ISA including the assessment of Candidate Sites.

The Plan Area

1.4 Anglesey County encompasses the Isle of Anglesey, including Holy Island, and is located in north west Wales (see Figure 1.3). It is the largest island in England and Wales at 275 square miles and has a population of 68,900. It is the sixth-least densely populated local authority area out of all 22 local authorities in Wales. The largest settlement is Holyhead, followed by Llangefni and Amlwch.

1.5 Anglesey is surrounded by smaller islands, and large parts of the coastline have been designated as the Anglesey Coast National Landscape (formerly referred to as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or AONB). Parts of the coast have also been designated as Heritage Coast. Anglesey borders the counties of Conwy and Gwynedd, both of which contain parts of Eryri National Park (formerly known as Snowdonia).

1.6 Key strategic routes within Anglesey include the A55, which runs through the county to Holyhead, in addition to the North Wales coastal railway line which connects Anglesey to wider North Wales and beyond. Holyhead railway station, the western terminus of the North Wales Main Line, provides direct train services to London Euston. These services are predominantly operated by Avanti West Coast, with five direct trains running daily. The port of Holyhead provides a ferry service with Ireland and is the main road and rail link between Ireland and North Wales, the midlands and the North of England.

The new Local Development Plan

1.7 Anglesey County Council and Gwynedd Council adopted the current Joint LDP in July 2017, which set out the planning strategy for the area (excluding the parts of Gwynedd that fall within Eryri National Park) over the 15 years up to 2026.

1.8 Initially the two Councils intended to prepare a new Joint LDP; however in March 2023 a decision was made to cease the joint working agreement on planning policy matters and Anglesey County Council has commenced work on preparing its own new LDP.

1.9 The Council is now in the early stages of preparing the new LDP, following consultation on a Draft Delivery Agreement during Summer 2024.

1.10 The new LDP is expected to include a vision and objectives for the plan area, an overall strategy for development on Anglesey, site allocations for different types of development including housing and employment, and development-management style policies for managing applications that come forward.

Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment

1.11 Under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (Section 62(6)), SA is mandatory for Local Development Plans. It is also necessary to conduct an environmental assessment in accordance with the requirements of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive (European Directive 2001/42/EC), transposed into Welsh law through the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes (Wales) Regulations 2004. Therefore, it is a legal requirement for the new Anglesey LDP to be subject to SA and SEA throughout its preparation.

1.12 The requirements to carry out SA and SEA are distinct, although it is possible to satisfy both using a single appraisal process (as recommended in the Development Plans Manual) whereby users can comply with the requirements of the SEA Directive through a single integrated SA process – this is the process that is being undertaken on Anglesey. From here on, the term 'SA' (or ISA, as an integrated process is being undertaken in this case) should therefore be taken to mean 'SA incorporating the requirements of the SEA Regulations'.

1.13 The SA process comprises a number of stages, with Scoping being Stage A as shown in Figure 1.1 below.

Figure 1.1: Main stages of Sustainability Appraisal

Stage A: Setting the context and objectives, establishing the baseline and deciding on the scope.

Stage B: Developing and refining options and assessing effects.

Stage C: Preparing the SA Report.

Stage D: Consulting on the Plan and the SA report.

Stage E: Monitoring the significant effects of implementing the Plan.

1.14 Figure 1.2 below sets out the tasks involved in the Scoping stage.

Figure 1.2: Stages in SA scoping (Stage A)

A1: Identifying other relevant policies, plans and programmes, and sustainability objectives.

A2: Collecting baseline information.

A3: Identifying sustainability issues and problems.

A4: Developing the SA framework.

A5: Consulting on the scope of the SA.

Meeting the requirements of the SEA Regulations

1.15 The SEA Directive was transposed into Welsh law through the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes (Wales) Regulations 2004 (commonly referred to as the 'SEA Regulations'). The SEA Regulations remain in force post-Brexit and it is a legal requirement for the Anglesey LDP to be subject to SA and SEA throughout its preparation.

1.16 This Scoping Report includes some of the required elements of the final 'Environmental Report' (the output required by the SEA Regulations). Table 1.1 below signposts the relevant sections of this Scoping Report that are considered to meet the SEA Regulations requirements (the remainder will be met during subsequent stages of the ISA of the LDP, as indicated in the table). This table will be included in the ISA Report at each stage of plan making to show how the SEA Regulations requirements have been met through the ISA process.

Table 1.1: Requirements of the SEA Regulations (Wales) and where these have been met

SEA Regulations (Wales) requirements	Where covered in this report
Preparation of an environmental report in which the likely significant effects on the environment of implementing the plan or programme, and reasonable alternatives taking into account the objectives and geographical scope of the plan or programme, are identified, described and evaluated (Reg. 12). The information to be given is (Schedule 2):
An outline of the contents and main objectives of the plan or programme, and of its relationship (if any) with other relevant plans and programmes.	Chapters 1 and 3 and Appendix A
The relevant aspects of the current state of the environment and the likely evolution thereof without implementation of the plan or programme.	Chapters 4 and 5
The environmental characteristics of areas likely to be significantly affected.	Chapter 4
Any existing environmental problems which are relevant to the plan or programme including, in particular, those relating to any areas of a particular environmental importance, such as areas designated pursuant to Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds and the Habitats Directive.	Chapter 5
The environmental protection objectives, established at international, Community or Member State level, which are relevant to the plan or programme and the way those objectives and any environmental, considerations have been taken into account during its preparation.	Chapter 3 and Appendix A
The likely significant effects on the environment, including short, medium and long-term effects, permanent and temporary effects, positive and negative effects, and secondary, cumulative and synergistic effects, on issues including - biodiversity, population, human health, fauna, flora, soil, water, air, climatic factors, material assets, cultural heritage including architectural and archaeological heritage, landscape and the interrelationship between the above factors.	Requirement will be met at a later stage in the ISA process.
The measures envisaged to prevent, reduce and as fully as possible offset any significant adverse effects on the environment of implementing the plan or programme.	Requirement will be met at a later stage in the ISA process.
An outline of the reasons for selecting the alternatives dealt with, and a description of how the assessment was undertaken including any difficulties encountered in compiling the required information.	Requirement will be met at a later stage in the ISA process.
a description of measures envisaged concerning monitoring in accordance with Regulation 17.	Requirement will be met at a later stage in the ISA process.
a non-technical summary of the information provided under the above headings.	Requirement will be met at a later stage in the ISA process.
The report must include such of the information referred to in Schedule 2 as may reasonably be required, taking account of - current knowledge and methods of assessment, the contents and level of detail in the plan or programme, the status of the plan or programme in the decision- making process, and the extent to which certain matters are more appropriately assessed at different levels in that process in order to avoid duplication of the assessment (Reg. 12(3)).	This Scoping Report and the Environmental Reports will adhere to this requirement.
Consultation requirements
When deciding on the scope and level of detail of the information that must be included in the report, the responsible authority must consult the consultation bodies (Reg. 12(5)). Authorities with environmental responsibility and the public, shall be given an early and effective opportunity within appropriate time frames to express their opinion on the draft plan or programme and the accompanying environmental report before the adoption of the plan or programme (Reg. 13).	Consultation with the statutory bodies on the ISA Scoping Report is taking place for at least five weeks from Spring 2025. Requirement will be met at a later stage in the ISA process.
Other EU Member States, where the implementation of the plan or programme is likely to have significant effects on the environment of that country (Reg. 14).	N/A
Taking the environmental report and the results of the consultations into account in decision-making (Reg.16)
Provision of information on the decision: When the plan or programme is adopted, the public and any countries consulted under Reg. 14 must be informed and the following made available to those so informed: the plan or programme as adopted; a statement summarising how environmental considerations have been integrated into the plan or programme and how the environmental report, the opinions expressed and the results of consultations entered into have been taken into account, and the reasons for choosing the plan or programme as adopted, in the light of the other reasonable alternatives dealt with; and the measures decided concerning monitoring.	Requirement will be met at a later stage in the ISA process.
Monitoring of the significant environmental effects of the plan's or programme's implementation (Reg. 17).	Requirement will be met at a later stage in the ISA process.
Quality assurance: environmental reports should be of a sufficient standard to meet the requirements of the SEA Directive.	This Scoping Report and the Environmental Reports will adhere to this requirement.

Habitats Regulations Assessment

1.17 Under Article 6 (3) and (4) of the Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora (Habitats Directive) land-use plans, including LDPs, are also subject to Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA). The requirement to undertake HRA of development plans was confirmed by the amendments to the Habitats Regulations published for England and Wales in 2007². The currently applicable version is the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017³ (as amended). The purpose of HRA is to assess the impacts of the plan against the conservation objectives of a European site and to ascertain whether it would adversely affect the integrity of that site.

1.18 The HRA for the Anglesey LDP will be undertaken and reported on separately to the ISA, as recommended by the Development Plans Manual. However, the findings will be taken into account in the ISA where relevant (for example to inform judgements about the likely effects of the LDP on biodiversity).

Structure of this Scoping Report

1.19 This chapter has described the background to the preparation of the new Anglesey LDP and the requirement to undertake ISA. The remainder of this report is structured as follows:

Chapter 2 describes how the LDP has been screened against the requirements for SEA and other assessment processes.
Chapter 3 describes the relationship between the LDP and other plans, policies and programmes of relevance to the ISA of the LDP and summarises their key objectives (more detail is provided in Appendix A).
Chapter 4 presents the baseline information about Anglesey which will inform the ISA.
Chapter 5 identifies the key environmental, social and economic issues on Anglesey and considers their likely evolution without the LDP.
Chapter 6 presents the ISA framework that will be used for the LDP and describes the proposed methodology for carrying out the ISA, including the assessment of Candidate Sites.
Chapter 7 describes the next steps to be undertaken in the ISA of the LDP.

Figure 1.3: Plan Area

1 Welsh Government (March 2020) Development Plans Manual (Edition 3).

2 The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) (Amendment) Regulations 2007
(2007) SI No. 2007/1843. TSO (The Stationery Office), London.

3 The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (2017) SI No.
2017/1012, TSO (The Stationery Office), London.

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