Integrated Sustainability Appraisal - Scoping Report (ISA)

The need to mitigate and adapt to the ongoing impacts of climate change.

Relevant policies from the adopted Joint LDP (2017) would still apply, including policies PS 7: Renewable Energy Technology, ADN 1: On-shore Wind Energy, ADN 2: PV Solar Energy and ADN 3: Other Renewable Energy and Low Carbon Technologies, which could help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by supporting the provision of alternative, renewable energy sources. Policy PS 5: Sustainable Development supports development in the main settlements, which have good access to public transport, and services and facilities are within walking distance of one another. This would help reduce reliance on the private car and greenhouse gas emissions associated with private car use. Other policies in the adopted Joint LDP support alternatives to the private car, such as PS 4: Sustainable Transport, Development and Accessibility and TRA 1: Transport Network Developments. Improvements to vehicle technology (as well as policies in PPW and other national policy and legislation) may also contribute to reducing emissions, in the absence of the adopted Joint LDP. Policy PS 6: Alleviating and Adapting to the Effects of Climate Change in the adopted Local Plan requires proposals to demonstrate how they will respond to climate change. Other plans and policies will also continue to apply in the absence of the adopted Joint LDP, including those relating to flood risk. The new LDP offers an opportunity to strengthen and develop up-to-date locally specific policies to address the issue of climate change mitigation and adaptation, and to allocate sites for new development on Anglesey that are not in areas at risk of flooding, within close proximity of sustainable transport links, and that can incorporate the provision of new sustainable transport infrastructure.

High levels of car ownership and limited access to public transport in rural areas.

Relevant policies from the adopted Joint LDP (2017) would still apply, including policies ISA 1: Infrastructure Provision, PS 4: Sustainable Transport, Development and Accessibility and TRA 1: Transport Network Developments, which support improvements to public transport infrastructure and encourage walking and cycling. This, and other relevant policies (including in PPW and other national policy and legislation), would continue to apply in the absence of a new LDP. The new LDP offers an opportunity to reduce reliance on the private car by focusing development in more urban, built-up areas, and improving public transport infrastructure in rural areas, although it will be a challenge to do so compared with urban areas, due to lack of viability.

The need to protect and enhance designated and undesignated biodiversity features, particularly in line of the nature emergency that has been declared at the national level.

Relevant policies from the adopted Joint LDP (2017) would still apply, including policies AMG 5: Local Biodiversity Conservation and AMG 6: Protecting Sites of Regional or Local Significance, which seek to preserve and enhance Anglesey's distinctive natural heritage, including ecological networks and designated sites. This, and other relevant policies (including in PPW and other national policy and legislation), would continue to apply in the absence of the new LDP. However, the new LDP offers the chance to develop up-to-date locally specific policies addressing environmental protection and to direct development on Anglesey (through appropriate site allocations) to locations where harm to biodiversity will be avoided.

The need to protect and enhance the sensitive landscape, particularly around the Anglesey National Landscape.

Relevant policies from the adopted Joint LDP (2017) would still apply, including policies AMG1 1: Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plans, AMG 2: Special Landscape Areas and AMG 3: Protecting and Enhancing Features and Qualities that are Distinctive to the Local Landscape Character. Policies PCYFF 3: Design and Place Shaping and PCYFF 4: Design and Landscaping would also help protect and enhance the landscape and townscape through high quality design. These, and other relevant policies (including in PPW and other national policy and legislation), would continue to apply in the absence of the Joint LDP; however, the new LDP offers the chance to develop up-to-date locally specific policies, including on Anglesey National Landscape, in addition to directing development on Anglesey (through appropriate site allocations) to locations where harm to sensitive landscapes will be avoided. Design policies and codes can also be developed to ensure that new development is appropriately designed to further minimise impacts. This issue would not be as well addressed in the absence of the new LDP.

Shortages in open space provision including sports facilities and playing pitches.

Relevant policies from the adopted Joint LDP (2017) would still apply, including policies ISA 1: Infrastructure Provision, ISA 2: Community Facilities and ISA 5: Provision of Open Spaces in New Housing Developments, which support the development of and contributions towards open space, including sports and leisure facilities. Further to this, Policy ISA 4: Safeguarding Existing Open Space discourages loss of open space. The new LDP presents the opportunity to maintain and improve open space quality, in addition to protecting and enhancing access to open space, including sports facilities and playing pitches. The plan-making process will also allow for new open spaces to be planned and incorporated alongside new development.

Some areas of high flood risk.

Policy ISA 1: Infrastructure Provision seeks contributions towards flood risk management measures, while policies PCYFF 3: Design and Place Shaping and PCYFF 6: Water Conservation support the implementation of flood minimisation or mitigation measures where possible to limit surface water run-off and its contribution to flood risk, in addition to sea and river flood risk.

Additionally, the adopted Joint LDP designates a Coastal Change Management Area where there is a requirement for a TAN 15 compliant Flood Consequences Assessment to be submitted, so as to prevent any increase in flood risk. The new LDP presents an opportunity for new development required over the plan period to be minimised within areas of higher flood risk. Policies included in the new LDP should require mitigation where areas of flood risk cannot be avoided, in addition to requiring installation of sustainable drainage systems.

Sensitive heritage features requiring protection.

There are numerous policies contained within the adopted Joint LDP that seek to protect heritage assets, namely PS 20: Preserving and Where Appropriate Enhancing Heritage Assets, AT 1: Conservation Areas, World Heritage Sites and Registered Historic Landscapes, Parks and Gardens, AT 2: Enabling Development, AT 3: Locally or Regionally Significant Non-designated Heritage Assets and AT 4: Protection of Non-Designated Archaeological Sites and Their Setting. The new LDP offers an opportunity to limit development in more historically sensitive areas and to ensure that development does not result in adverse effects on the historic environment through policy requirements.

Declining population between the last two Census's.

The policies contained within the adopted Joint LDP seek to make Anglesey an attractive place to live, including policies PS 5: Sustainable Development and PCYFF 4: Design and Place Shaping, which focus on the sustainable location of development and place making. There are also policies that support economic growth within Anglesey, including CYF 1: Safeguarding, Allocating and Reserving Land and Units for Employment Use and CYF 2: Adwy'r Hafan Pwwllheli, while housing demand is addressed through policies such as PS 16: Housing Provision. These, and other relevant policies (including in PPW and other national policy and legislation), would continue to apply in the absence of the Joint LDP. However, the new LDP offers the opportunity to create and safeguard jobs through the allocation and promotion of employment generating uses, including office and industrial spaces and the promotion of the rural economy, while also promoting access and opportunity for all.

Some pockets of deprivation.

Relevant policies from the adopted Joint LDP (2017) would still apply, including policies CYF 7: Regeneration Sites, CYF 8: Holyhead Regeneration Area, TAI 5: Local Market Housing, TAI 8: Appropriate Housing Mix and PS 18: Affordable Housing, which promote regeneration in areas that need it the most, while also ensuring different types of housing are available, including affordable housing. The new LDP presents an opportunity to address deprivation head on and in areas not identified in the Joint LDP (regeneration of Holyhead is almost complete).

Declining levels of Welsh language speaking.

The adopted Joint LDP contains a policy relating to the Welsh language, namely PS 1: Welsh Language and Culture, which requires a Welsh Language Impact Assessment to be submitted as part of most applications. Therefore, support for use of the Welsh language will continue in the absence of a new LDP. However, the new LDP offers an opportunity to update this policy and reinforce the need to protect and encourage use of the Welsh language.