Table N1: Potential positive sustainability effects of the Stratford-on-Avon Core Strategy

Potential positive sustainability effects of the Core Strategy
Accessibility and transportation
The expansion of firms must take into account the sites accessibility including its
proximity to public transport;
Promotes improvements to transport networks and infrastructure, sustainable travelthrough access to rail and provision of new and existing pedestrian and cycle routes
Air Quality
Improved accessibility for walking and cycling, coupled with the endorsement of
sustainable modes of transport will enhance the air quality of the area through a
reduction in car use
Biodiversity and geodiversity
Places a special emphasis on woodlands and trees, including veteran trees and
hedgerows;
Establishes protection, enhancement and creation of biodiversity at a range of scales;
Aims to protect, enhance, restore and create new green infrastructure where possible;
Increases and enhances open space, with consideration given to more diverse forms of provision such as community orchards, allotments and local nature reserves.
Climate Change
Strong focus on promoting sustainable transport and reducing the area’s carbon
footprint;
Supports the protection and enhancement of GI which contributes to a reduction inStratford-on-Avon's emissions;
Introduces a strategic and inclusive approach to mitigating the consumption of
greenhouse gases and adapting to the effects of climate change such as flooding;
Ensures that development is directed away from flood risk areas
Economic factors
Supports the development of a strong and diverse District economy, to maintain
economic competiveness and support the growth of local businesses;
Aims to increase tourism throughout the District through creating large-scale schemes in
the urban areas
Health
Health and wellbeing is supported by the encouragement of non-car use and healthiermodes of travel;
Public transport is supported, which aids the elderly population through improving theirability to access services and facilities;
Encourages more people to use public transport or walk to their destinations if servicesand facilities are close by;
There is a strong emphasis on the health of communities, ensuring that there areadequate sport and leisure facilities, as well as supporting open space.
Historic environment and townscape
Potential positive sustainability effects of the Core Strategy
Emphasises the protection and enhancement of the landscape and its component
attributes;
Helps ensure that the design and setting of new development is prepared in the context of known cultural heritage sites;
Controls development within the Green Belt to protect its openness and character;
Strong emphasis on protecting the special landscape areas within Stratford-On-Avon;
Housing has to relate well to the existing settlement and be proportional in size and scale to ensure that it does not detract from the character of the existing settlement.
Housing
Resists development in areas which are prone to flooding ensures that all housing built is suitable and fit for purpose;
Provides approximately 10,800 new homes in the period 2011-2031;
All new residential development of 0.2 hectares or more with 5 or more houses will be required to provide affordable housing;
Ensures that residential development is balanced and creates a sustainable community with affordable housing provided at a rate contingent on local needs surveys.
Material Assets
Supports proposals on vacant and derelict sites;
Calls for efficiency, with residential buildings reaching at least CfSH level 3-4 and non-residential meeting BREEAM Good standards;
Brings empty homes back into productive use through extensions, subdivisions,adaptation and replacement.
Population and quality of life
Enhancements to the area’s GI network and woodland will be a key contributor to overall quality of life;
Promotes public access;
Disperses attractions and accommodation throughout the District, reducing barriers for those living in rural areas.
Water and soil
Aims to improve the water quality of the District;
Strongly supports the incorporation of sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS);
States that development should not affect water bodies’ status and ability to meet the target of all watercourses to reach ‘good’ water quality status by 2015.
Potential negative sustainability effects of the Core Strategy
Accessibility and transportation
Large retail development is focused solely in the main settlements; this follows the requirements of para 23 of the NPPF which requires Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to recognise town centres as the heart of their communities and pursue policies to support their viability and vitality, but the policy will continue to support driving as the primary mode of transport in rural areas;
Some policies advise the creation of car parking facilities, providing increased parking availability could encourage people to drive;
Policies should actively encourage sustainable modes of transport, rather than just including this as mitigation against ‘unacceptable transport impacts’, a reference to active encouragement could be implemented into policies which have been identified as potentially suffering from transport issues;
The locations of some employment sites could promote car use and should be targeted for sustainable transportation measures.
Air quality
Car transport has the potential to affect air quality within Stratford-on-Avon. If a modal shift in transportation does not occur, air quality could deteriorate;
Development is proposed in and around areas with AQMAs.
Biodiversity
Some sites are located on BAP priority habitat - development may mean the loss of traditional orchards, hedgerows and veteran trees;
Proposed LWS may be affected by development.
Climate change
Some development sites are at risk from flooding;
Car transport has the potential to affect carbon emissions within Stratford-on-Avon. If a modal shift in transportation does not occur, emissions will be affected.
Economic factors
The Vale of Evesham Control Zone could restrict businesses.
Health
Some sites do not have easy access to health services
Historic environment and townscape
Section 9 of the NPPF sets the criteria of what constitutes ‘appropriate development’ in the Green Belt. However incorporating the precautionary principle; allowing appropriate development could lead to the nibbling away of Green Belt in the long term;
Specific sites have been removed from the Green Belt;
Development is proposed on sites where there may be archaeological features, including evidence of a civil war skirmish on a battlefield in Southam;
There is the potential for development to harm the setting of heritage assets;
Specific proposals will cause the loss of ridge and furrow.
Housing
Adverse effects of housing development can be mitigated by good design; it isrecommended that environmental impact assessments are prepared.
Material assets
Adverse effects of housing development can be mitigated by good design; it isrecommended that environmental impact assessments are prepared.
Population and quality of life
The focus on large retail development in the main rural settlements could promote centralisation;
Some sites have barriers to access services and facilities.
Water and soil
Development is likely to cause the loss of agricultural land.