NPPP 2022 SEA Scoping Report
Cairngorms
NATIONAL PARK Pàirc Nàiseanta a’ Mhonaidh Ruaidh
Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan 2022
STRATEGY
Strategic Environmental Assessment
Scoping Report January 2020
To: [email protected] SEA Gateway 2 H (South) Victoria Quay Edinburgh EH6 6QQ
Cover Note PART I
PART 2 An SEA Scoping Report is attached for the plan, programme or strategy (PPS) entitled: Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan 2022 — 2027 The Responsible Authority is: Cairngorms National Park Authority
PART 3 [x] The PPS falls under the scope of Section 5(3) of the Act and requires an SEA under the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005. or [ ] The PPS falls under the scope of Section 5(4) of the Act and requires an SEA under the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005. or [ ] The PPS does not require an SEA under the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act
- However, we wish to carry out an SEA on a voluntary basis. We accept that, as this SEA is voluntary, the statutory 5 week timescale for views from the Consultation Authorities cannot be guaranteed.
PART 4 Contact name Nina Caudrey Job Title Planning Officer (Development Planning) Contact address Cairngorms National Park Authority 14 The Square Grantown-on-Spey PH26 3HG
Contact tel no 01479 873535 Contact email ninacaudrey@cairngorms.co.uk
PART 5 Signature (electronic signature is acceptable) Date Nina Caudrey 20 January 2020
Table of Contents
Context | a. Background b. About the National Park Partnership Plan 2 c. Other relevant plans, programmes and strategies 3
Scoping information 3 a. Topics considered 3 b. Topics scoped in 3 c. Environmental baseline 4
Proposed environmental assessment methodology 4 a. Process 4 b. Assessment templates and SEA objectives 4 c. Longevity and permanence of effects 5 d. Alternatives and mitigation 5 e. Cumulative and in-combination effects 5 f. Other environmental assessments 5
Next steps a. Scoping advice sought from consultation authorities ।। b. Draft Environmental Report proposed consultation period ।। c. Indicative timescales for plan preparation and consultation ।।
Annex I: Plans, programmes and strategies relevant to the NPPP 12 Annex II: Baseline environmental data 34 Annex III: Data analysis information 35 Annex IV: Protected area condition data 39 Note: Topic papers are separate documents
National Park Partnership Plan SEA Scoping Report
January 2020
1. Context
a. Background
The plan being scoped is the fourth National Park Partnership Plan (NPPP). The NPPP will be a five year management plan covering the whole of the Cairngorms National Park area (figure 1) for the period 2022 – 2027 although it will also contain targets up to 2040. It will replace the current NPPP, which covers the period 2017 – 2022. NPPPs seek to identify key land management, social and economic issues for the Park as a whole, along with strategic measures to alleviate them.
[map of the Cairngorms] North Cromdale Glenlivet Dulnain Bridge Carr-Bridge Nethy Boat of Bridge Garten Aviemore Inverdruie Glenmore Kincraig Kingussie Insh Newtonmore 0 Laggan Dalwhinnie Blair Atholl Killiecrankie Tomintoul Strathdon Dinnet Ballater Braemar Clova Glenshee 0 5 10 20 30 40 Kilometers
Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of HMSO. Crown copyright and database right 2015. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100040965 Cairngorms National Park Authority.
Figure I — the area covered by the National Park Partnership Plan. The fourth NPPP is at a very early stage of development, with consideration of the key issues and focus for the NPPP taking place during 2020. This has made detailed scoping difficult, as the content of the future NPPP is unknown. However, as the NPPP will be strategic in nature it has been possible to scope the potential for environmental effects by using the broad categories outlined by SEA Topics (as defined in section 2. information).
Scoping
National Park Partnership Plan SEA Scoping Report
January 2020 Consideration of the potential for environmental effects has been done by using the contents of the current NPPP as a guide as to what broad type of issue may be included in the next NPPP (eg housing that is affordable for those working in the Park remains a key issue), along with significant environmental issues that have come to the fore since publication of the current NPPP (such as the climate emergency).
b. About the National Park Partnership Plan
Having a NPPP is a legal requirement under required under section 11 of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000. The NPPP will:
- Set the strategic vision and priorities for managing the Park by identifying key land management, social and economic issues.
- Identify measures that the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) and partners think will alleviate the issues and make the biggest contribution to a successful National Park over the plan’s lifetime and beyond.
- Provide focus and priorities at a time of limited financial resources.
- Show how the four aims of the National Park can be achieved together, benefiting people and place.
The NPPP will also provide strategic direction for five key strategies and plans that sit below it, as shown in figure 2. In turn, these plans and strategies will support delivery of the NPPP priorities.
Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan The overarching management plan for the Cairngorms National Park Active Cairngorms The outdoor access strategy for the National Park
Cairngorms Nature Action Plan
Economic Action Plan
Local Development Plan
LEADER Local Development Strategy
Sets out the conservation priorities for the National Park
Sets out the economic priorities for the National Park
Sets out the polices for land use planning within the National Park
Sets out the priorities for promoting community- led local development to support a sustainable rural economy in the National Park Figure 2 — hierarchy of CNPA plans and strategies linked to the NPPP 2
National Park Partnership Plan SEA Scoping Report
January 2020
C. Other relevant plans, programmes and strategies
There are a large number of other plans, programmes and strategies (PPS) that are of relevance to the NPPP. Due to their number, these are listed in Annex I. The PPS are categorised according to their international, national and local scales and are accompanied by information on their purpose, relationship with the NPPP and their relevance to the environmental assessment. The environmental assessment that informs the Environmental Report will need to consider the PPS that are active at the time of writing. Therefore this aspect of the assessment will be reviewed as the assessment progresses.
2. Scoping information
a. Topics considered
Schedule 3 of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 lists categories of potential environmental effects that should be considered as part of the environmental assessment process. These have been grouped together into eight Topic areas. The Topics are:
- Topic 1: Climatic Factors
- Topic 2: Air
- Topic 3: Water
- Topic 4: Soil (including geodiversity’)
- Topic 5: Material Assets
- Topic 6: Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna
- Topic 7: Landscape and Cultural Heritage
- Topic 8: Population and Human Health
b. Topics scoped in
All the SEA Topics identified in section 2.a have been scoped in, as the strategic nature of the NPPP and baseline issues identified in the Topic papers have the potential to influence all topics.
With the small number of commercial quarries in the Park, geodiversity is more relevant to soils (Topic 4) in the Park. Therefore, consideration of geodiversity will be included under Topic 4, Soils, rather than the conventional location of Topic 5, Material Assets. (The contribution of mineral extraction to resources will however still be included under Topic 5.)
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National Park Partnership Plan SEA Scoping Report
January 2020
C. Environmental baseline
The separate Topic papers present detailed information on the environmental baseline, ordered by the eight different topic areas: climatic factors, air, water, soil, material assets, biodiversity flora and fauna, landscape and cultural heritage, population and human health.
3. Proposed environmental assessment methodology
a. Process
The intended SEA process is to:
- Gather environmental baseline data and information, identify draft methodology.
- Consult on the scoping report, to confirm the environmental baseline is complete and agree the assessment methodology with consultation authorities (current stage).
- Alongside the preparation of the outline NPPP, carry out environmental assessment and prepare a draft Environmental Report, using the assessment methodology and taking into account consultation authority advice on the scoping report.
- Consult on the draft Environmental Report and outline NPPP.
- Finalise the NPPP and amend the Environmental Report accordingly, taking into account consultation authority advice.
- Adopt the NPPP and issue a post-adoption statement on the Environmental Report.
- Monitor environmental effects during the Plan period, identify and implement mitigation where unexpected adverse effects occur.
b. Assessment templates and SEA objectives
At this stage, it is intended that the assessment will focus on the vision and principles/objectives of the NPPP, where these give a direction that may have environmental effects. Tables 1, 2 and 3 will be used as a basis for carrying out the environmental assessment and recording the findings. Table I (found in section f, Other environmental assessments) provides the intended scoring matrix that will be used to ensure consistency during the environmental assessment. Tables 2 and 3 (found in section f, Other environmental assessments) provides the main objectives and template for scoring and recording potential environmental effects during the environmental assessment. It incorporates proposed SEA objectives and sub-objectives that each element of the NPPP will be scored against. Where available, guidance published by the consultation authorities has been used as a basis for setting the SEA objectives and sub-objectives. These relate to the specific SEA environmental receptors and issues that have the potential to be affected by the NPPP. 4
National Park Partnership Plan SEA Scoping Report
January 2020 The information and issues identified as part of the baseline have also been used to inform which objectives and sub-objectives are relevant to the environmental assessment of the NPPP. The SEA objectives and questions are provisional and may be modified during the SEA process – for example as a result of comments from the Consultation Authorities, changes in the baseline data when it is fully collected and/or if the content of the draft NPPP covers different subject matter than currently expected.
c. Longevity and permanence of effects
Consideration of longevity and scale of effects is built in to the assessment table template, so will form an integral part of the environmental assessment for each element assessed.
d. Alternatives and mitigation
At this stage, the NPPP vision, overall strategy, principles and priorities, as well as any possible alternatives are unknown. However alternative options will be considered and assessed as different options start to emerge during the drafting of the NPPP and as a result of the public consultation process.
e. Cumulative and in-combination effects
Consideration of the potential for cumulative and in-combination effects will be included as an integral part of the environmental assessment process for individual elements of the plan. A review of the assessment results will also be undertaken to double check any cumulative or in-combination effects that may not have been apparent during individual assessments.
f. Other environmental assessments
A Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA) will be undertaken at the same time as the draft Environmental Report. The HRA will be used to inform the Environmental Report and vice versa as part of an iterative process. 5
National Park Partnership Plan SEA Scoping Report
January 2020 Table I — scoring matrix Significance of Effect Element would have a major positive environmental effect in its current form as it would resolve an existing issue or maximise ++ opportunities. SIGNIFICANT. Element would have a minor positive environmental effect. + Effect of Element is uncertain. ? No connectivity with the environmental Topic/Objective being assessed. X Element would have no predicted environmental effects. 0 Element would have a minor adverse environmental effect. — The Element would have a major adverse environmental effect as it would create significant new problems or substantially exacerbate existing problems. Consider exclusion of option. SIGNIFICANT. 6
National Park Partnership Plan SEA Scoping Report
January 2020 Table 2 – main environmental objectives
Topic Objective Main Objective(s) number Climatic factors la Reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases with particular focus on emissions from buildings, transport, energy generation and industry (especially CO2), but also from natural carbon sinks (such as woodlands and peatlands). Climatic factors Ib Ensure existing and proposed infrastructure and buildings are located and designed to cope with future climate conditions. Air 2a To maintain or improve air quality and reduce emissions of key pollutants. Water 3a Maintain and improve the quality of water resources and to protect and enhance the state of the water environment. Water 3b Reduce demand for water and minimise unnecessary water use. Water 3c To reduce the impact of invasive non-native species on the water environment. Soil and 4a Minimise contamination and safeguard and improve soil, peat geodiversity quality and geodiversity. Material assets 5a Encourage the sustainable use and reuse of material assets. Biodiversity 6a Protect and enhance the biodiversity of the National Park. flora and fauna Landscape and 7a Protect and enhance the character, diversity and special cultural heritage qualities of the landscapes of the Park. Landscape and Protect and enhance the historic and cultural environment and 7b cultural heritage assets (including linguistic) of the Park. Population and 8a Support and enhance the health and wellbeing of residents and human health visitors to the Park through housing, recreation and employment opportunities.
National Park Partnership Plan SEA Scoping Report
January 2020 Table 3 — environmental assessment template SEA Issue / Topic Insert Issue / Topic title
SEA Objective(s): Insert SEA Objective(s)
Significant Interrelationships Insert significant relationships with other SEA Issues / Topic
Assessor(s): Insert assessor(s)’s name
Date of Assessment: Insert date(s) of assessment
SECTION OF PLAN BEING ASSESSED: (eg Vision, Policy X, Option IA, etc) SEA objective
la Assessment of environmental effects SEA sub-objective Nature of effect Insert a description of the nature of the potential effect the Option will have on the issue against the criteria set out by the SEA Objective. Include consideration of cumulative effects. Link to baseline information as necessary.
Scoring: significance of effect before mitigation Insert scoring for the significance of the environmental effect BEFORE mitigation (using the symbology in Table 1)
Mitigation and enhancement Insert information on how adverse effects will be mitigated and/or how enhancements will be used to create positive effects. Scoring: residual significance of effect after mitigation Insert scoring for the residual significance of the environmental effect AFTER mitigation (using the symbology in Table 1)
Will there be an effect on energy conservation and efficiency in new development?
la
Will there be an effect on the production of renewable energy of appropriate scale for the Park?
la
Will there be an effect on local production and use of materials and food produce?
la
Will there be an effect on carbon sinks (such as woodlands and peatlands)?
la
Will there be an effect on travel that produces greenhouse gas emissions?
lb
Considering future implications of climate change (eg increased severity of weather resulting in more flooding, periods of drought and extremes of temperature), will there be an effect on existing infrastructure and buildings?
lb
Considering future implications of climate change (eg increased severity of weather resulting in more flooding, periods of drought and extremes of temperature), will there be an effect on infrastructure and buildings proposed in the Local Development Plan?
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National Park Partnership Plan SEA Scoping Report January 2020
2a 2a 3a 3a 3a 3b Will there be an effect on the levels of UK National Air Quality pollutants (e.g. NO2, PM10, PM2.5, SO₂)? Will there be an effect on the levels of other types of air pollution (eg particulates)? Will there be an effect on the water quality of rivers, lochs and ground-water from diffuse and point source pollution? Will there be an effect on the ability of river catchments to store water and the natural flood management services they provide? Will there be an effect on public water supplies? Will there be an effect on demand for water from development (residential and business)?
3b Will there be an effect on sustainable use of water resources?
3c Will there be an effect on the water environment from invasive non-native species?
4a Will there be an effect on carbon rich soils, in particular peat?
4a Will there be an effect on soil sealing, soil structure and soil loss?
4a
Will there be an effect on the levels of soil contamination?
4a Will there be an effect on soil erosion and landslides?
4a
Will there be an effect on geodiversity interests (eg GCRs)?
5a Will there be an effect on sustainable use of natural resources (eg water, timber, aggregates)?
5a Will there be an effect on the sustainable use and management of existing and proposed infrastructure (eg water, heat, energy or flood protection infrastructure)?
5a Will there be an effect on the use of finite resources through the use of secondary and recycled materials?
6a Will there be an effect on the favourable condition of areas protected for nature conservation?
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National Park Partnership Plan SEA Scoping Report January 2020 6a
6a
6a
6a
6a
7a
7a
7b
8a
8a
8a Will there be an effect on protected species? Will there be an effect on Cairngorms Nature Action Plan habitats and plants? Will there be an effect on Cairngorms Nature Action Plan bird and mammal species? Will there be an effect on wider biodiversity (outwith protected areas and the habitats and species identified in the CNAP) in the National Park? Will there be an effect on deer management practices that seek to reduce environmental effects? Will there be an effect on land management practices that seek to avoid the introduction and spread of invasive non-native species and tree diseases? Will there be an effect on the special qualities of the National Park landscapes? Will there be an effect landscape character and local distinctiveness? Will there be an effect on the historic and cultural environment and assets (including linguistic)? Will there be an effect on housing for local needs? Will there be an effect on recreation and active travel opportunities that support healthier lifestyles? Will there be an effect on employment opportunities local to places of residence?
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National Park Partnership Plan SEA Scoping Report
January 2020
4. Next steps
a. Scoping advice sought from consultation authorities
As described in the previous sections, all Topics have been scoped in but the contents of the NPPP are at this stage unknown. CNPA therefore wish to seek the particular advice of the consultation authorities on:
- the proposed methodology (section 3)
- whether there are gaps or errors in the environmental baseline information identified in separate Topic papers,
- if there is new information that is expected to become available over the next 12 – 18 months that could be useful to add to the environmental baseline.
The advice of the consultation authorities will be valuable for informing both the environmental assessment and the NPPP going forward.
b. Draft Environmental Report proposed consultation period
A six to eight week consultation period is anticipated for the draft Environmental Report.
C. Indicative timescales for plan preparation and consultation
Initial identification of the issues and priorities for the outline NPPP will take place during
- A public consultation on the issues identified, draft priorities and alternatives (where relevant), as well as draft environmental assessments, is intended to take place in 2021. The finalised NPPP should be ready for adoption in summer 2022. ।।
National Park Partnership Plan SEA Scoping Report
January 2020
Annex I: Plans, programmes and strategies relevant to the NPPP
Relevant PPS Relevant objectives/purpose SEA Topic Relationship between the PPS and the NPPP International Directives and Policies (note that this list will be subject change due to the UK leaving the EU on 31 January 2020) The Clean Air Policy Package (EC, 2013) Directive 91/676/EEC: Nitrates Directive Directive 92/42/EC: The Conservation of Natural Habitats of Wild Fauna and Flora The package consists of a Clean Air Programme for Europe with air quality objectives for the period up to 2030, a revised National Emission Ceilings Directive (currently under review) with stricter national emission ceilings for the six main pollutants, and a proposal for a new Directive to reduce pollution from medium-sized combustion installations. Requires member states to reduce water pollution caused or induced by nitrates from agricultural sources and to prevent further such pollution. Requires member states to sustain populations of naturally occurring flora and fauna by sustaining areas of habitats to maintain ecologically and scientifically sound levels. Air Water Soil and geodiversity Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna Population and Human Health Water Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna Water Biodiversity, Fauna and Fauna Landscape and Cultural Heritage The proposals in the NPPP should not adversely affect air quality. The proposals in the NPPP should not increase water pollution caused or induced by nitrates from agricultural sources. The proposals in the NPPP must ensure protection and enhancement of European sites and protection of European Protected Species. Directive 1999/31/EC: Landfill of waste Directive The objective of the Directive is to prevent or reduce as far as possible negative effects on the environment, in particular on surface water, groundwater, soil, air, and on human health from the landfilling of waste by introducing Air Water Soil and geodiversity The proposals in the NPPP should promote the waste hierarchy and work towards reducing landfill waste. 12
Relevant PPS Directive 2000/60/EC: The Water Framework Directive National Park Partnership Plan SEA Scoping Report Relevant objectives/purpose stringent technical requirements for waste and landfills. Requires member states to achieve good ecological status of inland water bodies, and develop integrated catchment management and river basin management plans. January 2020 Relationship between the PPS and the NPPP SEA Topic Material Assets Population and Human Health Water Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna The proposals in the NPPP should support protection and enhancement Landscape and of the water environment. Directive 2001/42/EC: Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive Directive 2001/81/EC (NECD): National Emissions Ceiling Directive Directive 2002/49/EC: Environmental Noise Directive Directive 2006/7/EC: Bathing Water Directive Directive 2006/113/EC: The Requires Strategic Environmental Assessments to be undertaken for plans, programmes and strategies with significant environmental effects. Sets ceilings for each member state for emissions of ammonia, oxides of nitrogen, sulphur dioxide and volatile organic compounds. Aims to define a common approach intended to avoid, prevent or reduce on a prioritised basis the harmful effects, including annoyance, due to the exposure to environmental noise Aims to protect the public and the environment from faecal pollution at waters used for bathing by a large number of visitors. Aims to protect or improve shellfish waters in order to Cultural Heritage All Topics Enables significant environmental effects of proposals in the plan to be identified and addressed. Air The proposals in the NPPP should reflect the purpose of the Directive Population and Human health and should not adversely affect air quality. Population and Human health The proposals in the NPPP should seek to ensure it does not result in negative health and wellbeing effects resulting from noise. Water Population and Human health Water The proposals in the NPPP should consider the contribution that actions could make towards the attainment of bathing water quality standards. The proposals in the NPPP should 13
National Park Partnership Plan SEA Scoping Report
January 2020 Relationship between the PPS and the NPPP Relevant objectives/purpose SEA Topic Relevant PPS Shellfish Waters Directive support shellfish life and growth. It is designed to protect Biodiversity, seek to avoid negative effects on the aquatic habitat of bivalve and gastropod molluscs, which Flora and shellfish waters, which in the Park include oysters, mussels, cockles, scallops and clams. Fauna includes freshwater pearl mussel. Directive 2006/118/EC: Made under the Water Framework Directive, the Daughter Water The proposals in the NPPP should Groundwater Daughter Directive aims to prevent and limit inputs of pollutants to Soil and where possible contribute to the Directive groundwater. geodiversity protection of groundwater resources. Population and Human health Directive 2007/60/EC: Floods Requires member states to assess if all water courses and Climatic The proposals in the NPPP should Directive coast lines are at risk from flooding, to map the flood Factors reduce and manage flood risk extent and assets and humans at risk in these areas and to Water encouraging natural flood take adequate and coordinated measures to reduce this Population and management approaches. flood risk Human health Directive 2008/50/EC: Establishes standards for air quality and sets limits for Air The proposals in the NPPP should Ambient Air Quality and various pollutants. Population and support measures that would Cleaner Air for Europe Human health improve air quality. Directive 2008/98/EC: Waste The revised EU Waste Framework Directive establishes the Material assets The proposals in the NPPP should, if Framework Directive legislative framework for the handling of waste by member Population and needed, support waste management states. Human health within the National Park. Directive 2009/28/EC: Establishes a common framework for the production of Climatic The proposals in the NPPP should Promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and the promotion of its factors seek to promote the development energy from renewable use. and use of appropriate renewable sources energy sources. Directive 2009/147/EC on the Requires member states to sustain populations of naturally Water The proposals in the NPPP should Conservation of Wild Birds occurring wild birds by sustaining areas of habitats to Biodiversity, support protection and enhancement maintain ecologically and scientifically sounds levels. Flora and of bird habitat where relevant to the Fauna priorities identified. 14
National Park Partnership Plan SEA Scoping Report January 2020 Relationship between the PPS and the NPPP SEA Topic Relevant objectives/purpose Relevant PPS European Charter for Regional European adopted under the auspices of the Council of Landscape and The proposals in the NPPP should or Minority Languages Europe to protect and promote historical regional and Cultural support the Gaelic language where (European Council, 1992) minority languages in Europe. Identifies Gaelic as being an Heritage relevant to the priorities identified. endangered language. Landscape and Cultural heritage Population and Human health European Landscape Promotes the protection, management and planning of Biodiversity, Where relevant to the priorities Convention (European European landscapes and organises European co-operation Flora and identified, the proposals in the NPPP Commission, 2000) on landscape issues Fauna should be a tool for the maintenance Landscape and and restoration of landscapes and Cultural their natural habitats. heritage Population and Human health European Union Biodiversity Strategy aims to halt the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem Biodiversity, Where relevant to the priorities Strategy to 2020 (European services in the EU by 2020. Flora and identified, the proposals in the NPPP Commission, 2011) Fauna should support conservation and enhancement of biodiversity. The Paris Agreement (United The agreement sets out a global action plan to put the Climatic Where relevant to the priorities Nations Framework world on track to avoid dangerous climate change by Factors identified, the proposals in the NPPP Convention on Climate limiting global warming to well below 2°C and pursuing should seek to promote the Change, 2015) efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. development and use of appropriate renewable energy sources and contribute to climate change mitigation. 15
National Park Partnership Plan SEA Scoping Report January 2020 Relationship between the PPS and the NPPP SEA Topic Relevant objectives/purpose Relevant PPS European Union Common Sets policy for agricultural support with increased emphasis Landscape and Where relevant to the priorities Agricultural Policy (European on rural development support. Cultural identified, the proposals in the NPPP Commission, undated) Heritage should recognise and provide for Biodiversity, rural diversification of economic flora and fauna activities. Population and Human Health 2030 Climate and Energy A framework for EU climate and energy policies in the Climatic Where relevant to the priorities Framework (European period from 2020 to 2030. At the heart of the 2030 Factors identified, the proposals in the NPPP Commission, undated) framework is a 40 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions should seek to promote the by 2030. development and use of appropriate renewable energy sources and contribute to climate change mitigation. Kyoto Protocol (UNFCCC, Protocol to the international Framework Convention on Climatic Where relevant to the priorities 1997) Climate Change Framework with the objective of reducing factors identified, the proposals in the NPPP the Greenhouse gases that cause climate change. should support measures that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Pan-European Biological The Strategy aims to reverse the decline of landscape and Biodiversity, Where relevant to the priorities and Landscape Diversity biological diversity, by promoting innovation and proactive Flora and identified, the proposals in the NPPP Strategy (Council of Europe, policy making. Fauna should support the Strategy by 1995) Landscape and considering the contribution that Cultural actions could make to protecting Heritage biodiversity and landscapes. Population and Human health Ramsar Convention on Requires conservation and wise use of wetlands. Water Where relevant to the priorities Wetlands of International identified, the proposals in the NPPP 16
National Park Partnership Plan SEA Scoping Report January 2020 Relationship between the PPS and the NPPP SEA Topic Relevant objectives/purpose Relevant PPS Importance 1971 Biodiversity, should ensure the protection and Flora and enhancement of wetlands. Fauna Landscape and Cultural Heritage Seventh Environmental Action The objectives are identifies three key objectives: to All Topics Where relevant to the priorities Programme of the European protect, conserve and enhance the Union’s natural capital; identified, the proposals in the NPPP Community (European to turn the Union into a resource-efficient, green, and should promote all forms of Commission, undated) competitive low-carbon economy; to safeguard the Union’s sustainable development. citizens from environment-related pressures and risks to health and wellbeing. It also identifies means of achieving this that member states should implement. Taking Sustainable Use of A sector based strategy produced as a requirement of the Climatic Where relevant to the priorities Resources Forward: A Seventh Environmental Action Programme of the European factors identified, the proposals in the NPPP thematic Strategy on the Community, seeking to help Europe become a recycling Air should seek to minimise waste and prevention and recycling of society that seeks to avoid waste and uses waste as a Material assets promote recycling. waste (EU 2005) resource. Thematic Strategy for Soil A sector based strategy produced as a requirement of the Soil and Where relevant to the priorities Protection (EU 2006) Seventh Environmental Action Programme of the European geodiversity identified, the proposals in the NPPP Community, seeking to establish common principles for the should contribute towards the protection and sustainable use of soils. protection and improvement of soil. UN Convention on Biological An international legally-binding treaty with three main goals: Biodiversity, Where relevant to the priorities Diversity (UN, 1992) conservation of biodiversity; sustainable use of biodiversity; Flora and identified, the proposals in the NPPP fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use Fauna should look for opportunities to of genetic resources. conserve, and where possible restore, biodiversity. UN Framework Convention Treaty aimed at reducing global emissions of greenhouse Climatic Where relevant to the priorities 17
National Park Partnership Plan SEA Scoping Report January 2020 Relationship between the PPS and the NPPP SEA Topic Relevant objectives/purpose Relevant PPS on Climate Change (the Rio gases to combat global warming. factors identified, the proposals in the NPPP Earth Summit) 1992 (UN, should assist in the reduction of 1992) greenhouse gas emissions. National Legislation (UK and Scotland) Air Quality (Scotland) Establishes standards for air quality and sets limits for Air Where relevant to the priorities Regulations 2000 (as amended various pollutants in Scotland. Population and identified, the proposals in the NPPP in Scotland) Human health should support measures that would improve air quality. Ancient Monuments and Prescribes the approach to be taken to planning for Landscape and Where relevant to the priorities Archaeological Areas Act 1979 scheduled ancient monuments and archaeological areas. Cultural identified, the proposals in the NPPP (as amended by Historic heritage should ensure that scheduled ancient Environment (Amendment) monuments and archaeological areas (Scotland) Act 2011) are not adversely affected by new development. Climate Change (Scotland) Act Legislation to set a target for the year 2050, an interim Climatic factors Where relevant to the priorities 2009 target for the year 2020, and to provide for annual targets, identified, the proposals in the NPPP for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; to provide should support and include climate about the giving of advice to the Scottish Ministers relating change adaptation and mitigation to climate change; to confer power on Ministers to impose measures. climate change duties on public bodies; to make further provision about mitigation of and adaptation to climate change; to make provision about energy efficiency, including provision enabling council tax discounts; to make provision about the reduction and recycling of waste; and for connected purposes. Conservation (Natural These regulations relate to the designation of European Biodiversity, Where relevant to the priorities Habitats, &c) Regulations 1994 sites, and provision of protection to various plant and Flora and Fauna identified, the proposals in the NPPP 18
Relevant PPS (as amended for Scotland) National Park Partnership Plan SEA Scoping Report Relevant objectives/purpose animal species. January