London Southend Airport & Environs Joint Area Action Plan Issues & Options Paper

Comment

Representation ID: 1408

Received: 25/07/2008

Respondent: Go-East

Sustainability Appraisal (continued)

At Submission, you will need to be able to demonstrate that the JAAP policies represent the most appropriate response in all the circumstances, having considered all the relevant alternatives, and that they are founded on a robust and credible evidence base.

Comment

Representation ID: 1409

Received: 25/07/2008

Respondent: Go-East

Habitats Directive

We would also take this opportunity to remind you that as a result of the recent European Court of Justice ruling in relation to the Habitats Directive, Local Planning Authorities are now required to assess whether an Appropriate Assessment (AA), the purpose of which is to assess the impacts of a land-use plan against the conservation objectives of a European Site and to ascertain whether it would adversely affect the integrity of that site, is necessary and to carry out the AA in the preparation of a DPD.

Comment

Representation ID: 1410

Received: 25/07/2008

Respondent: Go-East

Habitats Directive (continued)

Whilst there may not be any obvious impacts on any Natura 2000 sites (or Ramsar sites) within the JAAP area, the authorities should still consider whether assessment needs to be undertaken relative to potential direct or indirect impacts on Natura 2000 sites in surrounding districts. Therefore, we would expect the Councils to undertake a screening and AA as necessary during the preparation of this DPD.

Object

Representation ID: 1411

Received: 25/07/2008

Respondent: Go-East

We consider the Vision Statement to be quite well developed and we feel it has a degree of local distinctiveness. However, we also feel that it is expressed primarily in the form of a broad 'statement of intent' that establishes generalised key aims and anticipated spatial trends for the Plan period.

Object

Representation ID: 1412

Received: 25/07/2008

Respondent: Go-East

In our view the Vision Statement could be improved subtlety so that it provides a greater spatial emphasis in terms of the scale/extent of the anticipated economic and land use change and paints a picture of the scene at 2021 or later. The text of the Vision states 'An area that realises its potential...' and '.......the area's assets and opportunities for employment need to be supported and developed'.

Object

Representation ID: 1413

Received: 25/07/2008

Respondent: Go-East

Vision(continued)

In other words the emphasis in the current Vision is on what the characteristics, environmental constraints, opportunities and economic potential of the JAAP area are and not how these factors have been recognised, mobilised and carefully exploited over the plan period so transforming the current situation.

Object

Representation ID: 1414

Received: 25/07/2008

Respondent: Go-East

Vision (continued)

A Vision Statement should in essence be an expression of a situation transformed as a result of changes that have occurred over a period of time. The present statement in the document seems to be more of a prediction of likely factors and issues that will occur, rather than a picture being painted of a new scenario at 2021 that has come about as a result of the new development and changes.

Object

Representation ID: 1415

Received: 25/07/2008

Respondent: Go-East

Vision (continued)

The advantage of casting the vision in the latter terms, is that the Plan/Spatial Strategy then becomes the instrument by which the 'situation transformed' is achieved. This should help in establishing the right basis for framing the JAAP in the terms set out in paragraph 5.4 of PPS12 (i.e. stimulate regeneration, protect areas particularly sensitive to change, resolve conflicting objectives in areas subject to development pressures or focus the delivery of area based regeneration initiatives).

Comment

Representation ID: 1416

Received: 25/07/2008

Respondent: Go-East

We feel that the Objectives of the JAAP in the Issues Options paper whilst comprehensive are also in some instances quite general.

We would also comment that if you revise the Vision Statement as we are suggesting above, then it may be appropriate to also revise the objectives given that these should flow from the former.

Object

Representation ID: 1417

Received: 25/07/2008

Respondent: Go-East

We note that an initial Sustainability Appraisal (SA) has been undertaken but we have not scrutinised the SA methodology in great detail and do not intend to comment on it.