5.1 Our Plan sets out the neighbourhood planning aims and objectives for the neighbourhood area, which have been developed following a dialogue with the community and shaped by existing planning policies, plans and contributions of key organisations and agencies.
5.2 Having explained our rationale for these, the Plan sets out our local planning policies on a topic by topic basis. Our topics have been derived by pulling together common aims and common key issues arising from consultation. The brief introduction to each topic, which includes a short description of the situation on Portland today, is based on the findings of the research, surveys and consultations that have taken place as part of the neighbourhood planning process.
5.3 For each topic we set out the aim and objectives the neighbourhood planning policies are seeking to respond to and a summary of the characteristics of that topic and the key issues which have been identified. Then, for each policy, we set out our justification for why we need the policy, including key supporting evidence and reference to other planning policies in national and county-wide planning documents to which the policy relates.
5.4 It is important to note that, while we have packaged policies under topic headings, when development proposals are being assessed, the whole plan (i.e. all policies) should be considered as policies in one topic may apply to proposals which naturally fit under another.
5.5 Our Plan finishes with an explanation of how we will monitor and review the Plan, a glossary which seeks to demystify some of the planning terminology used in our Plan and a bibliography which includes the details of documents and current web-links to those documents.
5.6 Several other documents have been prepared to accompany the Neighbourhood Plan. We are obliged to produce a:
5.7 We have also commissioned a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and a Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA). Where a neighbourhood plan is likely to have significant environmental effects, it requires a strategic environmental assessment. Given the substantial tracts of statutorily protected land on Portland, a SEA for its Neighbourhood Plan was an inevitability. The National Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) states that if likely significant environmental effects are identified, an environmental report must be prepared in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3) of regulation 12 of the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004. The HRA was deemed necessary by the local planning authority. The HRA is required to assess the potential effects of Portland Neighbourhood Plan on the Natura 2000 Network, otherwise known as ‘European sites’ and Government policy ‘Ramsar’ sites.
5.8 The SEA Environmental Report11, produced by specialist consultants on behalf of the Town Council, is the outcome of an on-going SEA process that informed the Plan’s development. Its purpose has been to:
5.9 The initial SEA, to accompany Regulation 14 consultation on the Neighbourhood Plan, concluded that the Portland Neighbourhood Plan was “likely to lead to significant positive effects” in relation to the following many of the assessment themes applied.
5.10 A review of the SEA12 was undertaken following revisions to the Plan in the light of the Regulation 14 consultation. It concluded that the Submission Version of the Portland Neighbourhood Plan is likely to lead to significant positive effects in relation to the ‘Biodiversity’, ‘Landscape and Historic Environment’, ‘Population and Community’ and ‘Health and Wellbeing’ SEA Themes. The Neighbourhood Plan will also initiate beneficial approaches regarding the ‘Climate Change’, ‘Land, Soil and Water Resources’ and ‘Transportation’ SEA themes. Whilst the level of future development proposed through the Local Plan has the potential to lead to increased pressures on the sensitive environmental context of the Neighbourhood Plan area, “the policies of the Neighbourhood Plan have a close focus on protecting and enhancing the special qualities of Portland and facilitating inclusive growth which will help ensure the integrity of its sensitive environmental designations are maintained and enhanced”.
5.11 The HRA13 was equally as thorough. It followed current guidelines and included in the scope of its assessment:
5.12 The sites that were subject of the HRA were:
Within the plan area:
Outside the plan area:
5.13 The HRA concluded that the Portland Neighbourhood Plan will not affect the integrity of European sites in relation to direct land take or to recreational pressure due to the overarching provisions in the West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland Adopted Local Plan (2015) and the Local Plan Review (Preferred Options Stage, 2018). However, it did recommend that “a policy (as above) is provided within the Neighbourhood Plan which supports the overarching Local Plan European sites protection policy ENV2”. This has been addressed by including policy Port/EN0, in this Plan.
5.14 In terms of construction activities such as dust and pollution from surface run off, the Neighbourhood Plan does have the potential to cause a likely significant effect accordingly it recommended that policies EN5, EN8, BE6 and ST1 were amended to ensure that the development is carefully designed and planned to ensure that no adverse effects occur. With regards to water and air quality, the HRA concluded that as the Neighbourhood Plan is not allocating further growth it will have no significant adverse effects upon European sites that have not been identified and addressed at a higher tier level by the Local Plan (2015) and at a wider level within the Water Resources Management Plan (August 2019) by Wessex Water. The HRA concluded overall that, subject to a few minor policy changes, “the Plan document will not result in an adverse effect on the integrity of any European sites either alone or in combination”.
11 Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Portland Neighbourhood Plan, AECOM, May 2019. The SEA can be found at: https://www.portlandplan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Portland-NP-Submission-SEA-Environmental-Report_V2.0_090519.pdf
12 Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Portland Neighbourhood Plan, AECOM, May 2019. The SEA can be found at: https://www.portlandplan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Portland-NP-Submission-SEA-Environmental-Report_V2.0_090519.pdf
13 Habitats Regulations Assessment, AECOM, Apr 2019. The HRA can be found at: https://www.portlandplan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Portland-Neighbourhood-Plan-HRA-Final.pdf
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