Joint Core Strategy - Proposed Main Modifications

Reasons for selecting the alternatives

10.1 Proposed Main Modifications to the JCS as submitted have been prepared by the JPU, including changes identified before, during and soon after the Examination Hearings in April and May 2013 and further changes which have resulted from the Objectively Assessed Housing Needs and the SA Addendum work (described in Chapters 5 to 9).  The Proposed Main Modifications are shown in a schedule prepared by the JPU, and are further changes to the July 2012 Tracked Changes version of the West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy Pre-Submission version as amended by Proposed Changes [Examination document SUB04].  The JPU’s reasons for including each proposed Main Modification to the JCS is  provided in the  schedule. 

Approach to the appraisal of the proposed Main Modifications

10.2 LUC has reproduced the  schedule of Proposed Main Modifications and added a final column  to record the SA implications of each Main Modification.  The SA implications have been considered based on whether the Main Modification changes the SA findings identified in the SA Addendum for the JCS as submitted (Volumes 1 and 2 July 2012).  The  schedule showing the SA implications of the Proposed Main Modifications  is presented in Appendix 14. 

10.3 Where a Main Modification relates to a significant change to the JCS that has not previously been appraised in the 2011 SA Report and 2012 SA Addendum (for example a new policy or SUE allocation), the Main Modification has been appraised as part of this current SA Addendum, and the relevant sections of the SA addendum are referred to in the schedule. 

Summary of appraisal findings

10.4 Most of the changes in the Proposed Main Modifications do not represent a significant change to the JCS as they are generally minor in nature and are intended either to correct factual errors or to provide improved clarification.  A few of the Proposed Main Modifications may have additional positive effects, but the overall SA score from the previous SA reports has not changed, and this is noted in the schedules in Appendix 14.

10.5 A small number of new policies have been introduced through the Proposed Main Modifications, including Policy E8 which allocates a strategic employment site at Junction 16 of the M1, Policy N9A which allocates Northampton Norwood Farm/Upton Lodge SUE and the new overarching policy which sets out the presumption in favour of sustainable development.  The allocations in the new policies E8 and N9a have been appraised in this SA addendum (see Chapters 9 and 8 and Appendices 13 and 11 respectively) and likely significant effects have been identified in relation to some of the SA objectives as follows:

• Potential significant negative effects from the employment site allocated in the new Policy E8 have been identified in relation to SA objective 1: sustainable transport, noise and air quality and SA objective 9: landscape and townscape, while a potential significant positive effect is identified for SA objective 8: employment.
• Potential significant negative effects from the SUE allocated in policy N9A have been identified in relation to SA objective 2: archaeology and cultural heritage and SA objective 3: biodiversity, while potential significant positive effects are identified for SA objective 5: education, SA objective 7: health, SA objective 10: material assets and SA objective 11: population.

10.6 The new policy which sets out the presumption in favour of sustainable development will have broadly positive effects across all of the SA objectives, as its overarching aim is to ensure sustainable development (this is considered to include all of the issues addressed by the SA objectives e.g. biodiversity, cultural heritage, landscape etc.).  The effects are considered to be minor rather than significant, due to the general nature of the policy.

Reasons for selecting the preferred alternatives

10.7 The reason for each Main Modification to the JCS is recorded in the schedule in Appendix 14.  More detail about the reasons for selecting the preferred alternatives relating to the more significant Proposed Main Modifications such as the new policies and/or SUE allocations has been provided at the end of the preceding Chapters 5 to 9.