‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ Sustainability Assessment Final Report July 2010
Prepared for
4NW and NWDA
NWDA and 4NW Future North West: Our Shared Priorities
Revision Schedule Sustainability Assessment July 2010 Rev 01
Date
Details
Prepared by
Reviewed by
Approved by
16 July 2010
First Draft
Anita Longworth Principal Planner
Alan Houghton Associate
Alan Houghton Associate
Lyndsey Regan Planner Sam Rosillo Graduate Planner
02
19 July 2010
Second Draft
Anita Longwoth Principal Planner
Alan Houghton Associate
Alan Houghton Associate
03
21 July 2010
Final Draft
Anita Longworth Principal Planner
Alan Houghton Associate
Alan Houghton Associate
04
22 July 2010
Final Report
Anita Longworth Principal Planner
Alan Houghton Associate
Alan Houghton Associate
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NWDA and 4NW Future North West: Our Shared Priorities
Table of Contents
1
Introduction ...................................................................................... 1
2
Sustainability Assessment: Penultimate Draft – ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ ................................................. 3
2.1
Introduction....................................................................................................................... 3
2.2
Biodiversity ....................................................................................................................... 5
2.3
Climatic Factors and Flooding ........................................................................................ 11
2.4
Health and Health Equality............................................................................................. 15
2.5
Communities, Equality and Diversity .............................................................................. 21
2.6
Innovation, Economy and Employment .......................................................................... 34
2.7
Heritage and Landscape ................................................................................................ 39
2.8
Housing .......................................................................................................................... 44
2.9
Land (including waste) and water resources .................................................................. 48
2.10
Rural Areas .................................................................................................................... 53
2.11
Transport and Air Quality ............................................................................................... 63
3
Conclusions and Recommendations ........................................... 67
3.2
Challenges encountered in undertaking the assessments ............................................. 69
4
What Happens Next?...................................................................... 71
4.2
Monitoring the Success of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’........................... 71
5
Bibliography ................................................................................... 73
6
Appendix 1: Describing the Appraisals: SA, HRA, HIA, EqIA and Rural Proofing ................................................................ 77
7
Appendix 2: Preparing a Regional Strategy for the North West................................................................................................. 82
7.2
The Evidence Base for Developing ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’............. 84
7.3
Consultation and Engagement ....................................................................................... 85
7.4
How does the recent appraisal work differ from formal Sustainability Appraisal? .......... 86
7.5
Work to date – the appraisal process so far… ............................................................... 87
7.6
The Scoping Stage......................................................................................................... 89
7.7
Appraisal of Draft Part 1 ................................................................................................. 91
7.8
Appraisal Work: Post Stage 1 ........................................................................................ 93
8
Appendix 3: Sustainability Appraisal Framework for RS2010 ............................................................................................ 95
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1
Introduction
1.1.1
This Sustainability Assessment has been prepared to support ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’, which is a statement of strategic priorities and a framework for future activity at the regional level. Future North West: Our Shared Priorities is the outcome of two years of intensive work, led by NWDA and 4NW in consultation with a large number of key regional stakeholders, to develop an Integrated Regional Strategy for the North West. With recent changes to central government, Integrated Regional Strategies no longer have a statutory role to play in land use planning. However the region has decided to take advantage of the momentum and partnership approach established in preparing the regional strategy, to prepare a non-statutory document, which will provide a framework for local authorities, businesses, voluntary, community and faith sectors and government bodies, to work together to deal with issues which cross local boundaries and are critical to securing a sustainable and prosperous future for the North West. ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’
1.1.2
Section 1 of ’Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ sets out the context and vision for the North West. It identifies the challenges faced and the assumptions made in identifying these challenges; and sets out the aspirational vision for 2030. Four themes provide the framework for activity; and a number of desired outcomes are identified under each of these themes, with objectives, aims and targets attached. The four themes (carried through from work on RS2010 Part 1) are:
Capitalise on the opportunities of moving to a low-carbon economy and society and address climate change and resource efficiency;
Build on our sources of international competitive advantage and distinctiveness;
Release the potential of our people and tackle poverty;
Ensure the right housing and infrastructure for sustainable growth.
1.1.3
Section 2 of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ sets out the rationale for the objectives underpinning each theme, and identifies the key areas on which to focus action to achieve these objectives.
1.1.4
Section 3 identifies priorities for the key sub-regional areas: Cheshire and Warrington, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Liverpool City region, as well as identifying key cross-regional relationships, namely the jurisdictions which border the Irish Sea, and Northern Way linkages with the North East and Yorkshire and the Humber. Purpose of this Sustainability Assessment Report
1.1.5
The principal purpose of this report is to set out the sustainability assessment of the penultimate draft of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’. This assessment is set out in the second chapter of this report. A number of sustainability issues are considered on a thematic basis, and detailed recommendations for changes to the text are set out for each topic.
1.1.6
In the early stages of development of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’, the process of appraisal reflected the formal statutory requirements of Sustainability Appraisal/Strategic
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Environmental Assessment (SA/SEA) and Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA); alongside the requirement to undertake Health Impact Assessment (HIA), Equalities Impact Assessment (EqIA) and Rural Proofing (these appraisal processes are described in Appendix 1). A description of the work undertaken to provide SA/SEA, HRA, HIA, EqIA and Rural Proofing appraisals to the stage of publication of RS2010 Draft Part 1 is provided in Appendix 2. 1.1.7
On confirmation of the non-statutory status of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’, the decision was made to continue with the appraisal work, but to re-orientate this work so that it better suited the revised scope and influence of the document. The appraisal has continued in an iterative fashion, but this is now flexible and appropriate and proportionate to the status, scope and content of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’.
1.1.8
The purpose of the ’Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ document and a description of the policy development process is set out in Appendix 2. This includes a brief description of the evidence base and stakeholder and wider consultation which has informed its development. Structure of the Report
1.1.9
The following sections of the report are structured as follows: Chapter 2 provides an assessment of the penultimate draft of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’, and detailed recommendations for changes to the text. Chapter 3 sets out a number of general conclusions and recommendations arising from a discussion of the findings. It also describes limitations of the sustainability assessment and any challenges encountered. Chapter 4 sets out the next stages in the process, namely consultation and publication of ’Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’. This chapter also discusses issues in relation to monitoring and implementation of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’. Appendix 1 provides a short introduction to the various types of appraisal – SA/SEA, HRA, EqIA, HIA and Rural Proofing that were undertaken. Appendix 2 sets out the purpose of the ’Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ document and describes the historical policy development process. It also provides a brief description of the evidence base and stakeholder and wider consultation which has informed its development. Finally, it describes the appraisal process up to the date of preparation of the penultimate draft, including the timetable and programme, and a description of the work undertaken for each of the appraisal streams: SA/SEA, HRA, EqIA, HIA and Rural Proofing. Appendix 3 sets out the SA framework that was used in the formal SA/SEA appraisal.
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2
Sustainability Assessment: Penultimate Draft – ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’
2.1
Introduction
2.1.1
The sustainability implications of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ have been appraised in terms of ten ‘sustainability topics’. The topic chapters cover the breadth of important economic, environmental and social issues, including those topics which are required to be considered by the ‘SEA Directive 1 ’ (although this assessment does not form a Sustainability Assessment/Strategic Environmental Assessment). These thematic topics have been identified as the most efficient way to structure this ‘issues-led’ assessment of sustainability, taking into account the revised scope and remit of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’.
2.1.2
This assessment approach adds value in terms of transparency, by clearly demonstrating the logical progression of evidence identification and consideration, demonstrating that the assessment of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ is evidence-based and therefore robust.
2.1.3
The ten topics considered in this report are:
2.1.4
Biodiversity – including impacts on sites of international importance for nature conservation;
Climatic Factors and Flooding;
Health and Health Equality;
Communities, Equality and Diversity;
Innovation, Economy and Employment;
Heritage and Landscape;
Housing;
Land (including waste) and water resources;
Rural areas; and
Transport and Air Quality.
The following text provides a short description and introduction to the main components of the topic based assessments. (i) Introduction Each topic is introduced, with a brief overview of what the topic area covers. What is the current situation (baseline) in the North West?
1 SEA EU Directive (Directive 2001/42/EC ‘on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment’).
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This section identifies the key baseline information which is available on this topic. It includes baseline information identified in the Scoping Report and any updated baseline information available since the Scoping Report was prepared, which is important and relevant for the assessment (e.g. those components likely to be affected by ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’). What changes are expected over the next 20 years? This section details anticipated changes over the next 20 years, using where appropriate trend and forecast data. What are the key issues? This section identifies the key sustainability issues facing the North West arising from the baseline data and expected future trends, which are relevant to the topic area. How might the ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ impact on this situation? This section identifies the sustainability implications of implementing the ‘Future North 2 West: Our Shared Priorities’, both positive and negative. A discussion on the ‘relative’ sustainability of the document is provided. The assessment is narrative in nature, and looks at objectives and ‘focus for action’ proposals from the strategy in combination, considering the impacts over the range of sustainability topics. Recommendations to improve ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’? This section sets out specific recommendations for improving ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’, by suggesting changes which will address negative implications or enhance positive impacts.
2
Please note the limitations of this assessment as outlined in Section 4 of this Report.
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2.2
Biodiversity
2.2.1
North West England is rich in wildlife and habitats – the coasts and estuaries, uplands and wetlands of the North West are of international importance and are enjoyed by millions of residents and visitors.
2.2.2
The North West contains a larger area of many habitats of biodiversity interest than any other region: coastal habitats, standing open water (notably the rivers and lakes of the Lake District), blanket bog and lowland raised bog. Conversely, the North West is the second leastwooded region in the country.
2.2.3
There is a well-developed statutory framework for protecting and managing important biodiversity sites that include valuable habitats and species. However, around 40% of biodiversity occurs outside statutory protected areas and is thus particularly vulnerable to loss and damage.
2.2.4
It is important that future development in the North West is planned and implemented in such a way that the biodiversity riches of the North West are conserved for future generations. It is also important that a ‘resilient’ biodiversity resource is created, so that pressures such as those resulting from climate change can be accommodated.
What is the current situation in the North West? 2.2.5
Most protected sites and areas are located in the north of the region; notably Cumbria, along the Pennines and the coast; where all the major estuaries are now protected by European designations.
2.2.6
There are 38 Special Areas of Conservation, 12 Special Protection Areas, two proposed Special Protection Areas and 13 Ramsar sites wholly or partly within the North West region 3 .
2.2.7
93.68% of land within designated sites of national importance (Sites of Special Scientific Interest) is currently (2009) in a ‘favourable’ or an ‘unfavourable recovering’ state, compared to the national target of 95% to be achieved by 2010. Trend data demonstrates that the proportion of sites in this condition is increasing.
What changes are expected to the baseline over the next 20 years? 2.2.8
Despite statutory protection, designated sites remain under pressure from activities related to economic development, including water abstraction; wastewater treatment; air pollution from transport; disturbance resulting from recreation, construction, transport and other activities; and coastal squeeze. Outside designated sites, habitat loss and fragmentation from development, agricultural intensification and changing land uses add to the above pressures. Some types of pressure such as increased demand for water abstraction following housing and development growth in the conurbations, can have distant impacts on remote sites such as Cumbrian rivers.
2.2.9
Climate change is now affecting the distribution, composition and abundance of biodiversity. Natural systems and biodiversity will be substantially affected by climate change; in the North
3
Special Protected Areas (SPAs, designated under the EU ‘Birds Directive’, Directive 79/409 on the Conservation of Wild Birds), Special Areas for Conservation (SACs, designated under the ‘Habitats Directive’, Directive 92/43 on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora), and ‘Ramsar Sites’ (wetlands designated under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance).
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West coastal and upland habitats will be particularly vulnerable. Species and habitats will seek to adapt to climate change but will be constrained in their ability to achieve this by the fragmented landscape and insufficient or poorly distributed semi-natural habitat space.
What are the key issues? 2.2.10
The regional Habitats Regulations Assessment work undertaken to date has identified a number of issues that influence the integrity of European sites, and biodiversity in general, in the North West. Key factors include:
Water Supply and Hydrology - The maintenance of appropriate water levels is important. Current abstraction levels, mainly for domestic water use, are already adversely affecting at least eight European sites in the region. It will be necessary to demonstrate that adequate supplies are available to allow future economic growth without compromising supplies to important sites, or alternatively, to demonstrate that there will not be significant increases in demand.
Water Quality - Many rivers, lakes and wetlands are already adversely affected by poor water quality, from a range of sources including agricultural run-off, urban run-off, discharges from waste-water treatment works and leachate from contaminated land. Further development has the potential to increase the risk of pollution as a consequence of increased urban run-off, increased discharges from waste-water treatments works and leachate from re-development of contaminated land and dredging of contaminated sediments. Current wastewater treatment discharges are considered to be affecting the integrity of 16 European sites. An issue of particular concern is the risk of increase of emergency storm sewerage events.
Air Pollution - Air pollution levels at many international sites already exceed critical thresholds. Earlier HRA studies concluded that 24 international sites in the region were experiencing more than twice the critical load for nitrogen deposition and that 12 international sites were experiencing more than five times the critical load for acid deposition. Transport emissions are a key source of air pollution in the region.
Disturbance - Some international sites are already detrimentally affected by disturbance. Upland sites are affected by visitor pressure and wind turbines, and estuarine sites are affected by recreation including fishing, shipping, wind turbines, offshore exploration and production, and dredging. Key sources of concern are plans for increased tourism and recreational use, the development of renewable energy, the possible future need for expansion of airports or ports and general increases in population in the region. Earlier HRA studies concluded that it was not possible to determine that there would not be an adverse impact on the integrity of some European Sites.
Coastal Squeeze and Climate Change - Development within the coastal zone could have implications for coastal squeeze which will need to be considered. Ongoing work to identify habitat creation areas on the North West coast designed to address the threat of coastal squeeze and meet international obligations for European coastal habitats and government objectives for habitat expansion will be relevant. In addition, the fragmented nature of the much of the high quality biodiversity habitat in the landscape will make it difficult for species to adapt to climate change.
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How might ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ impact on this situation? 2.2.11
‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ emphasises the value of the natural environment in the North West, for its intrinsic value as well as its economic worth to the Region. There is specific text setting out the need for development included in the ‘Future North West’ document to occur within environmental limits, including those relating to biodiversity. This includes the important emphasis on the need to avoid net loss of biodiversity resource by adopting the approach of first seeking to avoid loss or damage, then mitigating, with the final resort of compensating for loss or damage via off-setting actions.
2.2.12
The HRA work that has been undertaken on earlier stages of the development of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’, along with advice from Natural England, the Environment Agency and other consultees, has ensured that many potential issues are addressed within the document.
2.2.13
Water Supply and Hydrology – ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ emphasises the need for appropriate infrastructure to be provided in a timely manner, and encourages water efficiency in new buildings.
Water Quality - the document emphasises the need for appropriate infrastructure to be provided in a timely manner, and includes a commitment to retain/improve the water quality of water bodies and watercourses. It also promotes the use of sustainable urban drainage schemes (SuDS) to reduce the risks of flooding and impact on surface flow and quality at times of high rainfall.
Air Pollution – ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ commits to sustaining the current downward trend in air pollution in the region. Importantly, it promotes sustainable transport, with an emphasis on reducing the need to travel and on accessibility of new development by public transport, cycling and walking. It addresses the issue of road traffic congestion and supports control measures, rather than provision of new road capacity. It supports initiatives to move road freight to other means of transport, such as water and rail.
Disturbance – the document recognises the value of green infrastructure in attracting recreational use away from sensitive, valuable sites.
Coastal Squeeze and Climate Change – ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ recognises the need for new development to avoid not only areas of the coast that may be at risk for rising sea level but also areas which may be required for managed realignment, in order to replace valuable habitats that will otherwise be reduced in extent due to coastal squeeze. It identifies the need to implement Shoreline Management Plans which include plans for managed realignment. Importantly, the document mentions the need to enhance ecological networks in order to allow adaptation to climate change by maintaining, enhancing, expanding and linking existing areas of high quality biodiversity.
In addition, more specific issues are addressed. Thus, ‘Future North: West Our Shared Priorities’ encourages the re-use of aggregates (reducing the risk of damage to habitats from extraction) and has a protective policy in relation to unexploited peat deposits, recognising their importance for biodiversity.
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2.2.14
2.2.15
Nonetheless, there are proposals within ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ which have the potential to have significant adverse impacts on biodiversity and on European sites in particular. It will be crucial that rigorous ecological impact and appropriate assessments of such proposals are undertaken in the future in order that avoidance, mitigation and compensation of any impacts can occur. Recognition both of this point and of the issues associated with these elements of the Strategy is recommended, given their potential significance, particularly in relation to European sites.
Tourism and Recreational Pressure – There is a strong focus on developing the Lake District for tourism. The Lake District contains habitats and species, including a large number of European sites, which are sensitive to recreational pressure, mainly through disturbance and erosion. Promoting the Lake District as the ‘adventure capital’ of the UK does not seem to play to the Lake District’s particular beauty (Objective 2d, ‘Focus for action’ a)).
Renewable Energy – ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ strongly promotes renewable energy. Given the importance of the region’s uplands and coast, and particularly its estuaries, there is the potential for damage to and disturbance of important biodiversity resources from onshore and offshore wind farms and from tidal and wave energy proposals. Increased production of biofuels is also associated with the risk of pollution of watercourses.
Expansion of Airports and Ports - Liverpool Superport, in combination with other major development proposals in the Mersey and Wirral area, places major pressure on this area of the coastline and the Mersey.
There are also positive elements to ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’:
Woodland creation – ‘Future North West’ supports the delivery of the North West Forestry Framework in achieving a doubling of woodland cover in the North West by 2050, potentially creating a future resource of value to wildlife.
Recommendations to improve ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ 2.2.16
Need for HRA – As explained above, this document has not been subject to formal HRA. There are proposals within ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ which have the potential to have significant adverse impacts on biodiversity and on European sites in particular. It will be crucial that rigorous ecological impact and appropriate assessments of such proposals are undertaken in the future at appropriate levels (project, LDF and possibly city-region/Local Enterprise Partnership level) in order that avoidance, mitigation and compensation of any impacts can occur. Recognition of this point within the Strategy is recommended, either in association with the Environmental Limits text or Objective 4e, or indeed in both locations. Reiteration of this point within the introduction to Section 3 may also be advisable.
2.2.17
Environmental Limits - The reference to Environmental Limits is an important component of the Regional Strategy, providing protection for biodiversity, as well as other elements of the environment. The section on Environmental Limits could usefully be given more prominence, i.e. put in a ‘text box’ like the other foci for action. Objective 4e (Safeguard the natural environment) could usefully be strengthened and more context provided with respect to biodiversity priorities. Linkage to, and possible elaboration on the use of, the Environmental Limits would be of value here.
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2.2.18
Water Supply - There are some inconsistencies within the text of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’. Energy efficiency is repeatedly mentioned but water efficiency is mentioned only infrequently. Currently and in the future, much of the water supply for the North West comes from rivers and the region is therefore prone to water shortages when precipitation levels are low – which will only get worse if climate change scenarios are accurate. As many of these rivers are also European sites, water efficiency – both in new buildings and also as improvements in existing housing and business premises - is particularly important. Ideally, the need for water efficiency would be mentioned more frequently – and, in particular, would be included explicitly in the introductory text associated with Objective 1c (‘resource-efficient solutions’) and also in the last of the 12 ‘big ticket’ issues. Encouraging retrofitting of water efficient measures more widely (as with energy efficient measures) would also be valuable; this is currently restricted to Objective 4a in respect of water efficiency.
2.2.19
Air Quality and Pollution - For natural habitats, reducing nitrogen emissions from transport is an equally key aim as decarbonising. This is a significant issue for European sites in the North West and so the opportunity to promote the reduction in N pollution should be taken, probably in Objective 4c.
2.2.20
Disturbance - The importance of Green Infrastructure in providing alternative open-space to sensitive sites, reducing the risk of damage from recreational over-use, is mentioned in one location (Environmental Limits) but not others, and this point should be picked up in Objective 4e, Focus for Action b).
2.2.21
Tourism and Recreational Pressure – It would be appropriate to recognise the need to avoid damage to important biodiversity as a consequence of encouraging tourism and recreation, by the addition of a similar protective phrase to that used in association with World Heritage Sites (Objective 2d). A similar caution should be recorded in Section 3 (key priority g).
2.2.22
Renewable Energy – It would be appropriate to recognise that the need for careful planning of location, scale and type of renewable energy technology deployed is crucial, in order to emphasise the importance of avoiding damage to European sites and other important sites for biodiversity. Reference to the need for review of the potential impacts of renewable energy targets to be updated regularly, as this is an uncertain and fast-moving field with much ongoing research, monitoring and development, may be relevant (in supporting text for Objective 1a).
2.2.23
Expansion of Airports and Ports, Tourism and Recreation - Recognition of Specific Biodiversity Issues - The inclusion of this protective over-arching statement has resulted in the removal of statements within other ‘statements of focus for action’ regarding the need to avoid potential impacts on the environment. Whilst this streamlines the document, there are occasions where the risk to biodiversity is so significant that specific reference would provide appropriate balance. This expansion is further justified in areas where there is particular concern (such as associated with recreation, especially in the Lake District, renewables, Liverpool Superport combined with other development around the Mersey) because there is little detail on how the principles expressed in the section on Environmental Limits should be used as a basis for decision-making. The specificity in Section 3 (which mentions, for example, offshore wind in the Liverpool Bay area, Carlisle Airport and Power from the River Mersey etc) does encourage reference to specific HRA issues.
2.2.24
Woodland Creation – Reference to the need to plan location and type of planting to maximise biodiversity benefits and to deliver regional biodiversity targets for woodland expansion would be valuable. The most appropriate place for this reference may be under Objective 4e.
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2.2.25
Section 3 - Section 3 would also benefit from, as a minimum, a strong cross-reference to the Environmental Limits statements and Environmental Protection objective in the earlier sections of the document. This is the section where the conflict between biodiversity and individual projects is most exposed, given the increased level of specificity in this section.
2.2.26
Section 3 Irish Sea - There should be reference to the large number of marine European sites in the Irish Sea Region (as well as World Heritage Sites).
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2.3
Climatic Factors and Flooding
2.3.1
Climate change is recognised as one of the most serious and important challenges facing the UK. Climate change issues must be addressed at the national, regional and local level. In recent decades evidence has accumulated to demonstrate that an unprecedented rise in global temperatures has occurred over the last century or so. Scientific consensus attributes this change to emissions of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide from combustion of fossil fuels for energy generation or transport. The major contributing factor to increased greenhouse gases and climate change is human activity.
2.3.2
Floods can occur anywhere and at anytime. They are caused by rising ground water levels, burst or overloaded sewerage or stormwater infrastructure, hillside run-off as well as flooding from rivers and the sea. Salford, Manchester and Lancaster are the local authorities within the North West with the highest risk rank in relation to flood risk. Climatic factors and flooding are considered together in this sub-section, because the impacts of climate change are expected to lead to more frequent and extensive flooding.
What is the current situation (baseline) in the North West? 2.3.3
2.3.4
The Environment Evidence Base (RS2010) prepared by NWDA provides the most up to date baseline information for the North West in relation to climatic factors and flooding4. The key baseline information in relation to climatic factors is:
Over the last fifty years, the North West has seen warmer weather with fewer days of frost and sea level rises. Precipitation has increased, although the pattern has changed with higher winter and lower summer rainfall.
In 2005, greenhouse gases for the North West were estimated at 59 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent. Of that, CO2 accounted for 88%, around 58 million tonnes. At sub-regional level, Greater Manchester is the largest contributor of greenhouse gases and Cumbria is the smallest.
In 2007, 47% of North West CO2 emissions came from the industrial, commercial and public sectors, 27% from domestic consumers and 25% from transport. The remaining 1% was from land use and land use change.
The largest contributor from waste processes to CO2 is from landfills, which release approximately 400, 904 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. The largest CO2 saving from municipal waste comes from recycling.
The key baseline information in relation to flooding is:
Within the North West, around 159,000 properties are at risk of flooding from rivers and/or sea in the region. Of these properties at risk of flooding, 37,200 are at significant risk, 48,700 are at moderate risk and 73,100 are at low risk.
In March 2009, 122,000 properties had been offered the flood warning service5, 24,200 properties more than the target of 97,800 properties.
4
The Environment Evidence Base (RS2010) document was published in May 2009. Available at http://www.nwriu.co.uk/PDF/Environment.pdf. Accessed on 8th July 2010. 5 The flood warning service is a free service that informs people when an area is at risk of flooding.
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2.3.5
Warrington is ranked 10th nationally for the number of properties at significant risk of flooding.
For further information on the current baseline see the North West Regional Research and Intelligence Unit website 6 . Useful papers include: Summary of Evidence Base (2010) and Environment Evidence Base (2009).
What changes are expected over the next 20 years? 2.3.6
Climate change projections for the United Kingdom published as part of the UKCP09 7 programme provide detailed probabilistic projections of climate change based on quantification of the known sources of uncertainty. Based on the UKCP09 high emissions scenario8 for the North West, in 2080 winter mean temperature is predicted to have increased by 3.1oC and summer mean temperatures of 4.7oC. By 2080, the winter mean precipitation is predicted to increase by 26% while summer mean precipitation will decrease by 28%. Furthermore, by 2080 it is estimated that winters will be 15% to 30% wetter, with more winter precipitation (rain, hail, snow) and fewer frosts, increasing the regularity of flooding.
2.3.7
Further information in relation to changes expected over the next 20 years is contained within the Environment Evidence Base (RS2010) prepared by the NWDA 9 . The North West coast is expected to experience dramatic sea level increases by the 2080s with an average 67cm increase across most of the region. This will increase the risk of flooding in coastal areas of the region.
What are the key issues? 2.3.8
6 7
The SA Scoping Report of the Draft Regional Strategy (prepared in March 2009) summarises the key sustainability issues related to climatic factors and flooding. These are detailed below:
Energy infrastructure is under pressure in some parts of the region. The region could provide a huge opportunity in terms of energy efficiency and renewables in sustainable locations, although this could have both positive and negative effects.
Major changes in transport, housing, energy generation etc are required to achieve CO2 reduction targets, as well as steps to incorporate adaptive responses in the type, standard and location of development and decisions on land use change.
There are a number of areas currently at risk of flooding in the region. There is likely to be an increase of flood risk within the region over time due to climate change and increasing levels of development.
http://www.nwriu.co.uk/ Further information on the UKCP09 programme is available from: http://ukclimateprojections.defra.gov.uk/content/view/868/531/
8
A series of emissions scenarios (Low, Medium and High) are examined utilised as part of UKCP09. The emissions scenarios represent the future development of greenhouse gas emissions and are based on a coherent and internally consistent set of assumptions about driving forces (such as demographic and socio-economic development and technological change).
9
The Environment Evidence Base (RS2010) document was published in May 2009. Available at http://www.nwriu.co.uk/PDF/Environment.pdf. Accessed on 8th July 2010.
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How might ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ impact on this situation? Climatic Factors 2.3.9
The first theme of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ (Capitalise on the opportunities of moving to a low carbon economy and society, address climate change and improve resource efficiency) is very positive in terms of mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change within the North West. The theme includes three objectives that incorporate measures that will help to tackle the impacts of climate change within the region. Some of these measures include: promoting the North West as a location for development of renewable energy provision; encouraging and promoting behavioural change by businesses, households and individuals in relation to tackling climate change; and reducing emissions from transport (through reducing the need to travel and encouraging use of sustainable forms of transport).
2.3.10
Objective 2c identifies improvements to international connectivity within the region. The objective identifies the need for ‘sustainable growth’ of Manchester and Liverpool Airports and the Superport, but it is not clear exactly what this will entail or indeed how ‘sustainable growth’ will be defined and measured, given the carbon-intensive nature of such infrastructure. The promotion of High Speed Rail as a means to offset the carbon intensive development of the Airports and Superport is therefore a welcome balancing measure.
2.3.11
Future growth is, unsurprisingly, predominantly focused in the major conurbations in the region. While this is an expected outcome of ‘sustainable development’, it creates an inherent conflict, whereby the areas which are exhibiting the most intensive environmental pressures come under even more pressure (although this is offset to a degree by correspondingly less intensive pressure elsewhere in the region). If city life is to become more sustainable a fundamental shift in urban households lifestyles and business practices will be required, and this is recognised in the introductory text to Theme 1. This key issue should be given much more prominence throughout the ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ document however, recognising that it is a key challenge. Flood Risk
2.3.12
The need to reduce and manage flood risk within the North West is recognised in the document. Objective 1b identifies measures to adapt to the implications of climate change and promotes the use of sustainable urban drainage scheme to reduce risks of flooding, using strategic flood risk appraisal and management to identify key areas of flood risk and developing and applying design standards to climate change proof new and existing development (in terms of flood risk).
2.3.13
Within the vision for Future North West, the need to enhance the natural environment is highlighted, and the importance of green infrastructure in mitigating the multi-dimensional impacts of growth (not just as a means for managing and mitigating flood risk) is acknowledged. This multiple-win outcome could be given more prominence in the commentary on Objective 4e.
2.3.14
The Environment Agency has made a number of recommendations in relation to flood risk and climate change in response to the current draft, which are supported.
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Recommendations to improve ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’
Page 10 lists a number of ‘assumptions’ on which the document is based. The assumption that businesses, individuals and communities will be willing and able to make the massive changes that are required to adapt to climate change should be included in this list. On a similar note, the challenges of climate change adaptation for individuals, businesses and communities should be included as one of the ‘big ticket issues’ on page 18.
While the ‘focus for action’ under objective 1a c) lists a number of ways to encourage and promote behavioural change by businesses, households and individuals, when this list is examined closer, all of the actions relate to changes for business, and none of them in fact relate to households or individuals. This is the same situation under objective 1b c) and under objective 1c c); again, none of these actions are within the individual control of households or individuals. Either the text ‘encourage behavioural change by businesses, households and individuals’ should be amended in these ‘foci for action’, or further actions must be adopted which households and individuals can take responsibility for –this will be key to ensuring the relevance of the document to individuals and communities, not just big business.
Objective 2c – Focus for Action – An explanation as to how ‘sustainable growth’ will be defined should be provided at the Implementation Plan stage.
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2.4
Health and Health Equality
2.4.1
Individual’s health is affected by a wide range of factors; including individual genetic and lifestyle factors, access to services including health services, lifestyle, socio-economic, cultural and environmental conditions, with 'social cohesion' playing a vital role, particularly for vulnerable and less well off communities. Material circumstances are important, which is influenced by social position and in turn by factors such as education, occupation, income, gender, ethnicity and race (Marmot Review, 2010). A broad social model of health (supported by the World Health Organisation) is set out in Figure 1. Figure 1: The Main Determinants of Health (Dahlgren and Whitehead, 1991)
2.4.2
‘Wellbeing’ which is directly associated with health, is about being emotionally healthy, feeling able to cope with normal stresses, and living a fulfilled life. It can be affected by worries about money, work, home, the people around one and the environment people live in. Wellbeing is also affected by whether or not people feel in control of their life, feeling involved with people and communities, and feelings of anxiety and isolation. Wellbeing is directly affected by ‘quality of life’.
2.4.3
‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ influences many of the broad determinants of health including housing conditions, employment opportunities, transport, access to services and environmental quality, as well as more general issues of social inclusion, community cohesion and overall quality of life.
2.4.4
The Marmot Review (2010) identified six areas which are considered to have the greatest potential for addressing health inequalities:
Give every child the best start in life;
Enable all children young people and adults to maximise their capabilities and have control over their lives;
Create fair employment and good work for all;
Ensure healthy standard of living for all;
Create and develop healthy and sustainable places and communities; and
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Strengthen the role and impact of ill health prevention
What is the current situation (baseline) in the North West? 2.4.5
Although the health of people in the Northwest has improved, in general it remains worse than the average for England as a whole. Out of 26 standard health indicators for which there are data, 19 are significantly worse than the England average and only one is significantly better (hip fractures in older people) (source: RS2010 Part 1: Health Impact Assessment Final Report, 2009). There are inequalities in health within the region which are closely associated with deprivation.
2.4.6
The North West Intelligence Unit Report: Summary of the Evidence Base RS2010 Health and Wellbeing provides the most up-to-date baseline evidence. Key statistics are presented below:
2.4.7
The Region contains many areas suffering from high levels of health deprivation – 415 of the region’s 4,459 Super Output Areas (9.3% of the total) are ranked in the most deprived 2% in the country for health deprivation and disability, a very large over-representation. Local authority areas suffering from particularly acute health deprivation in the region are Liverpool (37.1% of SOAs are ranked in the most deprived 2% in the country), Knowsley (34.6%), Manchester (23.2%) and Barrow in Furness (22.0%) (Source: Index of Multiple Deprivation, Health Deprivation Doman, ONS).
2.4.8
Life expectancy is a broad measure of the health of an area. Where a person is born influences, largely, how long they will live. In England, the average life expectancy at birth rate in 2005/07 was 79.7 years compared with 78.2 years in the Northwest for all persons.
2.4.9
The trend line for both genders has shown a steady increase in average life expectancy at birth, however, male and female life expectancy in the North West is still shorter than the national average (and particularly poor in the most deprived local authorities). In 2005/07, the average life expectancy at birth rates for the male population was 76 years, 1.7 years lower than the England average of 77.7 years and for the female population 80.4 years, 1.4 years lower than the England average of 81.8 years.
2.4.10
There are also major variations within the region. In 2005-07, life expectancy at birth rates for men ranged between 73.2 years in Blackpool to 79.4 years in South Lakeland. Life expectancy at birth rates for the female population ranged between 78.6 years in Halton to 83.1 years in South Lakeland. Districts with the lowest rates of life expectancy at birth are Blackpool, Manchester, Liverpool, Blackburn-with-Darwen and Halton (source: Life Expectancy at Birth 1991-93 – 2005-07, Office for National Statistics).
2.4.11
During 2003-05, the North West infant mortality rate was 5.7 per 1,000 live births, above the England figure of 5.1. At a local level, the infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births ranged from 3.1 in Macclesfield (45.6% below the North West rate) to 9.9 in Pendle (73.7% above the North West rate). The districts of Pendle, Preston, Hyndburn, Manchester and Burnley have significantly higher rates of infant mortality than the regional rate. When comparing infant mortality rates for local authorities with the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007 for super output areas, there appears to be a moderate correlation, with many of the areas ranked in the 20% most deprived super output areas also recording higher rates of infant mortality.
2.4.12
Analysis of the primary causes of mortality, particularly among those of working age, is essential in identifying public health issues that can be targeted to reduce inequalities and
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improve productivity. Mortality rates related to coronary heart disease and cancer are reducing, although the North West continues to record higher rates of mortality than the national average. Some districts have experienced an increase in mortality, the districts of South Ribble (20.86%) and Tameside (10.43%) have both experienced a significant proportional increase in age standardised mortality rate for coronary heart disease since 200 (source: Summary of the Evidence Base RS2010 Health and Wellbeing, RIU, 2010). 2.4.13
Despite a trend of decline in cigarette smoking among people aged 16 years and over, the North West has the joint highest prevalence rate of cigarette smoking for all persons at 23%, above the England figure of 21%. 25% of men in the region smoke cigarettes (compared with national figure of 22%) and 22% of women (national figure is 19%). People in the lower socioeconomic classifications have a higher propensity to cigarette smoking, start smoking earlier and consume more cigarettes daily than their counterparts in other socio-economic groups. Over 13,500 people die each year in the North West from smoking-related illnesses, a rate higher than the national average.
2.4.14
The percentage of persons aged 16 and over who drank in the week prior to being 10 interviewed ranges from 53% in London to 68% in the South West and North West. The results highlight that men have a greater propensity to drink alcohol, with all regions evidencing a higher proportion of men drinking in the last week than women. Of the respondents who drank in the week prior to survey, 16% drank on 5 or more days in the North West, which is slightly above the national figure of 17%. The results indicate significant differences between the genders with 20% of male respondents in the North West drinking on 5 or more days compared to 12% of female respondents. The North West has the highest rate of hospital admissions for alcohol specific conditions among the under 18 years of age population, and is significantly worse than the England average. The rate of hospital stays related to alcohol are the highest in England (source: RS2010: Part 1: Health Impact Assessment Final Report, 2009).
2.4.15
Levels of everyday physical activity have declined as a result of changes in society. People are generally leading more sedentary lifestyles due to a number of factors, including increased car ownership and a decrease in the levels of manual work. Participation levels have significantly increased in the North West just recently however, in 2007/08 participation levels were 21.3% (1,183,000 adults), an increase of 0.7% when compared with 2005/06. This is equal to the national figure. Participation rates within the region range from 29.9% in Chester to 13.8% in Blackpool (Source: Active People Survey 2, Sport England).
2.4.16
Obesity is linked to a range of health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease. The prevalence of obesity in our society is increasing, and analysis across the regions by age shows that prevalence of obesity rises with age for both genders, as people become less active. In the North West, prevalence peaks among the 55-74 years group for both genders, with little variation between the genders for each age cohort. The North West has the second highest percentage for obesity prevalence in the regions for both men and women. 22% of adults in total in the Northwest are classed as obese, which is close to the England average.
2.4.17
In 2003, 23% of the male population were classified as obese in the manual social class, compared with 21% in the non-manual cohort. By comparison, 28% of women were classified as obese in the manual social class and 19% in the non-manual social class.
10
General Household Survey, 2007
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2.4.18
Analysis of obesity levels by ethnicity highlights a higher incidence of obesity among females for both ethnic groups and across all age bands. Obesity levels amongst Primary School reception year pupils in the North West are level with the England average at 10.2%. There is a clear link between levels of obesity in reception age children and deprivation.
2.4.19
According to Census 2001, 17.8% of the North West population were classified as having a long-term limiting illness, 2.1 percentage points above the UK figure of 15.7%. In August 2008, there were 397,190 IB/SDA 11 claimants in the North West. This equates to 9.4% of the working age population compared with 6.7% in England. Despite the majority of districts/unitary authorities experiencing a decline in the number of IB/SDA claimants in absolute terms, many of them have claimant counts as a percentage of the working age population of more than 10%.
2.4.20
The North West has the lowest percentage of population without a mental disorder – 71% compared with the England figure of 77%. Analysis of people by number of mental disorders indicates that the North West Regional Office area has the highest percentage of adults with one disorder – 26% of women and 23% of men; above the England prevalence ratios of 20% of women and 19% of men. There is a high uptake of incapacity benefits due to mental illness in the most deprived local authorities. Incidence of IB/SDA claimants with a mental/behavioural disorder is highest among working age people in the urban areas of Manchester and Salford. The North West district/unitary authorities with the highest hospitalised prevalence ratios for mental health conditions are Burnley (151), Halton (144), Rossendale (141), Bury (140) and Pendle (137).
2.4.21
In 2006-7, 30% of households in the Northwest found it fairly or very difficult to get to a doctor or local hospital, slightly above the national average. This figure has remained relatively constant over the last decade (Source: RS2010 Part 1: Health Impact Assessment Final Report, 2009).
2.4.22
For further information on the current baseline see the North West Regional Research and 12 Intelligence Unit website . Useful papers include: Summary of the Evidence Base RS2010 Health & Wellbeing, 2009 and Quality of Life Evidence Base, 2009.
What changes are expected over the next 20 years? 2.4.23
The health of the region’s population has a major impact on the economy, in terms of lost productivity, NHS costs and number of incapacity benefit claimants.
2.4.24
Improvements in health care should assist to improve poor levels of health over time and behavioural and lifestyle changes will also be important contributors.
2.4.25
The links between employment and health are well documented. Without a strategic approach to coordination, the health benefits likely to be gained from targeting employment and skills support to disadvantaged areas may not be delivered as effectively. The degree of success in harnessing contributions from older adults to the economy will also have an important influence on overall health.
2.4.26
A focus on ‘good work’ is paramount – healthy workplaces and access to fair paid and meaningful work will have the greatest impact on improving the population’s health.
11
Incapacity/Severe Disablement Benefit (IB/SDA) - for people of working age who cannot work due to illness or disability and are not entitled to Statutory Sick Pay, or Statutory Sick Pay has run out. 12 http://www.nwriu.co.uk/
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What are the key issues?
Despite action to address health inequalities, the gap in life expectancy is still widening in many local authority areas across the region, and between the North West and England as a whole. There is a social gradient in health – the lower a person’s social position, the worse his or her health. To reduce the steepness of the social gradient in health, actions must be universal, but with a scale and intensity that is proportionate to the level of disadvantage (Marmot Review, 2010).
Much more local action and intervention is required if the region is to improve its health profile and achieve a measurable change in healthy life expectancy. This requires systematic action to prevent deaths from early middle age, particularly in those people who already have cardiovascular disease, cancer and respiratory disease; including action to reduce smoking and control blood pressure and cholesterol, underpinned by effective primary care. Many of these actions will be achieved through NHS activities.
Action on health inequalities requires action across all the social determinants of health, including employment, education, housing, transport and the environment. Social, economic and environmental inequalities are prime contributors to cancer, cardiovascular disease and mental health, and raising life expectancy in the areas with the worst deprivation is a key priority.
Globally, climate change and attempts to combat it have the worst effects on the poorest and most vulnerable. Tackling social inequalities in health and tackling climate change must go together. (Marmot Review, 2010)
Good quality public transport is important not only to ensure individuals have access to health care services but also to help reduce levels of air pollution. Green spaces and parks provide opportunities for individuals to improve their health, for communities to develop, and for protecting the environment. They also can help to reduce the higher temperatures of urban areas and to ameliorate the heat island effect (Source: RS2010 Part 1: Health Impact Assessment Final Report, 2009).
How might ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ impact on this situation? 2.4.27
As identified in the introductory text, ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ has the potential to impact on housing conditions, employment opportunities, transport, access to services and environmental quality, as well as more general issues of social inclusion, community cohesion and overall quality of life.
2.4.28
By regenerating the areas at most disadvantage, improving employment prospects in those areas and promoting improvements in the quality of housing and living environments, ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ has potential to contribute to improving the prospects for communities with poor health levels currently.
2.4.29
The influence of a number of ‘priorities for action’ in the document will indirectly contribute to improving health across the region; including improvements to critical infrastructure, addressing fuel poverty and improving the energy efficiency of current housing stock, access to Green Infrastructure, a focus on improving transport connectivity, and addressing the education and skills gap. These provisions are welcomed.
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2.4.30
A concern remains that there is an over reliance on economic growth as a measure of ‘quality of life and wellbeing’ without measuring the ‘equality’ of this economic growth. For example, the impacts of economic growth will be disproportionally felt by those living in inner urban areas, as it will take time for transport infrastructure delivery to ‘catch up’ with the existing problems of congestion and poor air quality. The impacts of climate change on health are also likely to be disproportionately felt by those living in dense urban areas.
2.4.31
As with many of the ‘sustainability’ topics in this report, it has been difficult to ascertain the extent to which the priorities for actions will positively improve health in the region, especially given the complex interaction between the many broad determinants of health. Until implementation measures have been put in place and monitoring undertaken this will remain an unknown.
Recommendations for improving ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’
2.4.32
Objective 3(a) – Focus for Action (b) -The importance of achieving common standards in terms of healthy workplaces and access to fair paid and meaningful work should be included as a new bullet point.
Objective 4(e) – the benefits of green infrastructure could be better articulated by rewording to state: ‘It is vital that the benefits of providing green infrastructure in particular for promoting healthy lifestyles, neighbourhood amenity, social inclusion, leisure and recreation, transport and industry is recognised.
In sub-regions where health deprivation is particularly entrenched, this should be highlighted as a key issue in Section 3.
Note that many of the recommendations in the Equality chapter are also relevant to this chapter.
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2.5
Communities, Equality and Diversity
2.5.1
Over the past 25 years the English population has become generally older and more diverse. The North West population has fluctuated over this time, but is now rising steadily. As diversity increases, the nature of different groups and the experiences and outcomes they exhibit is also changing.
2.5.2
Equality is recognised regionally, nationally and internationally as a key aspect of progress in society. ‘Diversity and Difference in England’s North West’ (2009) provides an overview of diversity in the region compared with England, focusing on differences by ethnicity, disability, socio-economic and household status, gender and age. Different groups do not always have similar experiences to the overall trends in economic wellbeing, health, education and employment.
What is the current situation (baseline) in the North West? 2.5.3
Issues of deprivation, worklessness and social exclusion are concentrated in disadvantaged areas in and around the cores of Liverpool and Manchester, in the inner parts of other older industrialised towns, and in some coastal towns. They are frequently closely associated with health inequalities, crime, and poor housing and environmental quality. Deprivation, worklessness and social exclusion disproportionately affect certain communities such as older people, black and minority ethnic groups, and remoter rural communities.
2.5.4
Severe deprivation is evident in most of the districts across the North West. Concentrations of LSOAs showing deprivation in the most deprived 10% are found in the urban areas in and around Liverpool and Manchester. As with the ID 2000 and ID 2004, the Merseyside districts of Liverpool, Sefton, Knowsley, and St Helen’s, along with Birkenhead on the Wirral, stand out as containing large concentrations of LSOAs with high levels of deprivation, as do many of the local authorities in Greater Manchester, including Manchester, Wigan, Bolton, Salford and Oldham. Further concentrations of deprived areas can be seen in the coastal resort of Blackpool and also in the towns running from the head of the Ribble Valley at Preston through Blackburn, Hyndburn, Burnley and Pendle.
2.5.5
The North West has the largest number of people living in one of the 20% most deprived LSOAs (2.17 million), followed by London, which has 2.13 million people living in one of these LSOAs. Of those who live in the 20% most deprived LSOAs in England, more than a fifth (21.6%) live in the North West, or London (21.2%).
2.5.6
Some key statistics on equalities in the North West are as follows:
Since 2000/1 the North West has experienced a gradual reduction in the proportion of children at risk of living in poverty, but is still above the England average and in 2003 had a significantly higher than average proportion of homes which did not meet the statutory minimum standard for housing (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009).
In the North West, babies born to fathers in routine occupations experience twice the infant mortality rate of those with fathers in higher managerial and professional occupations (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009).
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2.5.7
People living in the most deprived areas have more than double the suicide rate of the least deprived areas of the North West (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009).
On average more children are achieving five or more good GCSEs or equivalent in the North West, with girls continuing to outperform boys. Fewer working age people have no qualifications (15% in 2007 compared with 19% in 2001) and more have qualifications at level 2 and above, however, while their attainment has almost doubled since 2003, children from Black ethnic groups in the North West achieve the lowest results at GCSE (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009).
Children receiving a free school meal, which is often a proxy for deprivation, are considerably less likely to achieve five good GCSEs or equivalent in the North West (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009).
In 2006 approximately a tenth of 16 and 17 year olds were ‘Not in Employment, Education or Training’ (NEET) (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009).
The overall BME employment rate in the North West in 2007 was 54.2%, compared to 60.3% in England. Almost half (45.2%) of all working age disabled people in the North West were in work in 2007 compared with 50.8% in England (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009).
Numbers of gypsy’s and travellers are increasing in the North West, yet they are one of the most excluded minority groups in the country and face significant disadvantage in terms of access to services and employment (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009).
The statistics outlined above indicate that while there is some evidence of progress in reducing inequality, there are also areas where disadvantages have persisted. The next section explores some equality and diversity issues in more detail. Age
2.5.8
The North West population is ageing, as shown by Table 1 below. Table 1 Age Profile for North West and England
Under 16 65 and over 80 and over
2.5.9
North West 1996 21.3% 15.9% 3.9%
2006 19.3% 16.2% 4.3%
2031 17% 22.3%
England 1996 20.6% 15.9% 4.1%
2006 19.1% 15.9% 4.5%
2031 17% 21.7%
By 2031, it is projected that the North West population will be 7.7 million, with 0.3 million people in the North West aged 85 or more in 2031, compared with 0.1 million in 2006 and 0.1 million in 1996; which compares to 2.4 million, 1.1 million and 0.9 million respectively for England. The ratio of young (under 15) to old (85 or more) is projected to decrease in the North West. from 9.1 million in 2006 to 4.4 million in 2031; compared to a decrease from 8.5 million to 4.3 million in England.
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2.5.10
Employment levels for over 50s are lower than for the under 50s; this could be due to many factors, including over 50s suffering from discrimination and constraints on employment, or choosing not to work due to early retirement. The inactivity levels of people aged between 50 and retirement age are far higher in the North West than in comparator regions. 13 Young People’s Underachievement
2.5.11
Recent research 14 suggests that no one factor leads young people to underachieve, but a number of factors combined. Young people from an economically deprived background face a number of factors that are multidimensional and complex, and which can reinforce each other in unexpected ways. The variety of influences and barriers include:
existing mechanisms of support which did not work as designed or exacerbated patterns of deprivation and lack of opportunity;
community influences that shape how a young person views success and what is possible for them and the constraints that they operate within, which vary from community to community;
parental and family factors that interrupt education and training or which act as brakes on aspiration;
environmental barriers to achieve, including lack of transport and connectivity to opportunities,
sub-regional or local economies that constrain ambition and do not match up to educational experience or information and guidance; and
individual factors such as teenage pregnancy (Source: Final Report – Research into Young People’s Underachievement, NWDA, March 2010).
2.5.12
The research found that most of these issues are present to a greater or lesser extent in every sub-region, and race and ethnicity are less important than social class and location in aspiration and attainment.
2.5.13
Promisingly, GCSE results in the North West show signs of clear improvement in educational attainment across the board for BME groups, although attainment rates are still low in certain groups. Specific BME groups remain under-skilled when compared to the total population; this may change over time as higher-achieving young people move into the labour market, but it is unclear whether concentrations of underachievement may persist (Source: Unlocking the potential of the BME population: Final Report, May 2010, NWDA).
2.5.14
Another promising trend is the increasing participation in Higher Education (HE), but there is still a tendency for those who do engage to select traditional courses and there is lower take up of alternative routes such as apprenticeships. Cultural factors and families’ aspirations play a large part in explaining this. BME graduates also have a higher propensity to be unemployed six months after graduation – this could in part be due to women in particular having families at a young age, but it is likely that prejudice and inequalities (both actual and perceived) play a part in this (Source: Unlocking the potential of the BME population: Final Report, May 2010, NWDA).
13 14
‘Community’ Evidence Paper; NW Regional Intelligence Unit, 2008 Final Report – Research into Young People’s Underachievement, NWDA, March 2010
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Ethnicity 2.5.15
The North West population is also increasing in ethnic diversity, although less diverse than England as a whole. While the population is predominantly White, and White British remains the majority ethnic group, the proportion of White individuals decreased from 94.3% in 2001 to 92.9% in 2005 in the North West, compared to England which decreased from 90.8% to 89.1% over the same period (Source: Diversity and Difference in England’s North West 2009).
2.5.16
In 2003, 52% people surveyed in the North West perceived that racial prejudice had risen in the previous five years, one of the higher growth rates among the English regions. Only 29% people surveyed in the region stated that they had friends from a different racial group, one of the lower rates among the English regions.
2.5.17
It is well documented that the BME population in the North West is under-employed in comparison to the total population, but the employment gap is also widening within and between BME groups within this population. The quantitative evidence points to strong employment and earning potential in the Indian and Chinese and some Black African groups, as well as third and fourth generation migrants who have been brought up in the country; but other groups, namely Pakistani and Bangladeshi, and in particular women and first generation migrants, experience much lower employment prospects and earning potential and this has remained low. A range of barriers can explain these differences, not least perceived or actual inequalities and stereotyping which affect all BME groups to a greater or lesser extent and can mean that people from a BME background are less likely to get an interview/progress to leadership roles. Geographical disadvantage plays a large part in explaining the differences as many of those experiencing the greatest challenges are located in economically deprived areas which can further limit their opportunities. (Source: Unlocking the potential of the BME population 2010).
2.5.18
Greater Manchester is the most diverse sub-region in the North West with only 88.9% of individuals from White groups, compared to Cumbria at 98.4%, which is the least diverse subregion. The age profiles of different ethnic groups vary, with most ethnic minority groups having a younger age structure than the White British population. The Mixed, Black Other, Bangladeshi and Pakistani groups have the youngest age profiles and the White Irish group has the oldest profile (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009).
2.5.19
Primary school age children show a greater degree of ethnic diversity than the total population. In the North West, 13.7% of school children in maintained schools were from non-White ethnic groups compared to 19.4% in England; in Greater Manchester 22% were from non-White groups compared to 2.8% in Cumbria (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009).
2.5.20
BME groups are just as likely to be qualified to degree level as the population as a whole. However, the qualifications profile of BME groups is highly polarised, reflecting sizeable differences in educational achievement between groups. Indeed, those of Chinese and Indian origin are generally very highly qualified, while the Bangladeshi population are in contrast very 15 poorly qualified (Source: Diversity and Difference in England’s North West 2009).
2.5.21
While 72% of the total population of working age was in employment in the North West in 2007, for BME groups the rate was 55%. There are also significant intra-regional disparities,
15
Demography, Migration and Diversity in the North West, NWDA, January 2008
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for example in a number of districts BME groups are less likely to be in employment than the population as a whole, including Lancaster (47% less likely), Hyndburn (46%), and Chester (40%) (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009). 2.5.22
In 2007, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor showed that in the North West, those ethnic groups least likely to be engaged in entrepreneurial activity were Whites and those from the Indian sub-continent. Those from mixed ethnic origins, other Asian and Black African or Caribbean were substantially more confident in expecting to start a business in the next three years (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009). Disability
2.5.23
In 2008, the North West region had 834,800 disabled people living in it, which accounts for 19.7% of the total population. Around 63% of the disabled people in the North West in 2009 were of working age but employment rates are low at 43% compared with a national average of 50% (Source: Research into the Economic Participation and Inclusion of Disabled People in the North West, March 2010). This compares with an 80.2% employment rate among the nondisabled population (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009).
2.5.24
Apart from Cumbria, each area in the region has seen a drop in the economic inactivity rates of disabled people between April 2004 and March 2009, most markedly in Cheshire. The number of economically active people has risen, across the region by an of England average of 1.8%. When they are in employment, disabled people are often working at levels that they report are below both their levels of qualifications and skills. This is not necessarily through their own choice but rather, tends to be the jobs they are successful in getting. It also reflects the barriers they can face in career development training (Source: Research into the Economic Participation and Inclusion of Disabled People in the North West, March 2010).
2.5.25
Disabled people are less likely than non-disabled people to be self employed and there are likely to be a number of reasons for this. They may not have access to funding support to set up or expand a new business, business support is not always delivered in a way that enables disabled people to fully benefit from it, and users are not always aware of the sorts of additional support disabled people may be able to access. Where disabled people are self employed, it can sometimes (though by no means always) be because they cannot get a job with an employer and so turn to self employment as the only available option (Source: Research into the Economic Participation and Inclusion of Disabled People in the North West, March 2010).
2.5.26
The proportion of people in the North West reporting a limiting longstanding illness decreased between 1995 and 2005, but saw an increase a year later. By contrast, the overall proportion in England has been stable, despite the ageing population. This is reasonably consistent with other recent estimates, such as Labour Force Survey, which has put the proportion of disabled people over the last few years at around 20% in the North West and 18% across England. The same survey suggests the proportion of the working age population in the North West with a disability in 2007 was 20% and in England it was 17.9% (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009).
2.5.27
Of all those reporting limiting longstanding illness, whether or not they had significant difficulty with day to-day activities, there was a small increase over the ten year period 1995 to 2005 in the proportion with underlying mental rather than physical conditions (4% in 1995 to 6.7% in 2006 in the North West and 4.4% in 1995 to 6% in 2006 in England). There was also an
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increase in the North West in the proportion reporting mental illnesses and behavioural disorders as the medical reason underlying claims for incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance from 33.5% in 2001 to 42.2% in 2007, compared to an increase from 33.3% to 41.0% in England (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009). 2.5.28
There is substantial legislation that covers equality for disabled people but there is a strong sense, and evidence, that this is not always effective in removing barriers to employment and learning. This could be due to employers and other agencies not fully understanding the responsibilities that they have and how they can address gaps to fully meet the legislation. There is a perception amongst disabled people that there are gaps in the legislation that employers can use to avoid recruiting disabled people. The barriers to learning and training opportunities for example in Further Education Colleges, Higher Education and in community based training are similar to the barriers to employment. They are around attitudes, as well as physical challenges in finding out about and gaining access to training or learning. Not all education buildings or institutions are fully accessible and not every course is available to every disabled person, regardless of need. This limits the choice and opportunities for disabled people and can cause them to disengage from education, even at school age (Source: Research into the Economic Participation and Inclusion of Disabled People in the North West, March 2010). Gender
2.5.29
Women continue to be more likely than men to work part-time and generally have lower median earnings. While pay for women is converging with men’s, in 2007 the pay gap between men and women’s median earnings was still 13.9% (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009).
2.5.30
There are also gender employment rate differences by ethnic group. The most obvious disparity is among the Pakistani/Bangladeshi ethnic grouping, in which there are disproportionately more males in employment than females. The opposite is apparent for Black or Black British working age adults in the North West, where the rate is higher for females (Source: Annual Population Survey July 2007-2008). Sexual Orientation
2.5.31
The North West region has a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) population of roughly 430,000 – that equates approximately to a population the same size as the region's second city Liverpool. There are no official statistics on transgender people. The Government currently estimates that between 5% and 7% of the UK population identifies as lesbian, gay or bisexual. It is likely that this will vary from place to place, and may be higher in urban areas and those with a visible lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) community or commercial scene, such as Manchester (Source: Diversity and Difference in England’s North West 2009).
2.5.32
Despite its size, policy makers in the region have a limited knowledge and understanding of the needs of its North West Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) population. The LGBT population tends to be invisible within much public discourse regarding equality programmes and initiatives and there exists a general perception that their issues are given low priority status.
2.5.33
A range of research studies suggest that LGB people experience significant rates of bullying while in education, and that many schools are not adequately equipped to deal with this. This
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can have long term implications for the health, employment prospects and life opportunities for LGB people. Homophobic bullying and discrimination are not confined to the classroom. Research published in 2008 by LGB lobby group Stonewall, Serves You Right, suggests that:
Almost a fifth (18%) of LGB people in the North West would expect to be treated worse than a heterosexual by a housing officer when applying for social housing.
One in 20 (6%) of LGB people in the North West would expect their GP to treat them worse than they would a heterosexual.
2.5.34
Further Stonewall research (The Gay British Crime Survey, 2008) found that 14% of LGB people in the North West felt that homophobic hate crimes and incidents were a big problem in their area
2.5.35
The North West Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) Strategy recognises that community and voluntary sector support for LGBT people in the North West is sparse. Of the 68 registered LGBT charities in England, only five are based in the North West, to represent the estimated 612,000 LGBT people in the region, and the majority of these community groups are unfunded and voluntarily run.
2.5.36
In addition "Breaking the Cycle" identified five key barriers which impacted on the region's LGBT population. The barriers were;
Limited knowledge and understanding of the needs of LGBT people;
Invisibility and (mis) representation;
LGBT issues often given low priority;
Focus is often restricted to the sexual health needs of men who have sex with men; and
LGBT equality is not yet established as a basic right.
Gender Identity 2.5.37
Data reflecting the number of transgender people in the UK, and their needs and experience, is extremely limited. Gender identity monitoring is still problematic for many organisations, and indeed for many of their trans service users. Nevertheless, research suggests that trans people can experience severe levels of discrimination, harassment and social exclusion.
2.5.38
A survey carried out by Press for Change for the Equalities Review (Engendered Penalties, 2007) found that 64% of young trans men and 44% of young trans women will experience harassment or bullying at school from pupils and teachers. The same study also found that over 10% of trans people had been verbally abused and 6% had been physically assaulted at work. As a consequence of harassment and bullying, a quarter of trans people will feed obliged to change their jobs.
2.5.39
In terms of transphobic crime, 73% of respondents to Press for Change’s survey experienced harassment, with one in ten being victims of threatening behaviour when outside the home. While the majority did not report the incidents to the police, almost a fifth of those who did felt they were treated inappropriately.
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Other key aspects of diversity 2.5.40
In understanding diversity and equality it is also important to consider religion and belief. Religion
2.5.41
In the 2001 Census, 82.3% of the North West population identified with a religion compared to 77.7% in England. Of these, 78% (71.7% in England) were Christian, 3% (3.1% in England) were Muslim, 0.4% (1.1% in England) were Hindu and 0.8% (1.8% in England) stated ‘any other religion’. Of the remaining population, 10.5% (14.6% in England) identified with no religion and 7.2% (7.7% in England) did not respond to the question (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009).
2.5.42
Two reports in the North West, funded by the NWDA, Faith in England’s North West: the contribution made by faith communities to civil society in the region (2003) and Faith in England’s North West: Economic Impact Assessment (2005) set out the economic profile and contribution of the area’s faith communities, including statistical evidence that while faith communities are represented in the most affluent areas, they are also concentrated in areas of highest social need and reach parts of society that other groups struggle to connect with; are active in areas such as homelessness, crime prevention and drugs and alcohol dependency, are largely self-financing and have the ability to stimulate unprecedented levels of volunteering (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009).
2.5.43
More than 5,000 important projects were identified, with faith communities running or managing schemes to address homelessness, racism, crime, drug and alcohol abuse, health, skills development, art, music and environmental improvements. Particularly evident is that they are extensively involved in providing services for some of the most vulnerable social groups, including older people, children and the more deprived neighbourhoods of the region. More recent research has confirmed that the central role of faith groups within communities can generate local trust, commitment and financial or in-kind resources, this is hard for other voluntary organisations to match, and this contribution should be recognised by the public sector (Source: Faith in England’s North West: How Faith Communities Contribute to Social and Economic Wellbeing, Oct 2009 (NWDA).
2.5.44
For further information on the current baseline see the North West Regional Research and Intelligence Unit website16. Useful papers include: Research into the Economic Participation and Inclusion of Disabled People in the North West of England (2010); Faith Communities Research (2010); Diversity and Difference in England’s North West (2009); Demographics, Migration and Diversity (2008); Unlocking the Potential of the BME Population (2010); Summary of Evidence Base (2010); and State of the Region Report (2009).
What changes are expected over the next 20 years? 2.5.45
No trend data is available to show how community cohesion is changing in the region, and it is unknown how this may develop.
2.5.46
Social exclusion is strongly related to the availability of jobs, services and housing and therefore trends are likely to reflect what happens in these areas. As the population ages and diversifies, this will change the nature of demands on the region’s services, infrastructure and buildings.
16
http://www.nwriu.co.uk/
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2.5.47
Pockets of deprivation are likely to persist over time, although ongoing regeneration activities in targeted areas should deliver significant benefits. There is likely to be a severe lag in this respect in the short to medium term, as a result of reduced public sector spending on regeneration, and impacts will depend on the degree to which the private sector is able to fund regeneration initiatives. Spatially differentiated effects of the recent economic downturn may become more apparent in the future.
What are the key issues? Exclusion
While there is some evidence of progress in reducing inequality there are also areas where disadvantages have persisted. In the North West (and across the UK) minority groups experience exclusion and disadvantage including lower levels of educational achievement and poor rates of labour market participation.
Educational underachievement of young people from economically deprived backgrounds is a multidimensional and complex issue that needs to be addressed.
Migration from the ‘Accession 8’ countries that joined the EU in 2004 has had a significant impact on the make-up of the North West’s population, labour pool and cultural mix, mainly concentrated in the urban centres. Although working in low skilled positions, migrants workers are not necessarily low skilled, and the opportunity exists to better utilise their skills sets by addressing language barriers and difficulties in interpreting overseas qualifications. A key challenge is the need for infrastructure and public service provision to keep pace with increased demand, and adjust to the changing needs of their ‘customer base’.
Age
The North West population is ageing, with a range of consequences for the region such as labour availability and provision of housing and services. Within the region there are variations in the trend, with severe ageing of the population occurring in the more rural/coastal areas of Cumbria and Cheshire.
A key challenge is to boost economic activity amongst older workers through updating their skills portfolio, and on the demand side; ensuring adherence to legislation preventing age discrimination and changing the attitudes of businesses in relation to employing older workers.
There is a need to ensure social and other affordable housing, ICT, cultural services and transport infrastructure sufficient to meet the needs of older people, as well as ensuring health and social care provision is able to meet the changing needs of an ageing population.
Ethnicity
The North West BME population is growing quickly and cannot be viewed as a homogenous, as the challenges within and between BME groups vary starkly.
The BME population demonstrates an entrepreneurial flair and rates of BME business start up are relatively high, particularly for men and for Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi, Black African and Caribbean groups. However there is potential to develop this much further, both in terms of attracting more BME business to the region,
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including encouraging female entrepreneurs; and in supporting BME businesses over the longer term, as survival rates tend to be lower. A key challenge is to promote better access to, and tailoring of, the support that already exists.
Racial prejudice is rising in the region and the North West has one of the higher growth rates among the English regions.
People of Asian origin have the lowest employment rates, Bangladeshi and Pakistani people are 30% less likely to be in employment (Source: NWDA Single Equality Scheme 2008-2011). Unemployment levels in BME communities may become disproportionately higher than their white counterparts during recession, which will impact on districts with significant ethnic minority populations, particularly Asian / Asian British such as Burnley, Oldham and Blackburn with Darwen. These areas are among the region’s most deprived17 and all Indices of Multiple Deprivation rankings (which include employment, education and skills) for these areas declined between 2004 and 2007.
Gender
Women continue to be more likely than men to work part-time and generally have lower median earnings. Women are still less likely to achieve the same level of success as men in the workplace; they are less likely to have taken part in work-based learning or development training and still do the majority of unpaid care work.
Gender Identity
Harassment and bullying of trans people in the workplace and threatening of trans people outside the home are key issues.
Sexual Orientation
LGBT people experience significant rates of bullying and discrimination while in education and in the workplace and wider discrimination in society. This can have long term implications for the health, employment prospects and life opportunities for LGBT people.
Disability
17
Disabled people face a wide range of barriers in accessing and sustaining employment, from intangible barriers such as the attitudes and perceptions of employers and staff, to tangible barriers around lack of accessible transport, accessibility of information and access issues into and around buildings. These barriers are longstanding and there is a sense that organisations and agencies in the area have failed to tackle them at region wide, strategic level (Source: Research into the Economic Participation and Inclusion of Disabled People in the North West, March 2010).
NWDA (2007) Regional Intelligence Unit: Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2007 (CLG/Social Disadvantage Research Centre)
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How might ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ impact on this situation? 2.5.48
‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ places a strong emphasis on promoting economic growth in sectors where the region has key strengths, competitive advantage and potential for growth, which should help to increase overall levels of wealth in the region. However the focus on raising economic participation through raising skills, aspiration, educational attainment and entrepreneurship, fails to acknowledge the evidence base on equalities groups, who, with some exceptions, lag considerably behind the general population in these areas. The presence of more highly skilled people in the region could create the conditions for more widely accessible employment opportunities, but it is unknown whether this would be a sufficient springboard to bring about this change, or would simply ‘widen the gap’ for equalities groups.
2.5.49
It should also be noted that while ill-health is a theme that is highlighted throughout the document, deprivation and inequality are less likely to be recognised consistently.
2.5.50
The focus for action under Objective 3a is welcomed, with the need to tackle low aspirations particularly important in light of the recent research on younger people’s underachievement. Focus on entrepreneurship should assist some BME groups, but may have less relevance for deprived white communities, who are less likely to exhibit such tendencies.
2.5.51
There is also a worrying implication that if the talent needed to drive innovation industries is not present in the current workforce, it will be imported from elsewhere and there will be a subsequent failure to link economic opportunities to local communities. This can be addressed by emphasising the importance of developing local talent first.
2.5.52
The contribution of faith organisations is recognised in objective 3b, and this is welcomed, reflecting the evidence on their importance in addressing inequalities in local communities.
Recommendations to improve ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’
Executive summary, table on themes, outcomes, objectives and targets – First theme, second objective – reword as ‘Ensure that the North West understands and adapts to the implications of unavoidable climate change, and provides assistance in adaptation for deprived communities, recognising that they are more likely to be disproportionately affected’.
Executive summary, table on themes, outcomes, objectives and targets – Fourth theme, fourth outcome – reword as: ‘Improving the range, accessibility and depth of quality employment opportunities for all…’
The 12 big ticket issues – Issue 8 – reword as: Reduce levels of ill-health, deprivation and inequality’.
Section 1 Context and Vision, Introduction, paragraph 4 – reword sentence: ‘Such as increasing skills, employment, enterprise and productivity levels which are currently among the lowest in the UK, as well as tackling ill-health, in-equalities and discrimination, poor housing and addressing areas of considerable deprivation…’
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Assumptions, page 10 – include bullet point addressing other sources of inequality and discrimination, not just health. Without behavioural change to address discrimination and/or intervention, in-equalities experienced by BME communities, LGBT people, young people and the elderly will continue.
The theme ‘release the potential of our people and tackle poverty by’ identifies a number of targets – this section would benefit from specific targets which relate to the needs of specific equalities groups, many of these targets pose additional challenges for equalities groups, which are not currently acknowledged. To release potential and tackle poverty we need to specifically target those groups which are performing lower than the North West average.
Theme – ‘Ensure the right housing and infrastructure for sustainable growth – first outcome, reword as: ‘Creating balanced housing markets across the North West that support economic growth and are located close to economic opportunities, strengthen inclusion and ensure that everyone has access to well-designed, high-quality, affordable housing in mixed, sustainable communities’.
Objective 1(b) Focus for North West Action, (c), reword as: ‘Ensuring that the risks and opportunities from climate change for North West businesses and communities (especially deprived communities who are less able to respond), are clearly understood and potential responses developed and applied to increase the resilience of services, transport, critical infrastructure, green infrastructure, natural systems, landscapes, habitats, land use, food production and the urban fabric, including housing’.
Objective 2(b) – Emphasis should be placed on up-skilling the local population first, reword text to state: ‘We need to develop, attract and retain skilled people’ in text and focus for action statements.
Objective 3b – Focus for Action (c) – recognise the need to build the capacity of third sector support for LGBT people.
Objective 3d- Focus for Action (a) – include LGBT in the list of under-employed groups.
Objective 3d- Focus for Action (b) – This section should also refer to the need to tackle barriers such as low aspirations and community influence.
Objective 3d- Focus for Action (b) – reword second bullet point as follows:‘…-by focusing on the social, economic and environmental causes of ill health and ensuring high quality primary care services, including tailored services where necessary for equalities groups’.
Objective 3d- Focus for Action (c) – Reword third bullet point: (This will include activity within the North West to address anti-discrimination, anti-racism, homophobia, hetrosexism and bullying)
Objective 3d- Focus for Action (d) – Reword second bullet point – ‘…so that all people in the North West can live well’ – as the current text currently excludes some equalities groups.
Objective 3e – Focus for Action (c) – Add additional bullet point – ‘Tackle bullying and discrimination in schools and workplaces’
Objective 4a – Focus for Action (a) – Bullet point 2 – add ‘employment opportunities’ after economic growth, and add an additional bullet point ‘ Improving access to services and employment for existing communities’.
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Objective 4d – Introductory text – reword final paragraph – ‘Linking employment opportunities with both existing and future housing will be important’.
Objective 4d – focus for Action (a) – Add additional bullet point after final bullet point – ‘Support regeneration and employment opportunities for deprived communities’.
Section 3, sub-section (c) (pg 50) – reword fifth bullet point – ‘focus development within existing towns and cities particularly the regeneration of appropriate brownfield sites which provide accessible employment opportunities for local communities’.
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2.6
Innovation, Economy and Employment
2.6.1
The performance of the economy has a fundamental bearing on the achievement of sustainable development. Economic growth can help tackle deprivation and support regeneration. The economy provides employment and generates wealth, but can as a consequence generate adverse effects, such as the production of waste or pollution of air or water from industry or traffic.
2.6.2
A healthy economy can be characterised by:
A range of employment opportunities;
Access to skills, training and education;
Economic growth;
Inward investment;
New business start-ups;
A diverse range of business sectors;
Low unemployment;
Job satisfaction; and
Resource use efficiency.
2.6.3
Innovation encompasses both ‘radical’ innovation activity usually associated with ‘blue skies’ research; and the more common incremental activities that are carried out by most organisations on a daily basis.
2.6.4
The UK Government White Paper on Science and Innovation (DTI, 2000) states that: “Innovation is the motor of the modern economy, turning ideas and knowledge into products and services”. Innovation can therefore be seen as a process and an attitude which is not restricted to knowledge sectors and universities, but applicable much more widely in society.
What is the current situation (baseline) in the North West? Economic Performance and Innovation
The region has been knocked back by the recent financial crisis and economic downturn. Economic growth fell by 4% in 2009, and despite recent ‘green shoots’ the recovery will inevitably take time in the most disadvantaged places. Few expect the property and regeneration markets, for example, to return to life until at least 20112012, and even then much lower levels of activity are likely (Source: The Future of the North West 2010).
The region’s economic performance and vitality – in terms of GVA, employment rates and productivity, lags behind the England average. Areas with the worst economic performance are also the most deprived, in terms of education, health and environmental quality (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009).
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The North West expenditure on R&D as a proportion of GVA is consistently strong (0.3pp above the UK average), especially in manufacturing (1.3pp above the UK average), but the North West only secured 6% of the UK’s venture capital in 2007, with OECD suggesting there is a lack of ‘investment ready’ firms in the region (Source: State of the North West Economy Long Term Forecasts 2010).
The North West underperforms compared to the UK on enterprise rates (e.g. new start up rates and innovation skills), but the gap has closed from 6.1 per 10,000 of the Working Age Population (WAP) in 2004 to 5.8 in 2008 (Source: State of the North West Economy Long Term Forecasts 2010).
The North West contributes almost 10% of the UK’s gross value added (GVA) − a key measure of the economic performance of a region. The region’s headline GVA was £120.7 billion in 2008, third largest of the nine English regions (Source: ONS 2010).
Economic performance across the region varies considerably: 40% of North West GVA originates from Greater Manchester, compared with only 6% from Cumbria. Cheshire has the highest GVA per capita, and is the only sub-region in the North West above the England average; Merseyside has the lowest level and along with Cumbria and Lancashire is in the bottom ten areas in England (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009).
The region makes the highest contribution to the UK’s manufacturing industry GVA. However manufacturing now only provides 11.8% of all jobs in the region, with the vast majority of employment in the service sector (Source: ONS 2010).
Tourism
In 2009 the North West was the third most visited region in England after the South West, and the South East, with the average length of stay at 2.8 nights, which was lower than the UK average of 3.2 nights. Average spend per trip in the North West was on a par with the UK (£177 compared to a UK average of £174), and average spend per night was higher than the UK average (£64 compared to £55) (Source: Domestic Tourism North West Summary Report 2009).
In 2008 tourism generated an estimated £14.3bn of direct and indirect expenditure to the North West region. This revenue supports an estimated 220,400 jobs (England’s North West: Tourism Volume & Value 2008 STEAM Report).
Employment
Manchester and Liverpool city centres have both experienced significant redevelopment over the past two decades, with significant physical renewal. Whilst this physical renewal has often been accompanied by growing economic prosperity, many of those living in the inner city areas have not benefited by way of employment. Instead, redevelopment of city centres has been set amidst continued deprivation and worklessness. The Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 2007 indicates that Liverpool is the most deprived authority in the country and another 14 North West Authorities feature in the worst performing 50 authorities in England (out of 354).
There are significant concentrations of economic deprivation across the region, particularly in the inner cities and rural areas, where previous sources of employment have gone and the resident population is neither skilled nor equipped to take up new
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opportunities if they are available (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009).
2.6.5
The employment rate for the region’s working-age residents was fifth highest among English regions; at 70.9% in January to March 2010. The region experienced one of the smallest regional falls in the employment rate compared with a year earlier.
The unemployment rate (for those aged 16 plus) rose from 7.9% in January to March 2009 to 8.7% in January to March 2010 (Source: ONS 2010).
The North West has a higher proportion of its working age population qualified to NVQ levels 1, 2 and 3 than the UK average. Around 15% of the working age population are educated to NVQ level 1, 18% to NVQ level 2 and 17% to NVQ level 3. However, a lower proportion of the working age population has achieved level 4 within the North West than the UK average - 26% of the North West working age population in comparison to the UK average of 29% (Source: ‘Economic Impact of Further Education in the North West: A report to the NWDA’, 2009)
The North West has the second smallest proportion of self-employed people in the UK, less than 8% of working-age people in 2008/09. The highest rate at local authority level in the North West is Cumbria at around 11% – similar to the highest regional average (South West region). The lowest was Halton at just under 5% (Source: ONS 2010).
For further information on the current baseline see the North West Regional Research and 18 Intelligence Unit website . Useful papers include: NW Sector Detail and Geography (2010); Monthly Economic Summaries (2010); Regional Economic Performance Indicators (2010); Local Employment Evidence Base, Summary of Evidence Base (2010); and State of the Region Report (2009).
What changes are expected over the next 20 years? 2.6.6
The economic down-turn will continue to impact upon the region's economy in the short to medium term. However the defence and nuclear technology sectors, environmental technologies, and some aspects of creative and new media industries should continue to act as good insulators against the economic downturn. Latest estimates by NWDA’s Regional Intelligence Unit suggest that the region will not get back to 2008 employment levels until 2018. The slowdown in activity and the credit famine will affect some of the region’s major projects, such as Cumbria’s Energy Coast, the Atlantic Gateway initiative, and Corridor Manchester (Source: The Future of the North West 2010).
2.6.7
Without implementation of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ to guide economic investment and focus interventions for economic support, it is possible that productivity of the region will fall further along with employment rates. Likewise entrepreneurship and business start-up may possibly stagnate without a strategy to guide business support programmes and promote innovation and entrepreneurship.
2.6.8
It is expected that the gap in the North West’s GVA per head relative to the UK will continue to widen, as it has done for the last 35 years. Reversing this trend will require a fundamental shift in economic performance (Source: State of the North West Economy Long Term Forecasts 2010).
18
http://www.nwriu.co.uk/
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2.6.9
In the period to 2015, The Regional Economic Forecasting Panel expects that productivity growth will show an improvement on that over 2000-08, in part through the renewed focus on delivering public services efficiently. However, it is still anticipated that productivity growth will lag the UK by 0.2pp in both the medium and long-term.
2.6.10
By 2030, the Regional Economic Forecasting Panel expects employment to be 6¼% higher than currently. The Panel expects past trends to continue, with financial and business services continuing to be the major source of new jobs (despite recent perturbations). Although public sector employment is expected to fall in the medium-term, the sector is still expected to remain an important source of employment into the longer-term.
What are the key issues?
Economic performance in terms of GVA, employment rates and productivity is significantly below the national average and the gap is forecast to widen, with major gaps between the best and worst performing parts of the region. There is a lack of ‘investment ready’ firms in the region.
In urban areas such as Manchester and Liverpool there are pockets of persistent worklessness and income deprivation.
The need to reduce the education and skills gap, so that the existing North West population (including equalities groups) can access the economic opportunities identified in ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’.
There is a significant opportunity for the North West to capitalise on the economic opportunities of moving to a low-carbon and green economy.
Reducing inequalities in the region and providing adequate housing, infrastructure (such as electricity and water supply, waste management and transport) and welfare for a growing and ageing population, in a climate of low growth and real public spending reductions in the short- medium term.
The need to continue to develop and grow the tourism sector.
How might ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ impact on this situation? 2.6.11
‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ will provide an overarching vision and proposes strategic priorities / objectives that will help to maximise economic opportunities within the region.
2.6.12
There is a strong focus on the rural economy and recognition of the complicated challenges and opportunities faced in rural areas in section 3 i. Seeking to maximise the economic potential of rural business and food production is likely to enhance the vitality of rural areas across the region and help achieve sustainable economic growth in the medium-long term.
2.6.13
The focus on establishing a low carbon economy and maximising the opportunities presented by climate change is commended. Moving towards a low carbon economic model will help ensure that the region is well placed to benefit from new investment in ‘green collar’ jobs and markets. In the long term, being able to access low carbon energy supplies and having access to skills and technologies that can reduce energy consumption is going to help contribute to a lower carbon footprint across the region. This will have positive financial implications for businesses located in the region in terms of reduced carbon tax. The stabilisation of carbon
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emissions and mitigation of climate change is consistent with continued sustainable economic growth. Investment in low carbon infrastructure will help stimulate economic growth and improve energy and climate security in the region. 2.6.14
There is a focus on developing high level knowledge based, innovation and R&D-intensive industries in the region. Agglomeration effects of knowledge based, innovation and R&D industries is likely to lead to further development of skilled labour pools, growth of specialist suppliers and supply chain businesses, business networks, knowledge flows, supportive institutions and finance, and this multiplier effect should improve employment prospects for those residents who would be unlikely to access specialist knowledge industries. It is vital that ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ seeks to improve the range and depth of quality employment opportunities for all, not just the highly skilled, and this is acknowledged in Theme 3.
Recommendations to improve ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’
It is recommended that ‘Future North West’ seeks to promote home working, on the back of the roll-out of Next Generation Access broadband articulated in Objective 4b. The encouragement of opportunities for home working in Objective 1c would have multiple positive implications for the economy, helping to reduce the need to travel, reduce congestion, improve air quality and potentially improve the viability of the rural economy; and would link in with the aspirations set out in Objective 4b.
Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region are the areas most affected by employment deprivation. These areas should be targeted for skills development in section 3 of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’.
It is recommended that Objective 2d also promotes the potential role of other areas of the North West (beyond the established destinations) in developing the tourism sector. Spreading the value of tourism throughout the region is consistent with sustainable economic growth.
Objective 4d - insert a new bullet point into paragraph 2 section ‘a)’ which states that “where sustainable in planning terms, strategic employment sites will be located close to those areas suffering most from employment deprivation.”
Objective 2b – Focus for action a) and introductory text – amend order of text to state: ‘develop, retain and attract’, so the emphasis is on up-skilling local people first.
Include a reference in Objective 3a to the need for strong governance arrangements to ensure linkages between the private sector and supporting education institutions, local authorities, emerging LEPs and central government. This issue should also be addressed in the Implementation Plan.
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2.7
Heritage and Landscape
2.7.1
The region has a rich and varied heritage. Heritage can be considered to include a number of aspects 19 including monuments (architectural works, works of monumental sculpture and painting etc.), groups of buildings (groups of separate or connected buildings) and sites (works of man or the combined works of nature and man).
2.7.2
Landscapes can be areas designated for their natural beauty and/or ambience but can also be ‘ordinary’ places that are not given statutory protection. Urban landscapes have an important role to play in the quality of people’s lives, therefore acknowledging and enhancing ‘townscapes’ is important.
2.7.3
Green Infrastructure 20 is a strategically planned and delivered network of high quality green spaces and other environmental features, which will be considered as part of this topic.
What is the current situation (baseline) in the North West? 2.7.4
2.7.5
The Environment Evidence Base (RS2010) prepared by the NWDA provides the most up to date baseline information for the North West in relation to heritage and landscape21. The key baseline information in relation to heritage is:
There are 859 conservation areas within the North West. 309 of these have been the subject of an appraisal in the last 5 years22. Furthermore, there are 129 registered Parks and Gardens of Historic Interest and 3 Registered Historic Battlefields.
Cumbria has the only section of heritage coast in the region, St.Bees - which is 3.63 miles long and covers 551 hectares.
There are 25,420 Listed Buildings with the North West, representing about 7% of the national stock.
There are two World Heritage Sites within the region at Hadrian’s Wall and Liverpool Maritime and Mercantile City, and two prospective Heritage Sites (Manchester the Archetype City of the Industrial Revolution and the Lake District).
Within the region there are around 1,316 Scheduled Monuments ranging in date from Neolithic henges, magnificent 18th and 19th century industrial structures to World War II military installations. Scheduled Monuments represent a relatively small proportion of the total number of sites of archaeological importance in the region.
The key baseline information in relation to landscape provision in the North West is:
There are 22,731 hectares of ancient woodland (10.9% of the national area)
There is 1 National Park (The Lake District) which is wholly in the region and parts of 2 others (The Peak District and The Yorkshire Dales). The Lake District is the largest of England’s National Parks covering 229,159 ha.
19
UNESCO (1972) Convention concerning the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage, Article 1 Available at: http://whc.unesco.org/en/conventiontext/. Accessed on 8th July 2010. 20 A detailed description of the concept of Green Infrastructure can be found on the Natural England website. Available at http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/planningtransportlocalgov/greeninfrastructure/default.aspx. Accessed on 3rd June 2010 21 The Environment Evidence Base (RS2010) document was published in May 2009. Available at http://www.nwriu.co.uk/PDF/Environment.pdf. Accessed on 8th July 2010. 22 English Heritage (2008) Heritage Counts 2008: North West
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2.7.6
The Northwest has only six kilometres of Defined Heritage Coasts (around St Bees Head). Heritage Coasts are special coastlines managed so that their natural beauty is conserved; it is a non-statutory landscape designation.
Some 29% of the region is designated as ‘protected landscapes’ compared to 23% for England. This includes extensive areas of National Park (the Lake District National Park) which account for 18% of the entire region (second to Yorkshire & Humber) and 11% as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) below the national average of 16%. (The North Pennines AONB spans across Cumbria, Northumberland and Durham and is also a European Geopark).
Natural England’s Countryside Quality Counts study (2008) found that of the Northwest region’s 29 National Character Areas, 14% are enhanced in character, 41% have maintained character, 7% are neglected and 38% are diverging from baseline character. Areas that are neglected or diverging are largely around major centres of population and transport corridors. Landscape character is being maintained in the protected areas of the region such as the Cumbria High Fells, which makes up a large part of the Lake District.
For further information on the current baseline see the North West Regional Research and 23 Intelligence Unit website . Useful papers include: Summary of Evidence Base (2010) and Environment Evidence Base (2009).
What changes are expected over the next 20 years? 2.7.7
It is likely that the quality of the cultural, historic and built environment will improve due to the efforts and interventions of a range of authorities, agencies and other bodies concerned with the protection of areas of heritage value.
2.7.8
The historical environment is likely to come under pressure if action is not taken to respond to the impacts of climate change. Increased incidences and severity of ground flooding (rainstorms and rising sea levels), greater rain penetration (rainstorms and windiness), subsidence (drier summers) and overheating (higher temperatures, especially in summer) is likely to increase the vulnerability of the historic built fabric, which has not been designed to accommodate or cope with these events.
2.7.9
It is likely that landscapes will continue to come under pressure from development in the region. This may lead to a reduction in the character and value of landscape areas within the North West, particularly those that are close to built up areas and in the more populated south of the region.
2.7.10
There are a number of ‘pinch points’ in the Northwest, where there is the opportunity for green infrastructure to reduce risks and negative impacts caused by development (such as noise, poor air quality, flooding, soil erosion and loss of carbon storage). There are particular concentrations of ‘pinch points’ in and around Carlisle, Liverpool, Manchester, Preston, Barrow-in-Furness and Chester.
2.7.11
The map below shows the concentration of pinch points located in relation to motorways and major towns.
23
http://www.nwriu.co.uk/
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Figure 2: Map showing the location and concentration of pinch points in and around the motorways and major towns of the North West 24
What are the key issues? 2.7.12
The SA Scoping Report of the Draft Regional Strategy (prepared in March 2009) summarises the key sustainability issues related to heritage and landscape. These are detailed below:
Although the landscapes in much of the region are being maintained or enhanced, in many areas they are being either neglected or changing in a way that is inconsistent with their character.
The region’s heritage and culture have significant value, both for their own sake and what they can contribute to the quality of life and economy of the Region. An
24
The map was taken from the Green Infrastructure Prospectus (2009) and was prepared by the North West Green Infrastructure th Unit. Accessed on 12 July, available from: http://www.greeninfrastructurenw.co.uk/resources/Prospectus_V6.pdf
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integrated approach to these issues is beneficial, to capitalise on the benefits and to ensure that the region’s heritage is not needlessly lost.
It is important that the green infrastructure of the North West is developed in the future in order to address reductions in environmental quality inherent in ‘pinch point’ areas.
How might ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ impact on this situation? Heritage 2.7.13
The strategy identifies the role that heritage can play in the future development of the region. In particular, objective 2d sets out the need to develop Carlisle, Chester and Lancaster’s role as “heritage cities” and the need to promote and enhance the North West’s distinctive historic environment. The objective also sets out the need to raise the profile of the Liverpool and Hadrian’s Wall Wold Heritage Sites as visitor attractions and to develop the case for a Lake District World Heritage Site. However, a significant increase in tourism could potentially have a negative impact on the condition of these sites unless these impacts are closely monitored and managed. Protection of the ‘values’ that attract visitors is essential to ensure these qualities endure. It therefore seems inappropriate to market the ecologically sensitive Lake District as the “adventure capital” of the UK.
2.7.14
Similarly, sub sections 3f (Recognise Crewe, Chester, Lancaster and Carlisle’s role as key sub-regional hubs) and 3g (Enhance the role of the Lake District and other outstanding natural and heritage assets in contributing to the region’s image and the well being of North West residents) within section 3 of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ (see page 50) highlight the role that heritage can play in enhancing the tourism offer in these subregions. Again, the need to ‘protect’ areas of heritage value, alongside the ‘promotion’ of their value as tourism destinations should be made more explicit. Landscape
2.7.15
Objective 4e of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ sets out a series of measures that will help to ensure that the character of areas of landscape value within the North West are protected. The objective also highlights the importance of encouraging the maintenance and provision of green infrastructure within the region. Green infrastructure will have multiple positive impacts in relation to quality of life, health and increasing resilience to the impacts of climate change beyond its value for landscape management and this is a real plus of the document.
2.7.16
The strategy places major pressure on areas of landscape value towards the south of the region due to the scale of development within areas such as Liverpool, Manchester and Chester. Renewable energy schemes are also likely to erode landscape value over time, without a coordinated approach to identifying appropriate areas for their location, alongside ‘no go’ buffer zones.
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Recommendations to improve ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’
Objective 2d – remove the reference to the Lake District being the “adventure capital” of the UK. Amend bullet point 8 to read: ‘Promoting, protecting and enhancing the North West’s distinctive historic and natural environments, in particular - …’ This will make this bullet point consistent with the approach taken for the final bullet point, which refers to ‘protecting and enhancing’ Liverpool and Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Sites.
Section 3, subsections (f) and (g) (page 50) – insert the word ‘protect’ into the text in relation to areas of heritage value within the North West, to act as a balance for developing and promoting them.
Recognise that the need for careful planning of the location, scale and type of renewable energy technology deployed across the region, in order to avoid damage to European sites or highly valued landscapes. A reference to this effect should be made under Objective 1a.
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2.8
Housing
2.8.1
Access to shelter and the need for a home are fundamental human requirements. The housing needs of a community vary greatly and different people have different demands, which also change over their lifetime. In many areas, less affluent members of society are not able to access the housing market. The need to provide a variety of dwelling types, sizes and tenures (including affordable housing) is therefore crucial.
2.8.2
A range of good quality housing, well-functioning infrastructure and attractive places to live are important for attracting investment to the region. A poor housing offer stands in the way of attracting and retaining the economically active, whilst the wrong homes in the wrong places risks concentrating economically inactive and dependent households in deprived communities.
What is the current situation (baseline) in the North West? 2.8.3
The prevailing economic and housing market conditions are impacting on housing growth and regeneration in the short and medium term in the region. The recession has led to: sharply reduced market turnover with city-centre housing markets and more marginal regeneration schemes hit hardest, particularly in Manchester and Liverpool; reduced house prices; lower levels of new mortgage lending, especially to first time buyers; increased levels of mortgage arrears and repossessions; and a greatly reduced level of new housing starts and completions, except where government intervention has boosted output.
According to the 2009 RSS Annual Monitoring Report, in March 2008 the dwelling stock of the Northwest region stood at 3,113,282. In the following 12 months to April 2009, an additional 26,052 dwellings were added to the total housing stock, the highest number recorded over the previous six years (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy, Scoping Report 2009).
The North West has a diverse housing market. The region is home to some of the most affluent housing areas in the country, in parts of Cheshire, North Lancashire and the central Lake District; and is also home to extensive neighbourhoods in the old industrial heartlands that have experienced abandonment and housing market failure (Source: The Future of the North West, 2010).
Housing density is highest in the south of the region (Greater Manchester and Merseyside) and lowest in the northern part (Cumbria and parts of Lancashire).
The average house price in the North West in 2008 varied by over 300%, from nearly £338,000 in the Central Lakes area to only £107,000 in Burnley/Pendle. Average prices were obviously much lower in 2001, but looking at changes across the 20012008 period there has been relatively little change in rankings, suggesting that these differences in prices are strongly entrenched (Source: Regional Strategy Housing Evidence Paper 2009).
House prices in the region are around 75% of the national average and the tenure mix is fairly close to the national average, with home ownership at 71% (2007) and social renting at a lower level than the other Northern regions. Looking at the region’s
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households, the average household size is 2.3 persons (and falling), and only 36% of households include children (Source: The Future of the North West 2010).
2.8.4
Housing affordability is a particular problem in the more rural parts of the region. In the most urbanised communities the ratio of average lower quartile house prices to average lower quartile earnings is 4.76, whereas in the most remote rural areas the ratio is 9.15 (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy Scoping Report 2009).
The North West has a relatively old dwelling stock in comparison with other regions. The average age of the stock (64 years in 2007) was ranked second after London, and was older than the averages for the North East or Yorkshire and the Humber (Source: Regional Strategy Housing Evidence Paper 2009).
A third of a million homes in the region have a Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) rating below 40% (Source: Sustainability Appraisal of Draft Regional Strategy SA of Draft Part 1 2009).
For further information on the current baseline see the North West Regional Research and 25 Intelligence Unit website . Useful papers include: Summary of Evidence Base (2010); Housing Evidence Base (2009) and Monthly Economic Summaries (2010).
What changes are expected over the next 20 years? 2.8.5
In the short term continued weakness in the housing market seems inevitable unless the current leap in unemployment is reversed. The underlying economic conditions for market recovery are not yet in place and until this occurs the market will remain vulnerable.
2.8.6
Over the next 25 years, three-quarters of net household growth in the North West is likely to comprise single-person households, with 60% of extra households represented by a member over the age of 65 years (Source: The Future of the North West 2010).
2.8.7
What are the key issues?
25
The ‘credit crunch’ and the subsequent economic recession have impacted seriously on new house-building, perhaps more seriously in the North West than in the south or Midlands. Retrenchment by investors has impacted particularly on this sector (Source: Regional Strategy Housing Evidence Paper 2009).
Housing supply - the region requires more homes to meet household growth, but the conditions for producing them are and will continue to be in the short-medium term, extremely challenging.
To reflect the region’s income profile, homes need to be provided across tenure types, and an increasing emphasis on renting (both social and private-sector) as well as intermediate tenures will be appropriate.
Housing quality - across the region there remain too many areas (such as parts of East Lancashire, Merseyside, Manchester and Salford) where the housing stock is unpopular, socially or physically obsolete and unable to meet the modern day needs of communities.
http://www.nwriu.co.uk/
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Greater emphasis needs to be placed on the targeted retrofitting of existing homes if longer-term carbon reduction targets are to be met.
Improving the quality of the residential offer, delivering a level of housing supply that meets demand and tackling the increasing problems of housing affordability and choice are therefore vital to securing the continued economic growth and competitiveness of the region.
How might ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ impact on this situation? 2.8.8
The supply and type of housing provided across the North West is a key issue in terms of promoting social, economic and environmental sustainability throughout the region. The housing market itself has a crucial role to play in encouraging and supporting economic growth. Without the right types of homes in the right places, the region will not be able to retain or attract residents and investors.
2.8.9
Two of the key challenges facing the North West relate to housing quality and increasing the supply of affordable housing. The implementation of Objectives 4a, and 1c will help to provide everyone in the region with the opportunity of living in a decent and affordable home. This in turn will help to reduce social inequalities within the region.
2.8.10
Objective 4a encourages the strategic release of housing sites in a phased way (including brownfield land); this will help ensure the efficient use of land for housing in the region and will provide the conditions for the phased development of new infrastructure to accompany housing growth.
2.8.11
Objective 1c encourages retrofitting of existing housing, this is likely to have a positive impact on the region meeting long term carbon reduction targets.
2.8.12
Overall ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ will have a positive impact on developing balanced housing markets in the region through promoting a mix of tenure and type to meet the needs of new and existing residents. This includes improving the existing housing stock, as well as new and specialist housing. The strong focus on addressing the housing needs of rural areas in Objective 4a is commended.
2.8.13
A key Government objective is providing decent homes for all. For Gypsies and Travellers this means ensuring that sufficient, suitable pitch and plot provision is made throughout the region to meet the needs of these communities. Whilst there is no longer any need to provide pitch or plot provision targets at a regional level, recognition that pitch and plot provision is a housing issue in the region should be made.
Recommendations to improve ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’
Objective 4a should encourage the identification of sites (with suitable pitch and plot provision) for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople, which support the development of inclusive mixed communities and where they have access to facilities and services such as health care and schools.
There should continue to be a focus in areas of most need – to focus effort and investment (public and private) on the full range of activities need to create sustainable communities, i.e. not just housing. This targeting of effort should address areas most likely to benefit (change for the better) as a result of such investment. Consideration
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should be given to identifying the specific areas in the region which should be targeted for regeneration activity, based on the evidence base and expanding on the limited focus on housing issues in Section 3.
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2.9
Land (including waste) and water resources
2.9.1
In the UK, access to clean water is generally taken for granted, yet large quantities are used for domestic purposes, for cooling, rinsing and cleaning in industry, and for irrigation in agriculture. Such activities place a heavy burden on water resources in terms of both quality and quantity. Water resources include precipitation, surface water (lakes, rivers, etc.), soil (near-surface) water and groundwater.
2.9.2
Water is an essential resource in supporting biodiversity, recreation and economic opportunities. Effective planning and management of water resources is essential now and in the future if sustainable development is to be ensured.
2.9.3
The use of land resources is a key component of sustainable development. Geodiversity is the variety of rocks, fossils, minerals, landforms and soils, along with the natural processes that shape the landscape. Land resources in this context also includes the production of waste and its disposal.
What is the current situation (baseline) in the North West? 2.9.4
2.9.5
The Environment Evidence Base (RS2010) prepared by the NWDA provides the most up to date baseline information for the North West in relation to land and water resources 26 . The key baseline information in relation to land resources is:
Within the North West, agricultural land covers the majority of the region. 80% of this is graded agricultural land whilst the remaining land is urban and non-agricultural (20%). The quality of agricultural land within the North West varies. Of the total landmass in the region, 31% is grade 3 and 25% is grade 5 agricultural land (on a grading system where 1 is the most and 5 is the least versatile for long-term use). Livestock dominates the agricultural landscape in much of the region, and as such the agricultural land area is predominantly grassland (87%) (Source: Re-engaging with the Land – Our Most Precious Assist 2008).
The Northwest has four major, linked areas of Green Belt - in Greater Manchester, Merseyside, North Cheshire and Lancashire - plus one in South Cheshire, which is, in effect, part of the North Staffordshire Green Belt. Small but significant patches of green belt also exist on the Fylde Peninsula and in North Lancashire.
There are 187 SSSIs in the Northwest designated for their geodiversity features, with 89% in favourable or recovering condition
There are 11,606ha of Previously Developed Land in the Northwest, which is the greatest area in all of the English regions. The region is also home to a quarter of England’s derelict, underused and neglected land, 26,385ha in total (Source: Land Survey in the North West: 2002).
The key baseline information in relation to water resources in the North West is taken from the Environment Evidence Base (RS2010) prepared by the North West Regional Development Agency:
96% of the regions rivers have been rated ‘good’ or ‘fair’ in terms of chemical quality.
26 The Environment Evidence Base (RS2010) document was published in May 2009. Available at http://www.nwriu.co.uk/PDF/Environment.pdf. Accessed on 8th July 2010.
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2.9.6
The latest 'headline indicator' survey (2007) shows that Northwest chemical quality is now better than the average for England (based on rivers achieving a good or fair rating), but it is not as good for biological quality.
The number of pollution incidents to water has declined significantly across all categories since 2002. The Environment Agency deal with 884 fewer incidents to water in 2007 than in 2002.
32% of rivers in the region are classed as ‘good’ under the Water Framework Directive 27 . The target is for 36% of the region’s rivers to achieve ‘good’ status by 2015.
The key baseline in relation to waste management within the region is taken from the 4th Waste Management Report (March 2009) 28 :
2.9.7
Municipal waste arising for 2007/08 (at 4.0 m tonnes) shows a reduction in arisings that is well below the Regional Waste Strategy target for waste growth and is lower that the total arisings in 2003/04. This trend is in line with the national trend for England as a whole.
The region has not met the Regional Waste Strategy target for recovery of value, which includes recycling, composting and energy recovery from waste. The performance was well below the 2005 target of 40% and long lead times for delivery of new energy-fromwaste plants will mean that the 2010 target of 45% is likely to be missed.
Landfill remains the primary disposal method within the region, although disposal of non hazardous waste by landfill has decreased by 30% between years 2002/3 and 2006.
Around 50% of hazardous waste (367,271 tonnes) was dealt with within the region. A similar quantity (360 744 tonnes) were imported from other parts of the UK and managed within the North West.
For further information on the current baseline see the North West Regional Research and 29 Intelligence Unit website . Useful papers include: Summary of Evidence Base (2010); Reengaging with the Land – Our Most Precious Assist (2008); Environmental Considerations in Achieving Sustainable Economic Growth (2009) and Environment Evidence Base (2009).
What changes are expected over the next 20 years? 2.9.8
Current population in the North West is 6.9 million. Population projections for the region suggest that there will be an increase by 2030 to 7.6 million (an increase of 0.7 million
27
The European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD) seeks to provide for a more integrated approach to the planning and management of water and water-related issues, including flooding, water quality, abstraction, use, shape, and coastal zone management. The Water Framework Directive covers estuaries, coastal waters, groundwater and lakes as well as rivers.
28
th
The 4 Annual Waste Management document was prepared by 4NW and was published in March 2009. Available at http://81.29.86.172/~nwdatk99/toolkit/docs/22-nwra_1238757545_RTAB_Waste_Report_March_2009.pdf. Accessed on 8th July 2010. 29
http://www.nwriu.co.uk/
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people) 30 . This is likely to lead to an increase in the volume of waste produced in the region, which will increase the need to provide suitable waste management facilities to dispose of and recycle waste. The effects of climate change, especially flooding, are a particular threat to land resources (i.e. soils and geodiversity assets) within the region. Furthermore, if all previously developed land within the region is taken up for future development, then it is likely that land resources will come under pressure. 2.9.9
With better planning, design and management, there should be more opportunity for multifunctional spaces, for example: making use of roof space in urban areas for gardens; managing woodland for access, production, and carbon sequestration; improving access to farmed countryside to reduce the need for separate leisure areas; and the use of green spaces in and around towns and cities for food production, such as community allotments or orchards (Source: Re-engaging with the Land – Our Most Precious Assist 2008).
2.9.10
Land use could shift – for example rough grazing could be more intensively managed on the upland margins; some managed pasture areas in the lowlands could be used for arable production; and better arable land could be converted to field vegetable production (Source: Re-engaging with the Land – Our Most Precious Assist 2008).
2.9.11
The North West could have the potential to increase production of certain crops, which have become less viable in other areas due to climate change, for example potatoes, which may have a lower irrigation requirement in the North West than in the drier East of the country (Source: Re-engaging with the Land – Our Most Precious Assist 2008)
2.9.12
Population growth within the North West will increase the need for water within the Region. This will place additional pressure on water resources, which may be exacerbated by the predicted impacts of climate change and the reliance on rivers for water supply.
What are the key issues? 2.9.13
The SA Scoping Report of the Draft Regional Strategy (prepared in March 2009) summarises the key sustainability issues related to land and water resources. These are detailed below:
Much of the water supply for the North West comes from rivers and the region is therefore prone to water shortages when precipitation levels are low. Deficits in water resources are predicted in the north of the region by 2014 although future housing growth levels may be higher than those underpinning the predictions.
The capacity of and investment required in wastewater treatment infrastructure is a significant issue for the region’s ability to accommodate housing growth. There may be a need to develop an approach to clarify local capacity constraints around individual wastewater treatment works and drainage areas.
There are significant pressures to reduce the amount of waste generated and to improve its management in line with the waste hierarchy and sustainability principles, i.e. to increase its reuse, recycling and recovery and to reduce waste going to landfill, particularly biodegradable waste.
Research has indicated that land could and should be used better in future, whether it is being used for food production, urban development, recreation and amenity. There
30
Information on population projections for the North West are taken from the Summary of the Evidence Base (RS2010) (Assets, Opportunities and Issues) published in November 2009. Available from th http://www.nwriu.co.uk/PDF/Summary_of_the_Evidence_Base.pdf. Accessed on 9 July 2010.
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are large areas of wasted land – such as previously developed brownfield sites, poorly managed or underutilised woodland or agricultural land, parks and recreation areas that are seldom used, empty warehouses and office space (Source: Re-engaging with the Land – Our Most Precious Asset 2008).
There are potential constraints to development in the Liverpool-Manchester corridor as a result of contaminated land.
There will be a need to increase food production in the future in the region for many reasons. These include a growing world population (particularly in developing countries); reduced ability of many countries to produce food, particularly in Africa; production of certain crops may become displaced from areas less able to grow them; the need to be less reliant on imported foods (Source: Re-engaging with the Land – Our Most Precious Assist 2008).
Presently claims on available land from urban development, bio-energy cropping and recreational provision are directed towards land currently in use for agriculture in the region. The farming industry is central to our long-term food security and the sustainability of food production. There is a need to maintain and protect productive land capacity in the region.
How might ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ impact on this situation? Land Resources (including waste) 2.9.14
Although the need to ensure brownfield/previously developed land is prioritised for development within the North West is only mentioned briefly within the document, the overarching theme of directing development towards the main towns and cities in the region should ensure that development is focussed on brownfield/previously developed land. This will help to protect the high quality productive land within the region.
2.9.15
Section 3 of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ identifies the ‘international potential’ of the Liverpool-Manchester corridor for development. However in order for more difficult contaminated sites to be brought forward for development in this corridor, the development of greenfield sites and sites with low contamination will need to be controlled. ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ does currently does not acknowledge this constraint and would be improved with the inclusion of a reference to this effect.
2.9.16
The need to conserve and utilise soil and mineral resources is mentioned within the environmental limits section of ‘Future North West’. Although the issue of mineral extraction is dealt with as part of objective 1c, the document does not set out any measures to conserve and utilise soil resources within the region, especially in light of the increased need to retain productive soils for food security purposes.
2.9.17
Methods to ensure waste is managed sustainably are outlined within Objective 1c. The overall target of this section of the document is to achieve zero waste to landfill, which will have a positive impact on ensuring that waste is managed sustainably. The objective also sets out further measures that will help to ensure that waste production is minimised and reuse, recycling and recovery is increased. Furthermore, objective 1a highlights the potential for utilising energy from waste processes and objective 4d identifies the need to ensure there is sufficient waste water and sewerage infrastructure, which will contribute to this positive impact. However ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ does not identify any measures to ensure
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that the hazardous waste arising from economic activity in the region is managed sustainably within the region and this issue should be addressed.
Water 2.9.18
References to the need to protect water quality within the region are included across the document. Objective 2d sets out the need to promote and enhance the historic inland waterway network of inland docks and canals within the region and Objective 4e refers to the complementary role of blue infrastructure within the region in reinforcing the benefits of green infrastructure. Objectives 1c and 4a promote the efficient use of water resources by businesses and households within the region, although these references could be strengthened, given the critical constraints that the region is likely to come under in respect to water supply.
2.9.19
Whether the development proposed within ’Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ will have a detrimental impact on water quality within the region remains an unanswered question, which will need to be monitored over time.
Recommendations to improve ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’
Objective 4d: to address the issue of contaminated land, a new paragraph should be inserted to the introductory text on page 43 which reads: "The North West was at the forefront of the industrial revolution and to this day remains one of the UK’s major manufacturing centres. This past industrial activity means that contaminated land acts a development constraint in many areas of the region such as north Liverpool. Successful remediation of contaminated land is fundamental to improving the image of the region and also to ensuring that former industrial areas can contribute positively to economic growth and competitiveness of the region, attract investment, and where appropriate provide attractive sites for residential development. The development of greenfield sites should be controlled at the local authority level so as to encourage the remediation and subsequent development on contaminated sites."
Objective 4e: add a reference within the text and ‘focus for action’ that addresses the importance of protecting and conserving soil resources within the North West, particularly the role they play in maintaining food security.
Objective 1c: add a section to bullet point four within the ‘Focus for North West action’ that addresses the need to ensure that hazardous waste is managed sustainably within the region.
Objective 1c, ‘Focus for Action b), bullet point 2 – add a further sub-bullet point in relation to retrofitting of existing housing stock and business premises with water efficiency measures.
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2.10
Rural Areas
2.10.1
PPS 7 Sustainable Development in Rural Areas (2004) 31 defines rural areas as “country towns and villages, and the wider, largely undeveloped countryside, up to the fringes of larger urban areas”. While there are many different ways to define ‘rural’, the two principal statistical methods are the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) rural and urban area definition32 and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) rural and urban classification of Local Authority Districts and Unitary Authorities 33 .
2.10.2
The Rural Strategy 2004 34 identified three key priorities for sustainable rural communities:
2.10.3
Economic and social regeneration – supporting enterprise across rural England, but targeting greater resources at areas of greatest need.
Social justice for all – tackling rural social exclusion wherever it occurs and providing fair access to services and opportunities for all rural people.
Enhancing the value of our countryside – protecting the natural environment for this and future generations.
In the North West 80% of the land area is considered to be rural. Approximately 1.3 million people (around 20% of the population) live in rural areas and there are only two local authorities in the North West without any rural population; Liverpool and Blackpool (Source GONW). Figure 3 illustrates how the North West is divided into the six types of urban and rural area (as defined by Defra) (Source: State of the Rural North West, 2008).
31
Department for Communities and Local Government (2004) Planning Policy Statement 7: Sustainable Development in Rural Areas, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/pps7 [accessed 08/07/10]
32
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2009) Rural/Urban Definition, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.ons.gov.uk/search/index.html?newquery=rural+and+urban+area+definition+ [accessed 08/07/10]
33
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (2009) Defra Classification of Local Authority Districts and Unitary Authorities in England, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: www.defra.gov.uk/.../rural/.../rural.../LAClassifications-introguide.pdf [accessed 08/07/10] 34
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (2004) Rural Strategy, [Online] Available from World Wide Web:http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/policy/strategy.htm [accessed 08/07/10]
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Figure 3 Rural/Urban Communities in the Northwest (using Defra Definition) Â
Source: State of the Rural North West, 2008 http://www.gos.gov.uk/gonw/EnvironmentRural/RegionalRuralPolicy/StateoftheRuralNorthWest/
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Â
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What is the current situation (baseline) in the North West? 2.10.4
The clear message emerging from the recent evidence (State of the Rural North West, 2008 35 ) is that there is not one homogenous ‘Rural North West’. The picture is complicated, with economic, social and environmental performance varying considerably across rural areas within the region. Whilst many ‘Significant Rural’ districts (Defra terminology) make a notable contribution to the regional economy, some ‘Rural 80’ districts are lagging behind and residents are at risk of falling into (often working) poverty. Rural areas close to cities 36 tend to perform well in terms of earnings (due to the commuting effect), but the differential between resident and workplace earnings in these rural areas is huge compared to rural areas that are more self-contained 37 . Factors causing these differences include the nature and quality of jobs, the nature and competitiveness of businesses, commuting effects and access to markets – and these differences are often consistent with long-established specialisms and placespecific.
2.10.5
A overview of key messages emerging from the evidence base demonstrates the variations across different types of rural area. Rural Economic Performance
2.10.6
35
Rural areas in the North West generally out-perform urban areas in terms of many economic indicators. However there are some areas where performance lags behind regional averages, in particular the more remote rural local authorities. A summary of current economic performance is set out below. (Colours are to assist with comparisons. Green cells indicate that these local authority areas out-perform the regional average, orange cells where areas are approximately in line with the regional average, and red cells where areas are below the regional average.)
State of the Rural North West, SQW Consulting, 2008 http://www.gos.gov.uk/497468/docs/276882/Volume1 36
Examples of rural LADs close to cities include Macclesfield, Chester, Congleton and Ribble Valley
37
Examples of rural LADs which are considered more self-contained include South Lakeland, Crewe & Nantwich and Copeland.
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Table 2: Current Economic Performance in Rural Local Authorities, 2008 Area
NW average NW Urban average NW Rural average Significant rural Rural 50
Productivity GVA per person in employment
Earnings
% of full time jobs
Level 4 qualifics
VAT registration rates (% of stock)
4 year survival rate
Workplace based
Resident based
£31,754
£434
£433
76%
25%
10.2%
60%
£31,670
£420
£423
76%
24%
9.9%
59%
£32,075
£436
£469
71%
30%
8.2%
68%
£33,378
£436
£469
70-73%
31%
8.9%
66%
£33,034
£431
£463
N/A
30%
8.9%
65%
£437 £470 (£401 if (£454 if Rural 80 £29,630 61-69% 29% 7.1% excluding excluding Copeland) Copeland) Source: State of the Rural North West, 2008 http://www.gos.gov.uk/gonw/EnvironmentRural/RegionalRuralPolicy/StateoftheRuralNorthWest/
70%
Productivity (GVA per person in employment) in the rural North West is slightly higher than the regional average but there is considerable variation across different types of rural area, from £21,300 in Significant Rural Accessible Areas to £12,800 in Rural 80 Remote LADs. GVA growth in rural LADs is expected to grow more slowly than regional average through to 2016, and contribution to regional GVA is projected to fall.
In 2008, rural businesses generated £22.1b in economic output, accounting for 20.5% of the region’s total output. In comparison, rural areas account for only 19.5% of the region’s population and 20.3% of the region’s employment but 27% of the region’s businesses.
Of the £22.1b generated by the region’s rural businesses, just 2% was generated by the agricultural sector. Key sectors in rural areas are manufacturing (24.3%, compared to 18.6% for the region as a whole), distribution (15.8%, compared with 16.3% across the region), finance and business (22.6%, against 24.9% for the region), and other services (20.8%, compared to 23.8% for the region as a whole). Employment is concentrated in services, distribution/hotels, financial and business services and manufacturing businesses – a structure which is broadly similar to the North West average.
Farm incomes across the North West are below the national average, and have grown more slowly in recent years.
Tourism contributes around £2.6bn to the rural economy per annum, and tourists to the rural North West are likely to spend more than those in urban areas.
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Business
The rural North West has a higher share of micro-businesses (0-4 employees) than the regional average, particularly in Rural 80 LADs. Workers in the rural North West are much more likely to be self-employed.
VAT registration and deregistration rates are lower (as a proportion of business stock) in the rural North West (although this does not account for many businesses in rural areas which are below the VAT threshold), and businesses are more likely to survive than the regional average. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, adults in the rural North West are more likely to be in the process of trying to start a business.
ICT adoption rates by rural businesses are broadly similar to urban businesses, but rural firms are less intensive users of ICT and therefore do not use ICT applications to their maximum potential.
Skills
The rural North West has a highly skilled resident population. Around 33% of those of working age in 2006 had at least NVQ Level 4 qualifications - equivalent to education to degree level - across the rural North West, some 8pp above the region as a whole.
The occupational breakdown of the residents of the rural North West reflects this positive skills performance, with a high proportion of managerial and professional occupations amongst those living in rural areas of the region.
Engagement in work-based training across the rural North West in 2007 was above the regional average, yet broadly in line with the level across England as a whole. However, particularly in the most isolated and remote areas of the region (Rural 80 and Remote) participation in work-based training reduced dramatically between 2005 and 2007.
People and Jobs
The rural North West population (1.3 million) accounts for around one fifth of all residents in the North West. However, the 65+ age group is over-represented compared to England and the region, and the proportion broadly increases with increased levels of rurality and remoteness.
The data suggests that the rural North West is performing strongly in labour market terms with high levels of economic activity and employment. However, there are important differences across the area, with high levels of part-time and low knowledge based employment in sparsely populated areas.
Average earnings across rural LADs are also well above the regional average. However, there are major mismatches in residential and workplace earnings in accessible rural areas, compounded by high levels of out-commuting from these areas, of managers and professionals to urban employment centres.
Infrastructure
House prices in the rural North West are well above the regional average. Though reflective of the area as a desirable residential location, this has major affordability implications, especially in accessible rural areas.
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The rural North West has an under-representation of office space (with slow relative growth in floorspace over recent years) and over-representation of factory and warehouse space compared to the region as a whole, despite a broadly similar employment profile across the sectors. On average, rural premises are smaller than the North West average.
Quality of Life
Access to financial services, medical services and job centres has fallen between 2004 and 2007 – especially in sparse rural areas.
Fuel poverty is broadly similar to the regional average, but above the national average – and is particularly high in sparse villages.
On the whole, rural residents have better health than the regional average, and are more likely to exercise.
Environment
2.10.7
The rural North West has above average end user carbon emissions per capita, although this varies considerably across different types of rural area. This is predominantly driven by the sectoral distribution of the economy with high industrial usage, especially in the most rural areas.
Levels of waste are higher than the average (although again, this varies considerably across different types of rural area) – yet rural areas perform well in recycling rates. Rural areas are slightly more likely to use renewables and waste as fuels than the North West average – although the region as a whole performs poorly compared to the national average.
The rural North West contains a diverse natural environment, supporting both on-going land-based economic activity and is crucial for biodiversity and environmental protection. Significant woodland and important Sites of Special Scientific Interest are contained within its boundaries.
For further information on the current baseline see the North West Regional Research and 38 Intelligence Unit website . Useful papers include: State of the Rural North West, 2008; and State of Our Countryside Report, 2010.
What changes are expected over the next 20 years? 2.10.8
38
It is likely that rural areas will continue to grapple with the implications of an ageing population and outward migration of young people; financial and social exclusion in relation to accessibility to services; and the burden of managing the rural environment for environmental and social goods and services on which the urban population is reliant. A reduction in public sector spending and transport investment in the short term will exacerbate these conditions. The ability of local authorities to provide affordable housing will be a critical issue in retaining the viability of rural communities, as recently highlighted in the planning media by the National
http://www.nwriu.co.uk/
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Housing Federation (NHF), the National Farmers' Union (NFU) and the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs (NFYFC) 39 .
What are the key issues? 2.10.9
The North West’s rural areas are significant contributors to the regional economy. They generate a fifth of the region’s economic output and are home to over a quarter of the region’s businesses. Micro-businesses and homeworking are particularly important to rural economies, both for employment and rural community sustainability. This has knock-on implications for the ability of micro-businesses to participate in training, ensuring the effective use of ICT to enable productive homeworking, the carbon footprint of homeworkers, enabling business that wish to grow to do so, and challenges associated with selecting appropriate delivery mechanisms for business support (due to the volume and sparsity of micro-businesses in rural areas).
2.10.10
Rural areas are not homogeneous, with economic, social and environmental performance varying considerably across rural areas. Whilst many make a notable contribution to the regional economy, some are lagging behind and even in the more economically buoyant areas, people are at risk of financial and social exclusion. High differentials between workplace and resident earnings has implications, especially for housing affordability and the gap is often highest in accessible rural areas where there is a good deal of out-commuting. Those who work locally in these areas are at greater risk of (often hidden) financial and social exclusion (Source: RS2010 Part 1: Final Rural Proofing Report, 2009).
2.10.11
The rural population continues to age, with implications for housing supply and affordability. This puts increased pressure on local services to serve a population which already often experiences the greatest barriers to access, especially those services provided by the private sector and relating to financial services. This raises the need for alternative delivery mechanisms (such as taking services to users, users to services, or a mix of physical and virtual services).
2.10.12
40 Recent research has revealed that LGBT people in rural areas are particularly likely to face a lack of support services across many sectors; in voluntary sector support groups and in statutory sectors like education, employment, business support and health services. This isolation can be overcome through online support mechanisms, but isolation and lack of services is reinforcing outward migration from rural areas to urban areas and contributing to the decline of the region's rural areas.
2.10.13
The countryside is an attractive feature in its own right and contributes to the character of the region with a rich variety of landscapes and habitats for other species. It provides food and grazing, contributes to the tourist economy and is an important source of accessible open space for recreation and spiritual and physical wellbeing. There is a need to protect and conserve the countryside for its intrinsic value as well as for the social and environmental benefits it provides.
2.10.14
There is therefore a need to strengthen further the relationship between environmental assets, economic prospects and community sustainability and wellbeing, and enabling those who manage the assets (such as farmers) to realise an economic return which is more reflective of
39
http://www.planningresource.co.uk/bulletins/Planning-Resource-Daily-Bulletin/News/1015480/Young-farmers-priced-ruralcommunities/?DCMP=EMC-DailyBulletin Accessed 16 July 2010 40 Improving the Region's Knowledge Base on the LGB&T population in the North West Final Report to NWDA and partners, October 2009
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the true value (economic, social and environmental) of the asset.41 Climate change presents new opportunities for rural areas, with an associated need for training and flexibility in planning to enable rural areas to respond quickly and realise the economic benefits presented by these opportunities. 2.10.15
Agriculture and forestry are relatively small sectors in terms of regional economic output and employment, but are critical industries in rural areas for underpinning local economies and communities and for managing land-based assets for the economic, social and environmental benefits on which the whole region depends. The production of food is a key aspect of this, and is also important for promoting more local supply to minimise food transport distances. The challenge is to improve the environmental sustainability in rural areas with high carbon footprints, without constraining economic growth, especially in Rural 80 districts where high CO2 emissions are driven largely by the current sectoral make-up of these areas. There is an inherent trade-off and tension apparent here (Source: RS2010 Part 1: Final Rural Proofing Report, 2009).
How might ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ impact on this situation? 2.10.16
The priorities for rural areas are to ensure ongoing growth in the rural economy, develop a skilled workforce and diversify the economic base in rural areas, while supporting sustainable farming and food and protecting and enhancing the quality of the rural environment. In addition, ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ must address the key issues of rural housing affordability, access to services and social exclusion, while recognising that rural areas are not homogeneous and the particular problems and solutions will vary across the region.
2.10.17
Most of these issues are now encapsulated in Section 3(i) or addressed elsewhere in the document. ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ makes a number of welcome references to sustainable rural communities, and while rural communities are not always explicitly identified, many of the effects of the document in rural areas will be positive.
2.10.18
In seeking to ensure that the region is better connected, including locally and digitally, ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ may help businesses in rural areas access markets; compete on a more equal footing with other areas; and diversify; and may help to improve access to learning opportunities, enabling greater adaptability in the rural workforce. The recent evidence suggests however (see baseline above), that rural firms do not use ICT applications to their maximum potential, and in light of this, ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ should provide more general support for small businesses, recognising their importance to the rural economy.
2.10.19
‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ explicitly seeks to address the housing needs of rural areas, including the provision of affordable homes, and ensuring that new housing is welllocated in relation to need, rural businesses, transport and services; which will contribute to promoting sustainable communities. The reference to the explicit need for more equitable access to services for rural communities is particularly welcomed.
2.10.20
‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ seeks to tackle social exclusion, deprivation, ill health and inequality, which will benefit rural communities, but most of the actions are around
41
State of the Rural North West 2008, SQW, September 2008
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increasing economic participation, which will do little to help the elderly who are overrepresented in the demography of rural areas. 2.10.21
The document still largely aims at addressing entrenched deprivation at an urban level, with a limited channelling of resources to rural areas where pockets of deprivation exist at an equal level of need. While this is understandable in a period of public fiscal austerity, it has the potential not only to widen the current inequalities but also to compound and reinforce the marginalisation of certain communities. The focusing of economic and regeneration activity in the region’s larger conurbations where deprivation is most evident may exclude those unable to access and therefore benefit from those opportunities, particularly isolated rural and coastal locations. Evidenced based support programmes must be sensitive to this issue.
2.10.22
‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ explicitly recognises that the region’s environmental assets support its economic and social goals and recognises the benefits of access to green spaces. One of the desired outcomes is to ensure the environment is protected and enhanced, which will help to safeguard the quality of the rural environment and to encourage prudent use of natural resources. The document also seeks to ensure infrastructure is provided to support the delivery of growth. However, it is likely that the growth envisaged by ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ will increase the demand for water, land and transport which will put pressure on available water, air quality and soil resources provided by rural areas. It will also place pressure on rural landscapes, particularly in the southern part of the region where growth will be focused and assets are already adversely affected.
Recommendations to improve ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’
Objective 3e – this section should make reference to the migration of young people from rural areas to urban, reflecting the lack of affordable housing, services and job opportunities.
Priority (i) in Section 3 ‘Priorities for Places’ recognises the contribution of the North West’s rural areas, including agriculture, food production and processing, tourism/recreation, and carbon storage, but should be expanded to include explicit reference to the importance of the renewable energy generation and forestry industries in rural areas, recognising that these industries help to sustain rural economies and contribute to management of the environment, as well as contributing to adaptation to climate change.
The references to food security in the strategy are welcomed, however ’Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ could give greater recognition to the importance of the region’s rural areas for food production in the context of the need to reduce the distance food travels and thus contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Objective 1b (c) encourage and promote behavioural change… this list should be expanded to include ‘food security’ – it is implicitly recognised within ‘natural systems’ but should be explicitly included.
Page 15 - Under outcomes for ‘releasing the potential of our people and tackle poverty’, include reference to addressing the unique circumstances and needs of deprived rural and coastal communities’
Objective 1(b) introductory text – the second paragraph highlights the extensive physical and emotional damage that floods can cause in local areas, this should be expanded to state ‘particularly in deprived or isolated rural and coastal communities’ to recognise the disproportionate affect of flooding in these areas.
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Objective 3(b) – introductory text, second paragraph – this paragraph makes reference to rural deprivation and identifies issues of access to services, lack of affordable housing and low household incomes. This should be expanded to include the impacts of an aging rural population and outward migration of young people as a result of lack of affordable housing and low household incomes, and what the subsequent implications will be for service provision and the rural labour pool.
Objective 3(d) – introductory text, final paragraph – relates to the social determinants of health. This section should be expanded to refer to the problems caused by inability to access health services, which are also a contributor to poor health – this is a particular issue for deprived rural communities and even more so, for elderly people within those communities.
Objective 3(e) – introductory text – this explains a number of the key demographic trends which have implications for the North West workforce and services. Outward migration of young people from rural areas and the rapidly aging rural population in some areas should also be identified as a key demographic issue in this section.
Objective 4(c) – introductory text – first paragraph on page 42, include additional text to the effect that: ‘In much of the countryside, its economic success will always be dependent on car and road based freight transport, which creates issues of inequality for those without ready access to private transport’.
Implementation Plan – Ensure evidence-based targeting of regeneration programmes is designed to reflect equitable opportunity for rural and urban communities.
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2.11
Transport and Air Quality
2.11.1
Investment in the transport network is essential for the region's economy to flourish and compete in the global marketplace. Good transport links aid the competitiveness of industry and commerce by attracting inward investment, ensuring goods and services are distributed efficiently and improving the commuting options for the region’s workers.
2.11.2
The effects on health of transport-related air pollution are among the leading concerns about transport. The increased intensity of private motorised transport has led to greater emissions of air pollutants and greater exposure of people to hazardous pollution that causes serious health problems.
2.11.3
In addition to impacts on human health, annual levels of nitrogen dioxide (mainly from traffic) and sulphur dioxide (mainly from industry) can impact on vegetation and ecosystems. Air pollutants can also lead to the soiling and corrosion of buildings.
What is the current situation (baseline) in the North West?
The region has a strong network of transport infrastructure including ports, airports, freight infrastructure, roads and railways. The North West’s transport infrastructure has been substantially upgraded over the last 30 years.
The region is served by Manchester, Blackpool and John Lennon Airports. Manchester Airport is the largest regional airport outside London and the South East and provides a wide range of internal and international services catering for around 20 million passengers per year. John Lennon Airport is one of the fastest growing airports in Europe and carries over 5 million passengers annually.
The North West has the highest trunk roads occupation of any region outside London (Source: High Speed Rail Evidence Review and Implications for the North West 2010).
The region has an extensive public transport network in many places, but there are a number of opportunities to improve the capacity and quality of mass transit, particularly in terms of enhancing accessibility to jobs. The regional rail network would benefit from better linkages between the city-regions, additional capacity at peak periods and investment in the Manchester Rail Hub (Source: North West Regional Economic Strategy 2006).
There have been significant improvements in air quality over the last ten years in the region. However road traffic remains a major source of carbon dioxide emissions and the region is currently over-reliant on the private vehicle.
The majority of urban areas in the region are covered by Air Quality Management Areas, which means that air quality objectives are not likely to be met in those areas, with particular issues around increasing traffic and congestion levels, nitrogen dioxide and particulates (Source: Environment Evidence Base Paper RS2010 2009).
In the Northwest the Environment Agency prosecutes around 35 companies each year. In 2007, there were 1774 incidents in total, 388 impacted on the air environment and of these 23 were serious (Source: Environment Evidence Base Paper RS2010 2009).
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2.11.4
For further information on the current baseline see the North West Regional Research and Intelligence Unit website 42 . Useful papers include: Summary of Evidence Base (2010); State of the Region Report (2009); Environmental Considerations in Achieving Sustainable Economic Growth Stage 2 Transport (2009) and Environment Evidence Base (2009).
What changes are expected over the next 20 years? 2.11.5
There are clear economic consequences of the congestion and capacity issues facing the region and given the scale of growth planned for the region, pressure on the transport network will increase significantly.
2.11.6
In a climate of reduced government funding the future of key transport proposals in the region such as the Mersey Gateway Project, High Speed Rail 2 and projects related to SuperPort remains uncertain.
2.11.7
In terms of air quality, higher temperatures experienced during the summer months as a result of a changing climate can be expected to amplify the negative effects of poor air quality. However, research 43 has suggested that background air quality across the UK can be expected to improve over the next 10-15 years, primarily as a result of tightening EU emission standards for cars and lorries and cleaner energy generation.
2.11.8
In the absence of a regional lobbying and coordination body, responsible authorities and agencies within the region will have to work harder to develop an integrated approach to cross boundary, sub-regional transport strategy and major transport projects which cross authority boundaries. Local Transport Plans will continue to have a significant positive impact on the development of sustainable transport methods across the region.
What are the key issues?
The need to develop a transport network which is carbon-efficient and resilient to the predicted extreme weather conditions arising from climate change; which connects the region internally and with the rest of the world; and to use existing infrastructure more effectively and efficiently in order to provide the conditions to support economic growth.
Growing congestion on the transport networks in parts of the region, such as links to and from and through the Manchester city region, Liverpool, Crewe, Warrington and Chester; and constraints in other places from poor connectivity, such as Cumbria.
The need to improve air quality (particularly a reduction in emissions of nitrogen oxide) in the region’s urban areas, where the majority of growth is to be concentrated; recognising in particular the link between poor air quality and health deprivation.
Reliance of the rural economy and communities on the road network, particularly in the context of the vulnerability of this network to climate change.
Regional Transport Objectives 2.11.9
Each region was asked by DfT to respond to ‘Delivering a Sustainable Transport System’ (2008) by identifying and prioritising challenges that will need to be overcome in order to
42
http://www.nwriu.co.uk/ Grice, S. et al (2006). Baseline projections of air quality in the UK for the 2006 review of the Air Quality Strategy, report to Defra et al [online] available at: http://www.airquality.co.uk/archive/reports/cat16/0604041040_baselineprojectionsreport5.pdf (accessed 07/10); 43
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achieve key economic, social and environmental goals. A refinement of the regional strategic priorities has led to the definition of seven North West regional challenges, as presented below:
Improving accessibility between areas of opportunity and areas of need, particularly the inner city areas of Manchester and Liverpool, and in Blackpool, Barrow and West Cumbria and Pennine Lancashire;
Securing a shift towards the use of more sustainable modes of transport;
Improving journey time reliability, tackle congestion and overcrowding in the region’s main transport corridors and particularly between the three City Regions;
Ensuring the transport infrastructure is sufficiently resilient to withstand external ‘shocks’, such as adverse weather conditions and terrorist attack;
Ensuring good levels of surface accessibility and interchange for journeys to, from and through the international, national and regional gateways;
Ensuring secure, safe and efficient access between key origins and destinations; and
Reducing the adverse impacts of transport on people and the environment (Source: High Speed Rail Evidence Review and Implications for the North West 2010).
How might ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ impact on this situation? 2.11.10
Targeting growth at existing centres will reduce the net distance that people in the region need to travel to access work, services and facilities, and thus will have benefits in terms of potentially reducing air pollution along the trunk road network. However, this approach will also often mean targeting growth to areas where there are existing problems of poor air quality, exacerbating these problems. Air quality may be compounded or worsened where increased housing density leads to more traffic and greater congestion on urban roads. Worsened air quality in city centres and along busy routes will impact upon public health and will have a disproportionate impact on the health of deprived inner city communities, who are already subject to the environmental ‘inequalities’ of inner city living.
2.11.11
‘Future North West’ does have a positive impact on air quality in some areas, mainly via indirect impacts. Objectives within the document set out the need to locate new development sustainably and promote public transport provision within the North West, which will have a positive impact on air quality. The promotion of renewable energy schemes as part of a low carbon economy is also likely to have a positive impact on air quality.
2.11.12
Objectives 1c and 4c seek to strengthen sustainable transport links within the region and support a modal shift (walking, cycling and the use of public transport). The implementation of these objectives will have a direct positive impact on reducing emissions and improving accessibility within the region and an indirect positive impact on improving health and wellbeing. The emphasis on changing travel behaviour in Objective 4c is commended. Behaviour change measures in the long term should help to address congestion and improve the efficiency of the highway network in the region.
2.11.13
Objectives 2c and 4c seek to improve the sustainable movement of people and goods in the region by maximising the benefits of its air, sea and rail freight connections. Key investments such as Liverpool Superport, High Speed 2, plans for further development of Manchester and
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Liverpool Airports as international hubs and improvement of interchange along the Manchester Ship Canal are critical to achieving improved connectivity. Investment in the region’s strategic transport infrastructure should help provide faster, more competitive and lower carbon logistics and strengthen the region’s national logistics role and international connectivity. Improved connectivity secured through these investments will provide wider economic benefits to the region and the UK as a whole (although these may come at the expense of desired environmental and social outcomes). 2.11.14
Improvements in strategic infrastructure including public transport will also have a positive impact on the capacity and efficiency of the North West’s transport infrastructure and will help accommodate the connected economic geography of Manchester and Liverpool, with overlapping labour and housing markets.
Recommendations to improve ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’
Objective 4c - seeks to improve internal connectivity in the region through improvements to sustainable transport infrastructure, which better connects opportunity and need. In order to maximise the benefits of Objective 4c, specific areas in need of improvements in connectivity such as Cumbria should be identified (informed by the evidence base). This could also be reflected in Section 3.
Objective 4c – Focus for Action (a) – Insert new bullet point at top of list: ‘Integrating land use and transport planning to reduce the need to travel’.
Air quality is identified as a key issue in the environmental limits section of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’. Therefore more emphasis should be placed in Objective 4c on the need to reduce emissions from transport, particularly in the urban areas of the region. Under bullet point two b) a new sub-bullet point should be added which reads “Reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions from transport, particularly in urban areas”.
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3
Conclusions and Recommendations
3.1.1
Chapter 2 provides a sustainability assessment of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’, setting out an analysis of the document according to a number of sustainability themes. Each of the sub-sections includes a number of specific recommendations which relate to that theme. In addition to these specific recommendations, there are also a number of general conclusions and recommendations arising from the analysis, which are presented in this chapter. These recommendations reflect the findings of the extensive evidence base that has been collated to support the document.
3.1.2
Economic and environmental resilience and responsiveness will be key to achieving the aspirations of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ - to ensure we can maintain food security and a consistent energy supply, remove the threat of water shortages, ensure local people have the skills to respond to economic opportunities and address health and social inequalities and ensure we actively deal with climate change.
3.1.3
Much of the development envisaged by ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ will be directed to the existing urban areas, which makes sense in terms of overall ‘sustainability’ but creates an inevitable tension in terms of the inequalities already experienced by people living in dense urban areas - poor air quality, restricted access to open space, poor neighbourhood amenity and congestion. There is no easy solution to this issue, although the impacts may be alleviated to some extent through strategic coordination of provision of green infrastructure, for example, and work is in hand to address this. Implementation arrangements in relation to green infrastructure will be critical to this.
3.1.4
Another tension inherent in the document is the gap between the aspirational themes of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ and the reality of life in the North West for the general populace, who may find little in the document which they feel is within their reach. This includes the emphasis placed on the specialist ‘knowledge economy’ skills and higher level education necessary to access the related economic opportunities in Theme 2, which is currently beyond the reach of most, for a multitude of structural reasons. ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities acknowledges and addresses these structural barriers in Theme 3, but the question remains as to whether the nominated economic drivers will have a sufficient multiplier effect to create the conditions for more widely accessible employment opportunities – this will only become apparent on implementation.
3.1.5
As with many of the sustainability issues topics identified in this report, it has been difficult to ascertain the extent to which the priorities for action will improve health and social inequalities in the region, especially given the complex interaction between the many broad determinants of health and social deprivation. Until implementation measures have been put in place and monitoring undertaken, this will remain an unknown. There is a similar concern with respect to the levels of growth which may be delivered and environmental limits in relation to water, soils, landscape and air.
3.1.6
Regional implementation of ‘environmental limits’, once these have been agreed and firmly articulated; will be key to ensuring ‘sustainable development’. For this reason the text on environmental limits should be given more prominence in the document, and if work progresses to identify limits in more detail, this work should be included in the final published draft.
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3.1.7
The spatial level at which delivery strategies will be prepared is likely to change over time although it is likely to involve cross-boundary working, perhaps at the city-region level. Notwithstanding this uncertainty, the ongoing governance of such areas should remain an important area of focus for strategy development and delivery – and common ground between private and public sectors. It is hoped that the implementation plan will add further detail and specificity in terms of scale, timeframes and implementing partners.
3.1.8
The implementation focus of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ has changed considerably since its conception, moving from an emphasis on public sector led initiatives to a heavy reliance on the private sector, and from a regional focus to a more localised one; in recognition that in a climate of drastically reduced public spending, the private sector will most certainly have an enhanced and leading role. This leads naturally to a focus on driving forward the economy, as without a healthy economy, the social and environmental aspirations of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ will be unattainable. Given the reliance placed on the private sector, corporate social responsibility will be key to the delivery of many of the outcomes of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’. This will need to be reflected in the governance arrangements involving public/private partnerships which will be articulated in the Implementation Plan.
3.1.9
Related to this is the need for the role of the individual, not just big businesses or the public sector, to be better defined - in terms of the step change which is needed to bring about climate change adaptation. Priorities for action currently focus on actions which businesses or agencies can take. The contributions of individuals or households, which have regional significance when these actions are combined, should also be addressed.
3.1.10
Section 3 ‘Priorities for Places’ – This section currently sits a little awkwardly with the rest of the document, which is about the region as a whole, and those high level issues which need to be addressed at the regional level. Better integration is needed between this section and the rest of the document, so that it ‘adds value’ to the previous text and identifies the strong need for spatial linkage between the cross-boundary LEP’s (e.g. across the city regions of Manchester and Liverpool) which might well emerge. The issues that are currently presented are somewhat one-sided, with little articulation of the social and environmental issues which each of the sub-regions is grappling with, or indeed, actions to address these.
3.1.11
The more detailed spatial nature of Section 3 also calls for a high level statement to be included in the document, to ensure all projects are subject to HRA and SA/SEA at the implementation stage, at the appropriate level. This recommendation has also been made by Natural England, and we welcome it.
3.1.12
As identified in the monitoring section of this report (section 5.2), more work is needed to flesh out targets and to identify indicators for monitoring which reflect the desired outcomes and monitor progress towards the objectives. Specific targets and appropriate indicators can be identified during preparation of the Implementation Plan and the spatial level at which these will be captured.
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3.2
Challenges encountered in undertaking the assessments
3.2.1
The constantly evolving nature of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’, and the major changes in approach, scope and influence of the document, over a short period of time, have created some challenges for the appraisal process. These have not been insurmountable, but have highlighted some key issues in relation to the findings, and a flexible and pragmatic approach to the appraisal has had to be adopted. Some of these challenges are identified briefly below, by way of explanation of the type of approach that has been adopted. Timetable and focus for ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’
3.2.2
‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ has been prepared under a hugely ambitious work programme and timetable, and the fact that this timetable has been adhered to is a credit to the hard work of everyone involved. However the restricted timeframes has meant that some assessment activities have been more challenging, in terms of the time available to inform and influence the many iterations of the document - including the number of additional iterations which were not envisaged at the commencement of the project. In some cases this has meant that stakeholders have had less input than would have been hoped for, particularly in relation to those assessments which rely on considerable stakeholder input and verification, namely EqIA, HIA, HRA and Rural Proofing. High Level Nature and Complexity of the Strategy
3.2.3
‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ provides high-level policy direction for the region. The detail in relation to how the priorities will be implemented is not yet in place, which makes it difficult to identify what the sustainability effects on the ground are likely to be. Even where specific themes and actions are identified, these are often expressed briefly and in general terms, and lack specificity about the scale of activity and how the actions will be delivered. This is to be expected as ’Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ covers a considerable number of important and interrelated issues, sets out proposals over a considerable timescale and geographical area; and lacks certainty about deliverability of some actions, reflecting the substantial restructuring which has recently been undertaken by central government and which is still evolving.
3.2.4
All of the above complications mean that while we have strived to identify the effects over the lifespan of ’Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’, and to identify differential spatial impacts where we are aware of them, it has not been possible to identify all of the more spatially specific or longer term effects, or to identify the effects on every equality group. For some issues, notably the effects on equality and diversity and to some extent health also, it will only be possible to identify the impact of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ through later monitoring and evaluation of interventions. We have therefore focused on a qualitative assessment, realising that it is not possible to understand the full scale or significance of every impact without detailed knowledge about implementation. This area might well be an ongoing thread to policy development and its implementation. Implementation and Mitigation
3.2.5
Great reliance is now placed on ‘corporate social responsibility’ to provide social and environmental goods in the short to medium term. This makes it much more difficult for the ‘sustainability’ assessor to propose appropriate mitigation measures to any level of detail, given the lack of enforceability of these recommendations. This means that some of the
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‘certainty’ that would normally be sought in appraising such a document cannot realistically be attained. Relationship with Other Plans and Strategies 3.2.6
Most of the proposals for action put forward by ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ will interact with other plans and processes outside the control of the document, especially given its non-statutory nature. This is further complicated by the fact that many of the effects of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ will be determined by changing local circumstances, in particular the precise location and how the strategy is interpreted and implemented through local policies and partnerships. For this reason, the sustainability assessment has not attempted to identify ‘combined effects with other plans or programmes’ which is usually undertaken as part of a Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulations Assessment or to be too specific about the probability of an effect occurring.
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4
What Happens Next?
4.1.1
‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ will be published for consultation for a period of two months in August/September, ahead of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review in the autumn.
4.1.2
The consultation responses received, alongside the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review and the recommendations of this Sustainability Assessment; will inform the final revisions of the document. The final version of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ will be published once the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review is known. This will be accompanied by a number of supporting documents, including a summary of the evidence base and an Implementation Plan, which will set out how ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ will be implemented by private, public and third sector partners. A document which sets out how the sustainability assessment work has informed the development of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ will also be prepared.
4.2
Monitoring the Success of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’
4.2.1
The ‘themes and objectives’ summary of the ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ (page 13-16) identifies each of the key framework themes, the desired outcomes, objectives and a number of aims/targets which are intended to check progress. The aims/targets in the current draft are at present quite limited, and fail to capture the full range of issues and desired outcomes which are addressed under each of the four framework themes.
4.2.2
More work is needed to flesh out these targets and to identify indicators for monitoring which reflect the desired outcomes and monitor progress towards the objectives. This requirement is acknowledged and will take place once the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review is known. At this stage it is expected that ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ will be revised and the Implementation Plan drawn up. Specific targets and appropriate indicators can be identified as part of this exercise. Indicators for which data is already being collected will be the most obvious choice for this purpose.
4.2.3
It has been noted by Natural England that there are currently no monitoring targets relating directly to biodiversity. In line with their recommendation, it is suggested that 'improve condition of SSSIs' is recognised as a target that is monitored, rather than just an indicator that is tracked. Also noted in the Biodiversity chapter, is the need for the potential impacts of renewable energy targets to be updated regularly, as this is an uncertain and fast-moving field with much ongoing research, monitoring and development.
4.2.4
It will also be important to identify during the Implementation Plan phase, who will take responsibility for not just delivery, but monitoring and reporting on progress and success of ’Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’. This may be a responsibility for Local Enterprise Partnerships, perhaps through a similar process to the Annual Monitoring Reports prepared for the outgoing Regional Strategies.
4.2.5
As the proposals for Local Enterprise Partnerships are clarified, we will be better placed to comment on the revised governance and delivery arrangements within the North West, and their relationship to development of strategies and delivery plans at this level. At the time of
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writing there is also uncertainty surrounding the degree to which Local Enterprise Partnerships will cooperate and work across wider boundaries within the North West but between for example, city regions.
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5
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Web: http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/Images/windenergy-consultation_tcm6-12082.pdf [accessed 12/07/10] North West Green Infrastructure Unit (2009) Green Infrastructure Prospectus, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.greeninfrastructurenw.co.uk/resources/Prospectus_V6.pdf [accessed 12/07/10] NWDA (2010) Atlantic Gateway, Accelerating Growth across the Manchester and Liverpool City Regions, Framework for a Global Growth Opportunity, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwda.co.uk/search-results.aspx?terms=atlantic%20gateway&btnSubmit=Go& [accessed 12/07/10] NWDA (2008) England's Northwest: Tourism Volume & Value 2008, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwriu.co.uk/research_and_intelligence/tourism/tourism_publications/tourism_volume__value.as px [accessed 12/07/10] NWDA (2005), Regional Economic Strategy, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwda.co.uk/publications/strategy/regional-economic-strategy-200.aspx [accessed 12/07/10] NWDA Regional Intelligence Unit (2009) Diversity and Difference in England’s North West, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwda.co.uk/media-library/publications/communities/diversityand-difference-2009.aspx [accessed 12/07/10] NWDA Regional Intelligence Unit (2009) Environmental Considerations in Achieving Sustainable Economic Growth Stage 2 Transport, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwriu.co.uk/research_and_intelligence/environment/environment_publications/environmental_c onsiderations.aspx [accessed 12/07/10] NWDA Regional Intelligence Unit (2009) State of the Region Report, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwriu.co.uk/research_and_intelligence/economy/economy_publications/state_of_the_region_re port.aspx [accessed 12/07/10] NWDA Regional Intelligence Unit (2008) State of the Rural North West, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwriu.co.uk/research_and_intelligence/economy/economy_publications/state_of_the_rural_nort hwest.aspx [accessed 12/07/10] NWDA Regional Intelligence Unit (2009) Faith in England’s North West: How Faith Communities Contribute to Social and Economic Wellbeing, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwda.co.uk/media-library/publications/communities/faith-in-england-northwest-oct.aspx [accessed 12/07/10] NWDA Regional Intelligence Unit (2009) Domestic Tourism North West Summary Report, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwriu.co.uk/research_and_intelligence/tourism/tourism_publications/domestic_tourism.aspx [accessed 12/07/10] NWDA Regional Intelligence Unit (2009) Environment Evidence Base, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwriu.co.uk/research_and_intelligence/environment/environment_publications/environment_evi dence_base.aspx [accessed 12/07/10] Sustainability Assessment: Future North West: Our Shared Priorities 74
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NWDA Regional Intelligence Unit (2009) Economic Impact of Further Education in the North West: A report to the NWDA’ [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwriu.co.uk/PDF/Final_report_June_revision.pdf [accessed 21/07/10] NWDA Regional Intelligence Unit (2009) Health and Wellbeing Evidence Base, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwriu.co.uk/research_and_intelligence/society/society_publications/health__wellbeing_evidenc e_ba.aspx [accessed 12/07/10] NWDA Regional Intelligence Unit (2009) Quality of Life Evidence Base, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwriu.co.uk/research_and_intelligence/society/society_publications/quality_of_life_evidence_ba se.aspx [accessed 12/07/10] NWDA Regional Intelligence Unit (2010) Local Employment Evidence Base, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwriu.co.uk/research_and_intelligence/economy/economy_publications/local_employment_evid ence_base.aspx [accessed 12/07/10] NWDA Regional Intelligence Unit (2010) Monthly Economic Summaries, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwriu.co.uk/research_and_intelligence/economy/economy_publications/monthly_economic_su mmaries.aspx [accessed 12/07/10] NWDA Regional Intelligence Unit (2010) NW Sector Detail and Geography, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwriu.co.uk/research_and_intelligence/economy/economy_publications/nw_sector_detail_and_ geography.aspx [accessed 12/07/10] NWDA Regional Intelligence Unit (2010) Regional Economic Performance Indicators, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwriu.co.uk/research_and_intelligence/economy/economy_publications/regional_economic_per formance.aspx [accessed 12/07/10] NWDA Regional Intelligence Unit (2010) Research into the Economic Participation and Inclusion of Disabled People in the North West, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwriu.co.uk/research_and_intelligence/society/society_publications/inclusion_of_disabled_peop le.aspx [accessed 12/07/10] NWDA Regional Intelligence Unit (2010) Local Employment Evidence Base, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwriu.co.uk/research_and_intelligence/economy/economy_publications/local_employment_evid ence_base.aspx [accessed 12/07/10] NWDA Regional Intelligence Unit (2010) State of the North West Economy Long Term Forecasts, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwriu.co.uk/about_us/working_with/regional_economic_forecasting.aspx [accessed 12/07/10] NWDA Regional Intelligence Unit (2010) Summary of Evidence Base, [Online] Available from World Wide Web: http://www.nwriu.co.uk/research_and_intelligence/economy/economy_publications/summary_of_evidence _base_2010.aspx [accessed 12/07/10]
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6
Appendix 1: Describing the Appraisals: SA, HRA, HIA, EqIA and Rural Proofing What is Sustainability Appraisal?
6.1.1
Sustainability appraisal (SA) aims to promote sustainable development through the integration of social, economic and environmental considerations into the preparation of plans, programmes and strategies. SA was a mandatory requirement for the preparation of Regional Strategies and their precursors, Regional Spatial Strategies and was subject to compliance with the requirements of EU Directive 2001/41, otherwise known as the Strategic Environmental Assessment (or SEA) Directive.
6.1.2
SA is an iterative process that identifies and reports on the likely significant economic, social and environmental implications of proposals, and the extent to which implementation of those proposals will achieve the identified objectives for sustainable development, which are particular to that programme or strategy. The aim of the SA is to influence and bring about positive change, and the SA must therefore be an integral part of the development of any plan, programme or strategy which is subject to such an appraisal.
6.1.3
Each SA must be tailored to the plan, programme or strategy in question, and based on a clear understanding of what constitutes sustainable development in that area, i.e. in the North West region. This is developed through a review, at the Scoping Stage, of the relevant policy context and identification of the baseline environmental, social and economic conditions in the region.
6.1.4
The requirements of SA are to:
6.1.5
take a long-term view of whether and how the area (i.e. the North West) is expected to develop;
provide a mechanism for ensuring that sustainability objectives are translated into sustainable policies;
reflect global, national, regional and local concerns; and
provide an audit trail of how the plan or strategy has been revised to take into account the findings of the appraisal.
Whilst it is no longer relevant to undertake a SA of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ which is compliant with the SEA Directive, the underlying principles and desired outcomes of such an appraisal remain relevant. Therefore, the above objectives provide the foundation for preparation of this Sustainability Assessment.
An Integrated Appraisal – HRA, EqIA, HIA and Rural Proofing 6.1.6
In addition to SA, the regional strategy appraisal process incorporated a number of complementary appraisals to be undertaken alongside, (and closely inform) the SA process. These appraisals addressed the specific themes of international nature conservation, health, equalities and rural issues, and included:
Habitats Regulations Assessment;
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6.1.7
Equalities Impact Assessment;
Health Impact Assessment; and
Rural Proofing.
Each of these appraisal processes has their own legal requirements and standards of good practice. In particular, HRA is governed by the requirements of Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and Wild Flora and Fauna (the ‘Habitats Directive’) 44 , which provides legal protection for habitats and species of European importance. There is a statutory requirement to undertake an Appropriate Assessment of land use plans, and the HRA is a rigorous test which a statutory land use plan at the regional level was required to pass.
What is Habitat Regulation Assessment? 6.1.8
The European Habitats Directive (European Communities, 1992) requires assessment of the possible effects of certain plans on the integrity of ‘European Sites’ before the plan is adopted. The overall process of determining whether a plan complies with the requirements of the Habitats Directive is referred to as ‘Habitats Regulations Assessment’ (HRA).
6.1.9
The aim of the Habitats Directive is to ensure the conservation of the key habitats and species found in Europe; principally through the identification, notification and protection of the best and most significant sites of biodiversity importance. These sites, known in the United Kingdom as ‘European sites’, make up the Natura 2000 network across Europe.
6.1.10
In the context of HRA, ‘European sites’ comprise:
Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSACs), for habitats;
Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and potential Special Protection Areas (pSPAs), for birds:
Sites designated under the Ramsar Convention as wetlands of international importance.
6.1.11
The purpose of HRA is to determine whether a proposed plan might have adverse effects on the integrity of any European Site, taking into account the reasons why the site was designated and its ‘conservation objectives’.
6.1.12
Article 6(3) of the Directive requires an assessment of the effects of any plan or project (which is not directly connected with, or necessary to, the management of a site). This assessment must consider effects of the plan itself and its possible effects in combination with other plans or projects. In the light of the conclusions of the assessment, the competent national authorities can agree to the plan or project only when they have ascertained that it will not
44
The Directive is transposed into English law through the Conservation of Habitats & Species Regulations 2010 (the ‘Habitats Regulations’).
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adversely affect the integrity of the site concerned and, if appropriate, after having obtained the opinion of the general public. 6.1.13
Article 6(4) of the Directive discusses alternative solutions, the test of ‘imperative reasons of overriding public interest’ (IROPI) and compensatory measures: “6(4) If, in spite of a negative assessment of the implications for the site and in the absence of alternative solutions, a plan or project must nevertheless be carried out for imperative reasons of overriding public interest, including those of social or economic nature, the Member State shall take all compensatory measures necessary to ensure that the overall coherence of Natura 2000 is protected. It shall inform the Commission of the compensatory measures adopted.”
What is Health Impact Assessment? 6.1.14
Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is a way of estimating the potential health impacts – positive and negative - of policies, programmes or projects. It also aims to improve the quality of public decision-making through recommendations to enhance predicted positive health impacts and to minimise negative ones.
6.1.15
HIA uses a broad social model of health based on the model below (supported by the World Health Organisation). It demonstrates that health is affected by a range of factors including individual genetic and lifestyle factors, improving access to services including health services, lifestyles, and socio-economic, cultural and environmental conditions, with 'social cohesion' playing a vital role particularly for vulnerable less well off communities. Figure 4: The Main Determinants of Health (Dahlgren and Whitehead, 1991)
6.1.16
The aim of the HIA was to identify and present the evidence gathered from a range of sources about the health and health inequalities issues that are priority concerns for the North West and its residents. It also sought to harness stakeholder and community views and support for RS2010.
6.1.17
Broad determinants of health that ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ has the potential to make an impact upon include housing conditions, employment opportunities, transport, access to services and environmental quality, as well as more general issues of social
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inclusion, community cohesion and overall quality of life. The purpose of the HIA was to ensure decision making considered the potential impacts of such decisions on health and health inequalities. It also identified actions to enhance positive effects and reduce or eliminate negative effects.
What is Equalities Impact Assessment? 6.1.18
An Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) is the process for ensuring that all functions, policies, programmes and projects consider the needs of different groups or communities. It provides a framework and the means for assessing and identifying the definite and/or probable impact on particular groups of people within the region.
6.1.19
Public sector organisations have a duty to promote equality of opportunity and tackle race, gender and disability discrimination. This duty is expanded through the NWDA’s Single Equality Scheme 2008-2011 to incorporate age, sexual orientation and faith. This extension of responsibilities reflects the anticipated provisions of the Equality Bill and the likely introduction of a single public duty to promote equality across all strands. The multi-layered nature of equality and diversity has close links with social exclusion and the unequal distribution of resources, both socially and economically.
6.1.20
The Government legislates for equality and against discrimination across the six equality ‘strands’: race, disability, gender (including transgender identity), sexual orientation, age and faith. Equality law applies in two main areas of relevance to the public sector: employment (from recruitment to exit, including vocational training) and the provision of goods, facilities and services (with the current exception of age). This means taking specific proactive steps to eliminate unlawful discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and promote good relations between different groups. Furthermore, public authorities have a positive duty to uphold the provisions of the Human Rights Act, whose fundamental principles include equality and fairness.
6.1.21
An EqIA was requested to review the development of RS2010 and to identify and suggest mitigations for likely negative impacts. These were highlighted and addressed through the early stages of drafting of RS2010 and through consultation with leading stakeholders representing the region’s equality and diversity organisations and groups.
What is Rural Proofing? 6.1.22
Rural proofing is based on a commitment by the Government to ensure that all its domestic policies take account of rural circumstances and needs. It is a process of assessing potential impacts of policies in rural areas, and is a mandatory part of the policy process for central government. The process applies to proposed legislation and to all other policies, programmes and initiatives.
6.1.23
The formal requirement to implement rural proofing also applies to regional Government Offices and can be used by other regional bodies and local authorities, although there is no formal requirement on these bodies.
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6.1.24
Rural proofing aims to encourage policy-makers to take account of the characteristics and needs of rural areas when making and implementing policies, ensuring services are delivered equitably to scattered rural populations and businesses, who have fewer transport options and where there are fewer services and facilities.
6.1.25
Each time a policy is developed and implemented, policy-makers should:
6.1.26
45

consider whether there will be different impacts in rural areas, because of particular rural circumstances or needs,

assess these impacts fully, if they are likely to be significant, and

adjust the policy, where appropriate, finding solutions to meet rural needs and circumstances.
The Rural Proofing of Part 1 of RS2010 was designed and undertaken in accordance with guidance on rural proofing published by the Commission for Rural Communities, in particular the Rural Proofing Checklist45. It was also designed to fit with the structure of the SA in order that it could contribute to and draw on SA findings, recommendations and outputs. The Rural Proofing therefore consisted of the three broad tasks, Scoping, Appraisal and Reporting, similar to SA.
http://ruralcommunities.gov.uk/2009/05/11/crc-97-rural-proofing-toolkit/
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7
Appendix 2: Preparing a Regional Strategy for the North West
7.1.1
In 2009, the Government adopted legislation to enable all regions to produce a Single Integrated Regional Strategy. The intention was that this single strategy would take forward the principles established in the regional Economic, Spatial and Housing strategies, replacing these strategies, but building on the learning gained during their development. ‘RS2010’ was to become the statutory land use document for the North West, setting out the strategic planning and investment framework for the region, to deliver sustainable economic growth to 2030 or thereabouts. Alongside a 20 year policy framework, the regional strategy was to provide a three to five year investment and implementation plan.
7.1.2
Work on the new North West strategy commenced in advance of the legislation. Although no formal guidance was given on format, the Government at the time indicated that they would be expecting a concise and succinct document, which covered the following key elements:
an overview of the key regional challenges;
how sustainable economic growth could best be delivered;
a distribution of increased housing supply figures consistent with the Government’s long term housing supply, affordability and quality targets;
how the region will tackle climate change;
areas within the region identified as priorities for regeneration, investment and intervention; and
strategic requirements and provision for transport, waste, water, minerals, culture, energy and environmental infrastructure.
7.1.3
Early work on RS2010 commenced with preparation of a ‘Principles and Issues’ paper which was published for public consultation in January 2009. Responses to this paper were analysed and reported in a Consultation Report (August 2009). The outcome of this consultation was agreement on the desired outcomes and values, as well as development of a comprehensive evidence base, identifying the key issues, challenges and opportunities that needed to be addressed. It also led to the development of a vision for the future, which was subsequently expanded on in the Part 1 consultation document. to live, learn, work, visit and invest’
7.1.4
RS2010 was to be structured in three parts:
7.1.5
Part 1 - an overarching vision and strategic priorities to guide the region in maximising the opportunities and addressing the challenges;
Part 2 - detailed policies and actions to make things happen;
An Implementation Framework - supporting both Part 1 and Part 2 by providing further information about how the region would give effect to the strategic objectives and policies.
In accordance with this proposed structure, a ‘Draft Part 1’ of RS2010 was prepared, in consultation with stakeholders. ‘Part 1: The High Level Strategic Framework’ was published
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for public consultation in January 2010. This document set out the context for development of RS2010, based on the identification of four key strands. The document also looked at spatial implications and presented four strategic options as the basis for discussion:
Option 1: Current position (‘business as usual’);
Option 2: Focus on economic opportunity;
Option 3: Focus on protecting environmental resources and taking full advantage of environmental opportunities;
Option 4: Focus on regeneration and development to tackle social deprivation and inclusion.
7.1.6
This consultation document was the subject of discussion at over 50 formal events, including five major sub-regional events; and written comments were also invited. Nearly 300 organisations responded, with around 5000 individual comments. These responses were analysed and the results of this analysis informed further development of RS2010. The consultation process has been documented in a Consultation Report (April 2010)
7.1.7
Following consultation on ‘Draft Part 1’, NWDA and 4NW agreed that a more integrated structure would better reflect the aspirations for an integrated strategy, and it was decided to combine Part 1 and Part 2 (to be developed), with the Implementation Framework sitting separately. This approach was endorsed by stakeholders (Regional Strategy Advisory Group) and work began on ‘fleshing out’ the Part 1 document in April 2010.
7.1.8
A number of iterations of RS2010 were prepared over the following months, with each draft subject to comments from the Regional Strategy Advisory Group and the consultants undertaking the sustainability appraisal work. Following the announcement of the new government, that regional strategies were to be abolished, the decision was taken to continue work and prepare a non-statutory document. This reflected the desire not to lose the momentum and excellent partnership working that had been established in the two year process to date.
‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ 7.1.9
The document which has emerged from the repositioning of the regional strategy process is tailored to respond to the circumstances in which it is being prepared. Recognising the reduced capacity of the public sector, it focuses on priorities and actions to support private sector investment in the region. The scope of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ is restricted to those issues which must be tackled at the regional level, or which have significance beyond the boundaries of individual local authorities.
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7.2
The Evidence Base for Developing ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’
7.2.1
A comprehensive evidence base has been developed over the past two years to support development of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’, with engagement from partners and stakeholders across the North West. The evidence base seeks to understand the connections and inter-relationships between economic growth, environmental limits and social welfare. The evidence base has been subject to an independent peer review and priorities and action areas are based on the findings of this evidence.
7.2.2
A Summary of the Evidence Base has been prepared (2010). This report summarises the evidence collected, explores the North West’s economy, environment, society and wellbeing, and how these ‘pillars of sustainable economic development’ are played out spatially across the region. An updated summary of the evidence base will be published alongside ’Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’. What are Environmental Limits?
7.2.3
The stated purpose of Regional Strategies was to promote “sustainable economic growth”, which was defined as ‘economic growth within environmental limits'. An environmental limit can be described as "the point or range of conditions beyond which the benefits derived from a natural resource system are judged unacceptable or insufficient" (Haines-Young et al., 46 2006 ). Another useful definition is environmental capacity which can be described as "the extent that a specific area can accommodate development without unacceptable harm" (adapted from Natural England, 2009 47 ). Both definitions suggest that identifying limits or capacity inevitably requires an element of judgement or valuation, i.e. as to when benefits are insufficient or harm is unacceptable. This is also acknowledged in the Government definition of ‘environmental limit’ which is defined as 'the level at which the environment is unable to accommodate a particular activity or rate of activities without sustaining unacceptable or irreversible change' (HM Government, 2005 48 ).
7.2.4
In line with the (then) legislative requirement, most UK regions have recently begun the process of exploring how environmental limits can be identified for their region. In the North West, this work has been undertaken by the Regional Environmental Evidence Group. In the North West work is underway to map the tensions and synergies around natural environmental assets, to build a picture that takes account of multiple limits. These limits will then be collated through development of “Pinch Points”, a methodology that assesses a range of risks or limits in a specific area. This work can be accessed via the Regional Intelligence Unit website: www.nwriu.com.
46
Haines-Young, R., M. Potschin and D. Cheshire (2006) Defining and Identifying Environmental Limits for Sustainable Development, report to Defra, http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/CEM/pdf/NR0102_FTR_Final.pdf 47
Natural England (2009c) Assessing the Environmental Capacity for On-Shore Wind Energy Development: Consultation on Proposed Approach to Natural England Guidance, http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/Images/windenergy-consultation_tcm612082.pdf 48
HM Government (2005) Securing the Future, Securing the future: The UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy, http://www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/publications/uk-strategy/index.htm
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7.3
Consultation and Engagement
7.3.1
The development of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ has been an iterative process, subject to on-going consultation and engagement with key stakeholders and the wider community. A number of avenues for engagement were established and these are discussed briefly below. Regional Strategy Advisory Group (RSAG)
7.3.2
4NW and NWDA have worked closely with a RSAG comprising nearly 60 organisations from the public, private and third sector, throughout the development of ’Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’. The terms of reference of this group were to:
work with the organisations they represent to build consensus in the region on the strategic focus and investment priorities for ’Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’;
develop thinking amongst the organisations that they represent to provide this input into ’Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’, and enable engagement with and debate on ’Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ as it is developed;
advise on existing priorities and current and changing circumstances in their own areas of expertise/special responsibility;
input into and agree a common evidence base for ’Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’, including exploring opportunities to identify and carry out analysis of data gaps; and
act as a two-way conduit of information sharing with the organisations they represent and other members of the RSAG.
SA Steering Group 7.3.3
To assist the SA process, a SA Steering Group was set up at the early stages of the project. The purpose of this group was to provide a consultation mechanism for the statutory consultees, and membership reflected the range of assessments being conducted. This group acted as a source of expert advice to the client and consultants throughout the process, ensuring that key stakeholders would have input to the appraisal process from start to finish. The initial Steering Group consisted of representatives from a wide range of organisations, including NWDA and 4NW, alongside GONW, Natural England, the Environment Agency, English Heritage, the Regional Public Health Observatory, the Sustainable Development Commission, Cumbria Vision, TUC and the Rural Strategy Group. After the RS2010 Part 1 consultation stage, it was considered that a steering group of this size was too large to be effective in the detailed discussions associated with developing Part 2, and the size of the group was reduced to a smaller working party of the key statutory consultees. This group met regularly to discuss the appraisal process and outcomes, with meetings of the wider group convened at key stages of preparation. Comment from ‘Cross-cutting Experts’
7.3.4
A number of policy experts were identified and asked to comment on the draft document, in order to identify issues and opportunities in their particular field of policy expertise that may not have been captured. The role of these experts was to inform and challenge the development of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’.
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Public Consultation 7.3.5
As outlined above, the development of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ has been subject to two major public consultation exercises. The first was held in early 2009, and centred on the ‘Principles and Issues’ consultation document. The purpose of this document was to elicit agreement on the underlying values and outcomes to be achieved, agree the main issues and shape the development of the document.
7.3.6
The second consultation was held in early 2010, and sought responses to a ‘Draft Part 1’ of RS2010. This document set out a high-level strategic framework of thematic and spatial priorities for the region and put forward a number of strategic options for consideration. A number of sub-regional consultation events were held to discuss the draft and to seek feedback.
7.3.7
The consultations responses received with respect to both documents were analysed and provided a key input to preparation work. Appraisal Workshops
7.3.8
A series of workshops with stakeholders were held in relation to the appraisal work. Details of these workshops are provided under the relevant appraisal streams, in the ‘work to date’ section of this report.
7.4
How does the recent appraisal work differ from formal Sustainability Appraisal?
7.4.1
On confirmation of the non-statutory status of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’, the decision was made to continue with the appraisal work, but to re-orientate this work so that it better suited the revised scope and influence of the document. The appraisal has continued in an iterative fashion, but this is now flexible and appropriate and proportionate to the status, scope and content of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’. The earlier appraisal work is described below.
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7.5
Work to date – the appraisal process so far…
7.5.1
The initial work programme and timetable (prior to the change in central government) for development of the document was as follows:
Table 3: Regional Strategy Preparation Process, with SA Stages Date
Regional Strategy processes
Appraisal processes
Oct-Dec 08
Collation of evidence base: partner research, forecasting, places. Preparation of Principles and Issues paper
Scoping work for SA, HRA, EqIA, HIA and rural proofing
Jan 09
Principles and Issues paper to NWDA/4NW Boards
Drafting SA Scoping Report Informal advice on Principles and Issues paper
Feb-Apr 09
12 weeks regional consultation on Principles and Issues paper to strengthen evidence further and vision development
5-week consultation on Scoping Report
Mar-Jul 09
Review of consultation and development of values and outcomes
SeptDec 09
Detailed strategy development with actions Development and consideration of options
Jan-Feb 10
8 weeks informal consultation on draft Part 1
Marsummer 10 Summer 10 Autumn 10 Autumn 10 – summer 11 Summer 11 Autumn
Re-draft and finalise Part 1 Drafting of Part 2 and Implementation Framework Formal public consultation on RS2010 (Part 1, Part 2 and Implementation Framework)
Appraisal of draft Part 1 and options: Sustainability Appraisal Habitats Regulations Assessment, including Screening and Appropriate Assessment Equalities Impact Assessment Health Impact Assessment Rural Proofing 8 weeks informal consultation on SA Report and reports of HRA, EqIA, HIA and rural proofing processes, with appraisal findings and recommendations Re-appraisal of revised Part 1 Appraisal of draft Part 2 (Task D2) Report of SA of RS2010 (Task C1)
Submission of Part 1 and Part 2 to Examination in Public
Examination in Public of RS2010 Revision of Part 1 and Part 2 in light of Panel Report Submit RS2010 to Secretary of State
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Date
Regional Strategy processes
Appraisal processes
11
Secretary of State considers further revision to RS2010 Final version of 2010 adopted by Secretary of State
by Secretary of State (Task D2)
End 11
Production of Post-Adoption Statement (Tasks D3 and E1)
7.5.2
The cells in the timetable shaded orange reflect those elements of the timetable which were not taken forward as originally envisaged. The revised timetable and process to date is set out in Table 5 below.
Table 4: ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities, with assessment stages Date
‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ processes
Marsummer 10
Re-drafting of document to integrate Part 1 and 2 Preparation of various iterations of the strategy and consultation with key stakeholders
June 10
Preparation of penultimate draft of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’
Informal comments on iterations of the draft document
Summer 10
Formal public consultation on RS2010
Publication of Sustainability Assessment
Autumn 10
Review of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ in light of Comprehensive Spending Review Publication of Final ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ and Implementation Plan
Appraisal processes Advice on timetabling and development of the Strategy Advice on developing and appraising strategic options / alternatives
7.5.3
The appraisal work was commissioned by NWDA in 2008 and work commenced in October 2008. At the time of commission, the legislation on Regional Strategies was in draft form and it was recognised that the process of both strategy development and appraisal needed to be flexible to accommodate changing circumstances.
7.5.4
It was envisaged that the SA, HRA, EqIA, HIA and rural proofing processes would each undertake iterative appraisals of RS2010 as it developed, feeding in findings and recommendations to the authors to ensure that the predicted impacts would be taken into account and RS2010 revised accordingly. The appraisals were undertaken by independent consultants (Bridge Economics, URSUS Consulting and Treweek Consultants), with advice, guidance, comment and specialist input provided by members of the SA Steering Group.
7.5.5
The appraisal work was initially commissioned as a straightforward four-stage process: scoping; appraisal and reporting (including an informal options stage); consultation; and finalisation. It became clearer as time progressed that the development and appraisal of the strategy would be more complex and require more time and resources than originally envisaged. By the time RS2010 Part 1 was under way, it was necessary to re-tender the SA
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work to allow for the significant revisions to the work programme. In February 2010 this work was re-let to a consortium of consultants led by Scott Wilson Ltd, in partnership with LevettTherivel and Treweek Environmental Consultants. 7.5.6
National guidance on regional strategies was published on 23 February 2010, and following discussions with CLG/BIS and the Regional Strategy Advisory Group (RSAG) the decision was made to revisit the original thinking that Part 1 would provide the frontpiece for a more detailed Part 2 and accompanying Implementation Framework. Instead, it was proposed to develop and deepen Section B ‘The Strategy’ of Part 1. This option was endorsed by the RSAG.
7.5.7
A number of iterations of RS2010 were then prepared, with feedback sought from RSAG and the sustainability consultants. Following the announcement of the new government in May 2010 that regional strategies would be abolished, the emphasis of the document changed considerably. The later iterations of the document were streamlined, with much of the detailed policy direction removed, (e.g. housing and employment targets) and a change in emphasis from draft ‘policies’ to ‘priorities for action’, reflecting the non-statutory status.
7.5.8
The following sub-sections provide more detail on how each of the appraisal strands fed into the development of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’ at each stage of the appraisal process.
7.6
The Scoping Stage
7.6.1
The scoping stage involved the collection of a wide range of baseline data covering economic, social and environmental issues, which was analysed to provide a picture of the current sustainability conditions in the North West region and to identify emerging trends where possible. This included a range of cross-tabulations to assess the key issues for rural areas.
7.6.2
Evidence papers produced by the Regional Intelligence Unit were among the sources used to collect baseline data. Wherever possible, scoping work undertaken for the SAs of the Regional Spatial Strategy and the Regional Economic Strategy was used.
7.6.3
In tandem with the baseline analysis, all relevant policies, plans and programmes were identified, in order to establish the policy framework with which RS2010 must conform or support. This work informed identification of a set of ‘key sustainability issues’ for the region. A chapter of the SA Scoping Report on the Rural Proofing process set out the key issues for the rural North West and proposed using the Commission for Rural Communities’ Rural Proofing 49 Checklist . This proposed methodology was later revised to include the North West Regional Rural Delivery Framework 50 .
7.6.4
On the basis of this review and analysis, a framework of 27 policy objectives was developed for the appraisal, supported by decision-making criteria in the form of key questions for each objective. These questions would be used to ‘interrogate’ proposals to:
49
50
ascertain whether and how specific sustainability issues were being addressed; and
understand the environmental, social and economic implications of proposals.
http://ruralcommunities.gov.uk/2009/05/11/crc-97-rural-proofing-toolkit/ http://www.gos.gov.uk/gonw/EnvironmentRural/RegionalRuralPolicy/
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7.6.5
The RS2010 Draft Part 1 was appraised against this Sustainability Appraisal Framework.
7.6.6
A Scoping Report was drafted in January 2009 and circulated to the SA Steering Group for comment. The Scoping Report (prepared by independent consultants Bridge Economic and URSUS Consulting Ltd) represented the first formal stage in the statutory SA process, and set out information about the nature and scope of the various forthcoming appraisals. The Scoping Report also set out the Sustainability Framework - a copy of this Framework is included in Appendix 3.
7.6.7
In response to the comments received, the draft SA Report was finalised and published for consultation to a selected list of key stakeholders between 18th March and 23rd April 2009. Following the feedback received, further scoping work was undertaken to ensure the relevant key issues and policies were reflected in the appraisal framework.
7.6.8
Scoping Papers were also prepared for the EqIA and HIA, which included summary overviews of the regional data. A rapid HIA Scoping Workshop for key stakeholders and the Investment for Health (I4H) Steering Group facilitated the HIA scoping process. Literature reviews were undertaken and evidence gathered from a wide range of stakeholders representing public, private and voluntary sector organisations; via meetings, an interview programme and questionnaires. A number of presentations were made to key organisations, including the North West Equality and Diversity Group and the North West BME Network Advisory Group.
7.6.9
The HRA process fed into the Scoping Stage of the SA. HRA evidence and comments were provided in the Scoping Report, including a list and description of European sites in and around the North West and the key issues to consider in the development of RS2010. Advice and support
7.6.10
To support the on-going development of RS2010, an informal SA was carried out on the Principles and Issues paper prior to its publication for consultation early in February 2009, so that sustainability issues could be fully taken into account in the consultation paper. A number of minor amendments were made to the Principles and Issues paper as a result, prior to its publication for consultation, and a formal response was made to the recommendations in late 2009.
7.6.11
In June 2009, the decision was made to split RS2010 into three components (Part 1, Part 2 and the Implementation Framework). At this time, an internal paper was produced with proposals for the approach to options development and appraisal. The consultant team reviewed this paper and provided comments and advice on the proposals, particularly with a view to ensuring compliance on SEA.
7.6.12
The consultants also provided key inputs to the RS2010 Project Plan, and provided advice on the DCLG Consultation Paper published in August 2009, on draft guidance on Regional Strategies.
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Stakeholder Engagement and Meetings 7.6.13
A number of meetings were held with the SA Steering Group during the Scoping Stage, to discuss the overall approach to the process, the draft Scoping Report, informal SA of Principles and Issues paper, and the future appraisal process, particularly options appraisal. Formal consultation on the Scoping Report took place between 18 March and 23 April 2009. Presentations on SA were also made to the NW Sustainable Development Group and Regional Strategy Advisory Group.
7.7
Appraisal of Draft Part 1
7.7.1
Appraisal of the RS2010 Draft Part 1 was carried out between September and December 2009. The appraisal was carried out in an iterative fashion, with outputs and recommendations from the HIA, EqIA, Rural Proofing and HRA experts provided at a number of stages during the drafting process. The process was undertaken in compliance with the requirements of the SEA Directive.
7.7.2
Drafting of the strategic options for Part 1 began in autumn 2009. An initial, informal appraisal was carried out on the emerging options and comments and recommendations provided.
7.7.3
A first draft of RS2010 Part 1 was prepared in November 2009, and an interim, informal appraisal of this draft was carried out, with details of the appraisal findings and recommendations on mitigation set out. Although an appraisal of the options was not required at this stage, the paper nevertheless provided advice on the options, particularly on SEA Directive compliance.
7.7.4
In early December 2009, the boards of NWDA and 4NW met to consider and approve the RS2010 Draft Part 1 consultation document, including the draft strategy and options. A full formal appraisal of the RS2010 Draft Part 1 and options was undertaken by the consultants at that stage, in order to provide input to the boards to inform their deliberations. The final Part 1 SA Report was prepared and finalised at the end of December 2009.
7.7.5
During the appraisal stage of the RS2010 Draft Part 1 document the HRA consultants undertook a critique of the Principles and Issues Paper, and responded with comments on the various working drafts of RS2010. In particular, pre-screening headline comments were provided for the Draft Strategic Options for the North West, issued on 23rd October 2009.
7.7.6
Following the receipt of the RS2010 Draft Part 1 strategy and options on 30th November 2009, the screening exercise (Stage 1 HRA) was undertaken between 5th December 2009 and 10th December 2009. It focused on the requirement to identify European sites which could be affected by implementation of the RS2010 Draft Part 1. The HRA screening exercise was reported in: 
7.7.7
TEC (2009) RS2010 Draft Part 1 Habitats Regulations Assessment, Draft Screening Report for Consultation.
The Stage 2 HRA was undertaken in late December 2009 and was reported in: 
TEC (2009) RS2010 Draft Part 1 Habitats Regulations Assessment Draft Interim Stage 2 Appropriate Assessment Report for Consultation
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7.7.8
During the appraisal stage of the Part 1 document the HIA and EqIA consultants undertook a critique of the Principles and Issues Paper and responded with comments on the various working drafts of RS2010. A Rapid HIA was also undertaken on the strategic options.
7.7.9
A series of HIA workshops were held across the region through the Sub Regional Public Health Networks and the Regional Black Minority Ethnic (BME) Advisory Group. A series of EQIA workshops were also held with public, private and voluntary sector representatives. These workshop sessions reviewed the Principles and Issues Paper and discussed the RS2010 Draft Part 1 document.
7.7.10
The final HIA and EqIA reports were submitted at the end of December 2009. Stakeholder Engagement and Meetings
7.7.11
During the RS2010 Draft Part 1 appraisal stage, a number of meetings were held with the SA Steering Group, Project Management Group and Regional Strategy Advisory Group to discuss the appraisal work programme and guidance to authors on developing options, the initial appraisal findings and draft full appraisal findings.
7.7.12
With respect to HRA issues, frequent engagement with Natural England (NE) and the Environment Agency (EA) was provided through the monthly SA Steering Group meeting. During the initial preparatory and evidence-collecting stages of the development of RS2010 and associated assessments, NE and EA were able to comment on the Principles and Issues Review and the Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report.
7.7.13
Informal meetings and correspondence was held with NE and EA during the period 30th November – 23rd December 2009, when the RS2010 Draft Part 1 options were made available. During this period NE and EA were able to provide initial comments on the HRA Screening Report along with guidance to direct the HRA Stage 2 assessment then underway.
7.7.14
Initial discussions and informal interviews regarding the HIA were undertaken with sub regional leads of the public health networks and the leads for smoking, alcohol, nutrition and physical activity.
7.7.15
The sub regional HIA workshops conducted as part of the consultation process yielded a large volume of stakeholder evidence, which was used to inform the development of the HIA. The focus of the workshops was addressing the 12 outcomes of RS2010 as they emerged from the Principles and Issues Paper.
7.7.16
A series of EQIA workshops were held with public, private and voluntary sector representatives to review the Principles and Issues Paper and to discuss the Part 1 document. These included workshops on Physical Regeneration, Housing, Transport and Infrastructure; Skills, Learning, Worklessness and Business and Enterprise Support; Climate Change, Environment and Natural Resources; and Nature of growth and the role of the public sector.
7.7.17
An independent HIA expert was also consulted throughout the process.
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7.8
Appraisal Work: Post Stage 1
7.8.1
Scott Wilson took over the appraisal commission in February 2010. The sub-section below briefly describes the non-statutory appraisal work that was undertaken in the period from March to July 2010, to support the emerging ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’. Advice and Support
7.8.2
The first task, post Part 1, was to review the appraisal work done to date, alongside the consultation responses received on the Appraisal Reports and RS2010 Draft Part 1 document. A revised timetable for RS2010 and the appraisal process was agreed. One of the concerns raised by stakeholders was that the scenarios put forward in the RS2010 Draft Part 1 document would not meet the requirements for formal SA/SEA of alternative options. As a result, the consultants prepared a series of briefing papers for the policy authors, to explain the role and key requirements of SA/SEA and HRA, particularly in terms of appraising options; and a workshop was held to discuss the legal requirements and nature of strategic alternative options.
7.8.3
Also important and the subject of much discussion at this point in the process, was the issue of ensuring a robust audit trail was established, to document how inputs from the appraisal process and consultation were informing and influencing development of RS2010. To assist with documenting this audit trail, the consultants prepared a policy development proforma. The proforma documented the policy development process at each key stage, demonstrating the evidence base behind the policy, consultation responses, comments from the various appraisal strands, and provided space for considering and responding to the detailed comments from the SA/SEA, HRA, EqIA, HIA and Rural Proofing assessments. Informal Assessment
7.8.4
A revised version of RS2010 called ‘1st Cut of Policies’ was prepared mid April and the appraisal consultants were asked to respond with informal comments. Written comments were prepared on this version (23/4/10) by each of the appraisal leads. A one day workshop was held for the policy writers; to discuss headline appraisal issues, and to ensure that the feedback process was interactive. The workshop was attended by key representatives from the consultancy team for each of the appraisal strands (HRA, EqIA, HIA, Rural Proofing, SA). This workshop session proved very effective as a means of influencing the development of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’.
7.8.5
By the date the workshop was held, a revised version of the 1st Cut of Policies had already been prepared, so these written comments were not circulated. Instead, written comments were provided on the revised version on 29th April 2010. A further version (‘First cut of RS2010 Policies & Actions – v3’) was prepared on 10th May 2010, and informal written comments were provided by each of the appraisal leads on this version by 19th May 2010.
7.8.6
Revisions to this document lead to the preparation of a document entitled ‘RS2010_1st Working Draft’ (prepared 27th May 2010). Informal comments on this version were provided by the SA lead only (6th June 2010). Refinements to this document were published as a 2nd Working Draft, entitled ‘England’s North West Beyond 2010: Our Priorities’ (11th June 2010) and informal comments on this version were provided by the SA and HRA lead by 17th June 2010. The penultimate draft was circulated on 25th June 2010 and entitled ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’. This draft has been subject to a full sustainability assessment,
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(note this is not a Sustainability Appraisal/Strategic Environmental Assessment) as documented in the next section of this report. Stakeholder Engagement and Meetings 7.8.7
During the informal appraisal stage, a number of meetings were held with the SA Steering Group, Project Management Group and Regional Strategy Advisory Group to discuss the appraisal work programme, EqIA and HIA, and changes to the appraisal process to reflect the non-statutory nature of ‘Future North West: Our Shared Priorities’.
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Appendix 3: Sustainability Appraisal Framework for RS2010
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