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Date: 29 August 2016

Per Tony Thomas


 Monica Patterson
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
(SERVICES FOR COMMUNITIES)
6 High Street
East Linton John Muir House
Haddington
EH40 3AB East Lothian
EH41 3HA
By email to: ' Tel 01620 827827
Fax 01620 824295
Dear Tony Thomas

The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland)


Regulations 2011: Screening opinion under Regulation 6: Proposed Residential
Development on Land at Saltcoats Field, Direlton.

I refer to planning application 16/00594/PM registered as a valid planning application on


27th July 2016. This letter constitutes a formal screening opinion on whether an
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required for proposed residential development at
land at Saltcoats Farm, Dirleton. It is my view that the proposed development is unlikely to
have significant effects on the environment to the extent that expert and detailed study
through EIA would be necessary to properly assess any effect. Therefore an EIA is not
required.

Reasoning:
The proposed development does not fall within Schedule 1 of the EIA Regulations and does
not therefore require mandatory EIA. The site is not within a ‘sensitive area’ as defined by
Regulation 2(1) but, as an urban development project where the area of the development
exceeds 0.5 hectare, it falls to be considered under Schedule 2 of the Regulations.

Accordingly the Council must reach a screening opinion and consider whether the proposed
development is likely to have a significant effect on the environment, taking into account the
selection criteria for screening Schedule 2 development, listed in Schedule 3 of the
Regulations. These include the characteristics of the development, the location of the
development and the characteristics of the potential impact.

I have assessed the likely impact of the development against the Schedule 3 criteria and the
guidance given in Planning Circular 3/2011, and the key environmental issues that have
been considered in reaching this screening opinion are as follows:

1. The landscape impact of new residential development in this location and on the
setting the conservation village of Gullane and its surrounding landscape;
2. The visual impact of development in this location on key views including from the
A198, John Muir Way and Sustrans cycle path;
3. The loss of prime agricultural land;
4. The impact of built development on the Firth of Forth SPA and on biodiversity sites in
the locality.


www.eastlothian.gov.uk
Having evaluated the potential significance of the likely environmental effects, I consider that
the proposed development, by virtue of its characteristics, location and characteristics is not
likely to have a significant environmental effect to the extent that an expert and detailed
study through EIA is needed to properly assess any effect. Whilst this screening opinion
concludes that EIA is not required, it is considered that the development would have visual
and landscape impacts that would need to be properly considered through a robust
and methodical Visual Impact Assessment. The methodology for the assessment should
be discussed with the Planning Authority. Furthermore it is the advice of the Council’s
Biodiversity Officer that due to the proximity of the site to the Firth of Forth Special Protection
Area the site should be screened for Habitats Regulation Assessment to ascertain whether
or not an appropriate assessment would be required for it. Taking into account the above, it
is therefore the opinion of East Lothian Council as planning authority that the proposed
development does not constitute ‘EIA development’ under the terms of the EIA
regulations.

You should bear in mind that the planning authority’s opinion on the likelihood of significant
environmental effects is reached only for the purpose of adopting this screening opinion
under the EIA regulations. This screening opinion is given without prejudice to any
subsequent consideration by the planning authority through the planning application process
of the impacts of the proposed development, and the authority’s assessment of the
acceptability or otherwise of the proposed development relative to development plan policy
and other material considerations.

Should you wish to discuss any of the above in more detail please contact Emma Taylor in
the first instance on

Yours sincerely,

p.p. Iain McFarlane


Policy & Projects Manager

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