Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment

Sustainability Appraisal (SA) is a requirement of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, with Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) deriving from the European Union Directive 2001/42/EC. It is common practice in the UK to combine the two processes into one, which is referred to as an SA. This process incorporates the requirements of the SEA Directive.

The Council is required by law to produce an SA (incorporating SEA) for all of its Local Plan (2011-2028) documents except for the Statement of Community Involvement, the Authority Monitoring Report, Supplementary Planning Documents and the Local Development Scheme.

SA of the Development and Site Allocations Local Plan

Sustainability Appraisal has been undertaken throughout the preparation of the Development and Site Allocations (DaSA) Local Plan.

• DaSA Post Adoption SEA Statement (Jan 2020)
• DaSA SA Report Addendum (Jul 2019)
• DaSA (Proposed Submission) SA Main Document (Sep 2018)
• DaSA (Proposed Submission) SA Appendices 1, 2 & 5 (Sep 2018)
• DaSA (Proposed Submission) SA Appendices 3 & 4 (Sep 2018)
• DaSA (Options and Preferred Options) SA Main Document (Nov 2016)
• DaSA (Options and Preferred Options) SA Appendices 1 & 2 (Nov 2016)
• DaSA (Options and Preferred Options) SA Appendices 3 & 4 (Nov 2016)

An updated SA Scoping Report, built on and elaborating upon earlier SA Scoping information published to inform the Core Strategy, was published in August 2016. It followed a consultation with the Environment Agency, Historic England (formerly English Heritage) and Natural England.

An SA was published alongside the DaSA Local Plan Options and Preferred Options public consultation, which ran from 12 December 2016 to 20 February 2017. Comments were invited on this SA as part of the consultation and can be viewed on our consultations website.

An updated SA was published alongside the Proposed Submission version of the DaSA Local Plan. It reflected updates made to the DaSA since consultation on the ‘Options and Preferred Options’ document and effectively refines the earlier SA Report.

A Sustainability Appraisal Report Addendum was also produced alongside the Modifications to the Proposed Submission DaSA Local Plan. This SA Report presented information on the modifications compared to the Proposed Submission DaSA Local Plan Policies, informing the consultation and subsequent plan finalisation.

In accordance with Regulation 16 of the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004, the Council prepared a post-adoption SEA Statement for the DaSA.

SA of the Local Plan Core Strategy

Sustainability Appraisal has been undertaken throughout the preparation of the Core Strategy.

• Core Strategy Post Adoption SEA Statement (Oct 2014)
• Core Strategy (Main Modifications) SA Report to Full Council (Jul 2013)
• Core Strategy (Proposed Modifications) SA Report to Full Council (Jan 2013)
• Core Strategy (Proposed Submission inc. Focused Amendments) SA (Jun 2012)
• Core Strategy (Proposed Submission) SA (Aug 2011)
• Core Strategy (Proposed Submission) SA Non-Technical Summary (Aug 2011)
• Core Strategy Initial SA Report (Nov 2008)
• Core Strategy Initial SA Report Non-Technical Summary (Nov 2008)
• Local Development Framework SA Scoping Report (Jun 2008)

In support of the Core Strategy process beginning at that time, the first SA Scoping Report underwent statutory consultation in August 2006. This set out the context and objectives for the SA, collected baseline data and identified key issues / problems for the District and devised a Sustainability Appraisal Framework against which options and strategies can be tested. An updated revision of the Scoping Report was issued to the statutory consultees in December 2007 and this was approved in February 2008 and published in June 2008. In addition, it should be noted that the Core Strategy (Proposed Submission) SA (Aug 2011) updated many of the elements of the Scoping Report, including:

• Reviewing list of Relevant Policies, Plans, Strategies and Programmes (See Section 3 and Appendix 7 of August 2011 PSCS SA)
• Updated Baseline Information (Appendix 1)
• SA Framework (Appendix 2)
• Spatial Portrait (Section 3)

The SA of the Proposed Submission Core Strategy was published alongside the Core Strategy consultation in the 12 week period 19 August 2011 to 11 November 2011.

Comments were previously invited on the Initial SA Report which was made available alongside the Core Strategy ‘Consultation on Strategy Directions’ during the 12 week consultation period 7 November 2008 to 30 January 2009.

In June 2012, the Council published ‘focused amendments’ to the Core Strategy, which includes amendments to the SA. These were incorporated in the revised ‘Proposed Submission Core Strategy Sustainability Appraisal (incorporating the focused amendments)’ published in June 2012. In January 2013, a further ‘Sustainability Appraisal of the Council’s proposed modifications’ was undertaken.

Most recently, in July 2013 a ‘Sustainability Appraisal of the Council’s Proposed Revised Modifications’ was presented to Full Council. This supplements earlier SA’s and supports the Council’s proposed revised modifications to the Core Strategy’s housing provisions in particular.

In accordance with Regulation 16 of the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004, the Council prepared a post-adoption SEA Statement for the Core Strategy.