Sustainability Appraisal
A Sustainability Appraisal evaluates the social, economic, and environmental impacts of strategies and policies in a Local Plan to assess to what extent they align with sustainable development objectives.
In accordance with European and national legislation, the Council is required to carry out a Sustainability Appraisal (which also incorporates Strategic Environmental Assessment) for the new Local Plan.
Sustainability Appraisal recommendations have informed each stage in the production of the new Local Plan:
- Stage 1: to support the Issues and Options document 2017 – Scoping Report and an Interim Sustainability Appraisal;
- Stage 2: to support the Draft Local Plan 2019 -a full Sustainability Appraisal;
- Stage 3a: to support the Pre-Submission Local Plan 2021 – a full Sustainability Appraisal;
- Stage 3b: to support the Submission version of the Plan a full Sustainability Appraisal incorporating minor modifications.
- NEW – Sustainability Appraisal Post Examination Addendum (October 2023): to support the proposed changes to the Development Strategy in the new Local Plan, following receipt of the Inspectors Initial Findings Letter.
The Sustainability Appraisal supporting the Submission Local Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State for independent Examination along with the Submission Local Plan and other Submission Core Documents in November 2021.
Previous versions of Sustainability Appraisal can be viewed via the Core Documents list.
Following the Local Plan examination hearings and in response to the Inspector’s subsequent initial finding’s, a Sustainability Appraisal Post Examination Addendum (October 2023) has been produced.
The Sustainability Appraisal Addendum and the Sustainability Appraisal for the Submission Local Plan can be viewed below.