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;
- Stage 4: Sustainability Appraisal Post Examination Addendum (Part 1) (October 2023): to support the proposed changes to the Development Strategy in the new Local Plan, following receipt of the Inspectors Initial Findings Letter;
- Stage 5: Sustainability Appraisal (Part 2) for Main Modifications March 2025;
- New: Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Adopted Local Plan December 2025. This consists of the Sustainability Appraisal for the Submission Local Plan March 2022 and the Sustainability Addendum Part 3 – Main Modifications recommended by the Inspector October 2025.
The latest Sustainability Appraisal documents for the Adopted Local Plan December 2025 can be viewed below.
Previous versions of the Sustainability Appraisal can be viewed via the Core Documents list.