LDF impact
assessments
Development Plan Documents (DPDs)
and some Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) will be subject to
a number of statutory impact assessments. These will allow the
plan-making process to assess the environmental, economic and
social impacts of policies and will integrate sustainable
development considerations into the LDF.
Sustainability Appraisal (SA)
Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and Strategic Environment Assessment
(SEA) will be carried out for most Development Plan Documents (DPD)
and Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD) to be included in the
Local Development Framework (LDF).
Sustainability Appraisals are a requirement of the Planning and
Compulsory Purchase Act (2004). Strategic Environmental Assessments
are required by European Directive EC/2001/42 and in the UK by the
Environmental Assessment Regulations for Plans and Programmes (July
2004). Government guidance has merged these two processes to allow
for a single joint appraisal (SA/SEA) to be carried out. Details of
current SA/SEA consultations can be found on the
Current LDF Consultations page.
SA scoping reports
Scoping
reports comprise the first stage of the Sustainability Appraisal
process. Scoping reports aim to set out the parameters within which
the Sustainability Appraisal will be carried out and are published
at the beginning of the plan making process. Scoping Reports have
been developed for a number of DPDs and SPDs, details of which can
be found below.
SA of draft plans
Following the preparation of a Scoping Report a Sustainability
Appraisal is developed in conjunction with the DPD or SPD. This
report is subject to consultation alongside the DPD or SPD. The
purpose of the SA/SEA is to assess the likely environmental,
economic and social impact proposed by the DPD or SPD. A number of
SA/SEA reports have been developed for DPDs and SPDs and can be
found below.
Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA)
For certain
LDF documents it will be necessary to undertake a Habitats
Regulations Assessment (HRA). HRA is required by European Directive
92/43/EEC on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna
and Flora and in the UK by Conservation (Natural Habitats, &C)
(Amendment) (England and Wales) Regulations 1994 (as amended 2007).
The purpose of HRA is to assess the impact of plans on habitats and
species of European significance.
PPPS Sequential Test on flood risk
For certain LDF
documents it will be necessary to undertake a 'sequential test' of
flood risk, as required by Planning Policy Statement 25:
Development and Flood Risk (PPS25). The primary objective of PPS25
is to direct new development towards areas at the lowest
probability of flooding given the risks presented by developing on
vulnerable land and PPS25 sets out a sequential approach in order
to achieve this. Sequential tests will draw on evidence set out in
the
Strategic Flood Risk Assessment.
Equalities Impact Assessment (EQIA)
Certain LDF
documents will be subject to Equalities Impact Assessment (EQIA).
EQIA seeks to assess the impact of plans on specific groups in the
community. The EQIAs process requires that effective consultation
be undertaken with specific groups so that policies address
equality issues.
Documents
Impact
assessments (including SA scoping reports) undertaken for LDF
documents are available via the relevant pages
below:
In addition, the following Scoping Reports have been produced: