Sustainability Appraisal
Sustainability Appraisal (SA) is a tool that helps to ensure that the spatial planning process and its policies and proposals make a positive contribution to sustainable development.
It involves developing a sound understanding of the environmental, social and economic characteristics and priorities of the area, and then ensuring that they are integrated into planning policies. The SA of Winchester LDF documents also incorporates the requirements of Strategic Environmental Assessment.
The way to carry out a sustainability appraisal has been set out by the Government and the first stage involves preparing a Scoping Report. The Scoping Report makes sure all locally relevant information is taken into account before the appraisal process begins and contains the following key elements:
- information on the existing economic, social and environmental characteristics of the District;
- a review of relevant plans and programmes which can influence decisions within the District;
- a sustainability framework for the assessment of emerging policies and proposals in the Core Strategy and other development plan developments as they are prepared
The Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report was published for public consultation during 2007. The responses received informed the final version of the Sustainability Appraisal framework which was agreed by the Council's Cabinet (LDF) Committee in December 2007. This framework is the tool against which emerging options, policies and proposals are assessed in a consistent and methodical manner.
The Core Strategy Issues and Options paper was published for consultation December 2007 - February 2008 and appraised using the approved framework (see Issues and Options appraisal below).
The results of the appraisal of the Issues and Options has subsequently informed the preparation of the actual policies that are now expressed in the Core Strategy Preferred Option to ensure that they promote sustainable development through the integration of environmental, social and economic considerations.
The Core Strategy Preferred Option has also been assessed against the framework, this includes a detailed appraisal of all the policies together with recommendations for enhancement and mitigation together with a compatibility analysis of the spatial vision and objectives.
The consultation period on the Sustainability Appraisal of the Core Strategy Preferred Option closed on the 3rd July 2009.
Habitat Regulations Appropriate Assessment
A screening assessment on the Preferred Option has been carried out under the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended). Please use this link to see a copy of the Habitats Regulations Screening Assessment of the Preferred Option.
