First language not EnglishSustainability
Local Authorities are required to ensure that their plans and policies deliver sustainable communities. Two studies that assess policy impact are the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
The environmental objectives of the SEA have been combined into the wider scope of the SA. The SA for the Core Strategy (and other relevant planning documents from the LDF) examines policy impacts on the following themes:
| ECONOMIC | 1. Economic prosperity |
|---|---|
| 2.Town centre regeneration | |
| SOCIAL | 3. Community inclusiveness |
| 4. Community Cohesion | |
| 5. Accessibility | |
| 6. Population and human health | |
| ENVIRONMENTAL | 7. Biodiversity |
| 8. Water | |
| 9. Soil and use of previously developed land | |
| 10. Climate change vulnerability | |
| 11. Climate change adaptability | |
| 12. Air quality and transport | |
| 13. Resource efficiency | |
| 14. Cultural heritage | |
| 15. Landscape and townscape |
The combined SA/ SEA evolves in-line with the development of the LDF so that, for example, any issues raised from the Core Strategy Issues and Options paper can be attended to in the Core Strategy Preferred Options paper.
The SA and SEA both note potential mitigation measures for identified issues and require monitoring over time to ensure that policy is supporting the delivery of sustainable communities.
Impact Assessments can also help support the delivery of sustainable communities.
