Sustainability Appraisals

What is a Sustainability Appraisal?

A sustainability appraisal (SA) is carried out on certain planning policies make sure they effectively balance economic, environmental and social matters.

SA also provides a powerful means of proving to decision makers, and the public, that a policy is the most appropriate given reasonable alternatives.

Under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 all Development Plan Documents have to have an SA carried out on them. The Council can also decide to carry out an SA for a Supplementary Planning Document if the Council thinks that is necessary, although it is not mandatory to do so.

Scoping Reports

A scoping report is produced before a sustainability appraisal. This report sets out the context and aims of the appraisal - i.e. what issues it should look at. These aims are then are publically consulted on for a period of up to 5 weeks to make sure all considerations are taken on board before writing the sustainability appraisal.