Sustainability Appraisal for Local Plans
Sustainability Appraisal for Local Plans Sustainability Appraisal (SA) is a mechanism for identifying, evaluating and communicating the likely significant effects of a Local Plan with a view to ensuring that the adopted plan maximises its contribution to sustainable development. SA incorporates the requirements of the EU Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive (2001/42/EC) and associated SEA Regulations. Whereas SEA focuses primarily on the environmental effects of a plan, SA encompasses economic, social and environmental impacts, i.e. the three ‘pillars’ of sustainable development.
SA is an iterative process that should be undertaken in parallel with plan-making and its findings should actively inform plan development. SA should focus in particular on identifying and evaluating the significant effects of ‘reasonable alternatives’. For Local Plans, reasonable alternatives can include different levels of new development (the question of how much?), options for the spatial distribution of new development (where?)
PLAN PROCESS
PLAN OUTPUT
and alternative approaches to managing the delivery of new development (by what means?). The identification and appraisal of reasonable alternatives is the heart of the plan-making process and a legal requirement under the SEA Regulations. We assist local planning authorities to identify reasonable alternatives as an integral part of our SA service.
SA PROCESS
SA OUTPUT
Scope the SA
Scoping Report
STAGE 1
Gather evidence
STAGE 2
Plan
Consultation documents?
Appraise ‘reasonable alternatives’
Interim SA Reports?
STAGE 3
Prepare the Draft Plan
Draft Plan
Appraise the Draft Plan
SA Report
STAGE 4
Finalise the Plan
Final Plan
Prepare ‘information on the decision’
SA Statement
WHY URS? URS is a leading provider of SA services. We have undertaken SA for Local Plans and constituent documents including core strategies, development management policies, site allocations, area action plans and supplementary planning documents. Our experience includes SA for minerals and waste development plan documents. We also have extensive experience in undertaking SA for ‘Main Modifications’ proposed by planning inspectors as well as appearing at examinations to support local planning authorities in responding to SArelated questions. Our SA services include undertaking the full SA process on behalf of local authorities or, alternatively, acting in a critical friend or review role. URS can also provide training and capacity building for officers in order to facilitate SA being undertaken in-house (we have run a series of training events on SA on behalf of the RTPI).
URS is a multidisciplinary consultancy and our SA practitioners are able to draw on the support of technical specialists from a wide range of disciplines. We also have extensive experience in other relevant assessment processes including Habitat Regulations Assessment, Equality Impact Assessment and Health Impact Assessment. Our support for plan-making also includes undertaking evidence base studies including strategic land availability assessments, employment land reviews, green infrastructure/open space studies, infrastructure delivery plans, strategic flood risk assessments, viability assessments and water cycle studies. URS has also been retained by the Planning Advisory Service since 2007 to advise local authorities on plan-making and our support currently focuses on plan viability and training for elected members. We are also part of the RTPI Planning Aid England/Locality led consortium commissioned by DCLG to provide support to neighbourhood groups, including in relation to SA.
OUR EXPERIENCE •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• ••
Adur Local Plan Amber Valley Local Plan Blackburn Local Plan Brentwood Local Plan Bromley Local Plan Bury Local Plan Cambridge City Local Plan Cotswold Local Plan Derby City Local Plan Part 1 (The Core Strategy) Derby and Derbyshire Waste Plan Derby and Derbyshire Minerals Plan Dover Core Strategy Dover Land Allocations Plan Dover Area Action Plan (Whitfield) East Hampshire Local Plan 1 East Hampshire Local Plan 2 (sites) East Hertfordshire Local Plan East Sussex Waste and Minerals Plan Eastleigh Local Plan Enfield Area Action Plan (Central Leeside) Epping Forest Local Plan Greater Manchester Waste DPD Guildford Local Plan Halton Local Plan (Core Strategy) Harborough Local Plan Harlow Local Plan Hastings Planning Strategy Hastings Development Management and Sites Plan
•• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• ••
Hounslow Local Plan Hull Area Action Plan (Kingswood) Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 1 Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2 (sites) Maidstone Local Plan North Northamptonshire Local Plan Northumberland Local Plan Greater Norwich Joint Core Strategy Rossendale Local Plan (Core Strategy) Sefton Local Plan Sevenoaks Allocations and Development Management Plan Shepway Core Strategy Solihull Core Strategy Solihull Gypsies and Travellers Plan South Downs National Park Local Plan Swale Local Plan 1 Swale Local Plan 2 (Gypsies & travellers) St Helens Local Plan Stroud Local Plan Sunderland Local Plan (Core Strategy) Thurrock Local Plan Vale of White Horse Local Plan 1 Waltham Forest Sites Plan Waltham Forest AAPs (x4) Waverley Local Plan Warrington Core Strategy West Lancashire Local Plan (Core Strategy)
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: North Anita Copplestone Principal Consultant Direct: +44 (0)161 237 6901 anita.copplestone@urs.com Midlands Paul Tomlinson Associate Director Direct: +44 (0)121 214 8211 paul.tomlinson@urs.com London, South and East of England Mark Fessey Principal Consultant Direct: +44 (0)20 7798 5175 mark.fessey@urs.com Wales and South West Alex White Associate Director Direct: +44 (0)117 917 1183 alex.white@urs.com
URS Corporation is a leading provider of engineering, construction and technical services for public agencies and private sector companies worldwide. We offer a full range of programme management; planning, design and engineering; systems engineering and technical assistance; information technology; construction and construction management; operations and maintenance; and decommissioning and closure services for federal, oil and gas, infrastructure, power and industrial projects.
URS CORPORATION (Europe, Middle East, China & India Operations) 6-8 Greencoat Place, London, SW1P 1PL United Kingdom
www.urs.com Š 2014 URS Corporation
MKB-06-0514