Local Development Framework - Sustainability Appraisal

Introduction

There is now an international commitment to achieving sustainable development, and this has been incorporated into laws, guidance and advice. One of the means by which sustainable development can be achieved is through the land-use planning process. In line with the new planning legislation, Local Development Frameworks (LDFs) are to be produced which contain plans, policies and guidance in relation to the type of development which can take place in an area. These plans and policies can help to achieve sustainable development if they are written to ensure that development meets the needs of people living and working in an area, whilst at the same time ensuring that it is developed in such a way as to protect the environment.

As economic, social and environmental needs are often conflicting, it can sometimes be hard to balance all these issues. In response the government has set out a requirement for a 'Sustainability Appraisal' of emerging Local Development Framework documents to be undertaken, to ensure that this balance of issues is achieved as far as possible.

In addition to the Government's requirement for a Sustainability Appraisal (SA), recent European Legislation also requires that an assessment of the environmental effects of certain plans and policies (including planning documents) is undertaken. There is a large amount of overlap between the European 'Strategic Environmental Assessment' (SEA) and the UK Sustainability Appraisal process, and they have therefore been combined into one process for the assessment of the emerging Tandridge District Local Development Framework.

Click on the following links for further information on the Local Development Framework and on Tomorrow's Tandridge.

Information on previous stages

Scoping Report

The Council undertook Stage 1 of the SA/SEA process and produced a Scoping Report. This set out the background situation in Tandridge in terms of the state of the environment and shows which other international, national, regional and local plans, policies and programmes will influence the preparation of the emerging LDF. It also set out a framework for carrying out the SA/SEA of the emerging Local Development Documents.

The Council issued the Scoping Report for consultation during March and April 2005, primarily with statutory bodies such as English Nature and the Environment Agency.The Scoping Report was amended in the light of the comments received.

Copies of the Final Scoping Report and appendices are attached below. The Scoping Report and Annexes are in pdf format and the file sizes are quite large and therefore may take some time to open (e.g Annex 1 PPP summaries 295kb and Annex 2 162kb)

Local Development Framework - SA Scoping Report
Local Development Framework - Annex 1 to SA Scoping Report
Local Development Framework SA Scoping Report Annex 1
Local Development Framework SA Scoping Report Annex 2
Local Development Framework SA Scoping Report Annex 3
Local Development Framework SA Scoping Report Annex 4
Local Development Framework SA Scoping Report Annex 5

Progress Reports

Sustainability Appraisals were carried out for the Core Strategy and the Affordable Housing issues and options papers. SA progress reports were published for consultation alongside the issues and options papers. The Progress Reports are available below. The Council also sought comments on these progress reports as part of the consultation on the Core Strategy and Affordable Housing issues and options papers.

Local Development Framework - Core Strategy SA Progress Report
Local Development Framework - Core Strategy Issues and Options SA Progress Report Annex 3

Local Development Framework - Affordable Housing DPD Sustainability Appraisal
Local Development Framework - SA of AH Issues and options Progress Report Annex 3

Preferred Options Stage

The Council undertook the Sustainability Appraisal of the Preferred Options. The Final Sustainability Appraisal Report (FSAR) on the Core Strategy Preferred Options and on the Affordable Housing Preferred Options presents information on the effects of the plan. The FSAR is available below.

All the main documents apart from the FSAR are available on the Tomorrow's Tandridge page.

Final Sustainability Appraisal Report

Appendix 1 Consultation Bodies

Appendix 2 Plans, Policies and Programmes

Appendix 3 Baseline Information

Appendix 4 Decision Aiding Questions

Appendix 5 Revisions to SA Framework

Appendix 6 Appraisal of Core Strategy Issues and Options

Appendix 7 Appraisal of Affordable Housing issues and options

Appendix 8 Core Strategy preferred options illustrative policies

Appendix 9 Affordable Housing preferred options illustrative policies

Appendix 10 Appraisal of Core Strategy preferred options

Appendix 11 Appraisal of Affordable Housing preferred options

Appropriate Assessment of Core Strategy

Submission Stage

A SA Update report was prepared to accompany the submission version of the Core Strategy.

Sustainability Appraisal Update