Sustainability Appraisal

The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires Local Development Frameworks to contribute towards the achievement of more sustainable development. The Sustainability Appraisal process has a key role to play in fulfilling this requirement, by ensuring that Sustainability issues are given full consideration in the preparation and adoption of plans.

European Directive 2001/42/EC requires a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for a wide range of plans and programmes, including Local Development Frameworks. The Directive requires that authorities must describe the baseline environment and links to other relevant plans and programmes, consider alternatives to their Plans, predict and mitigate the Plan's environmental effects and integrate the results in the decision-making process.

The procedures for SEA are similar to those for Sustainability Appraisal, but the focus is solely on environmental issues. To avoid unnecessary duplication and ensure an integrated approach to the plan making process, the former Office for the Deputy Prime Minister issued guidance to Planning Authorities, confirming that it is possible to satisfy both requirements through a single appraisal process.

The purpose of the Sustainability Appraisal process is to appraise the social, environmental and economic effects of a plan as it is developed – ensuring that the strategy and related policies contribute towards achieving sustainable development.

South Bucks Core Strategy
Sustainability Appraisal Report Addendum (2) (February 2011)
A Sustainability Appraisal Report was prepared to accompany publication of the Proposed Submission Core Strategy (March 2010).

During the Examination of the Core Strategy, the Council put forward further changes to the Core Strategy in two separate schedules. These further Proposed Changes were considered by the independent Inspector who presided over the Core Strategy Examination.

The Inspector published her Report on 31st January 2011. She found the Core Strategy to be ‘sound’, subject to a limited number of changes needed to meet legal and statutory requirements. These changes were listed in Appendix A of her Report. Importantly, the Inspector commented that none of these changes should materially alter the substance of the Plan and its policies, or undermine the sustainability appraisal and participatory processes undertaken. The Council concurs with this view, but for completeness, the Sustainability Appraisal Report Addendum (2) (downloadable below) briefly considers all of the changes listed in Appendix A of the Inspector’s Report - in terms of whether they have any significant sustainability implications that would alter the conclusions drawn in the Sustainability Appraisal Report on the Proposed Submission Core Strategy (March 2010).


Core Strategy: Submission
Sustainability AppraisalReport Addendum (July 2010)

A Sustainability Appraisal Report was prepared to accompany publication of the Proposed Submission Core Strategy (March 2010) (see below).

Representations were invited on the Proposed Submission Core Strategy (and the Sustainability Appraisal Report) for a six week period between 31st March and 12th May 2010.  A total of 62 representors made a total of 220 representations.  Officers have reviewed these representations and, in submitting the Core Strategy, have suggested some minor changes to the Core Policies and related supporting text.  The short Addendum Report (below) considers whether any of the suggested changes will have any significant sustainability implications that would alter the conclusions drawn in the Sustainability Appraisal Report on the Proposed Submission Core Strategy (March 2010).


Core Strategy: Proposed Submission
Sustainability Appraisal Report (March 2010)

Alongside the Proposed Submission Core Strategy (published 31st March 2010) the Council has produced a Sustainability Appraisal Report (March 2010), which summarises the sustainability appraisal process to date and reports upon the likely significant effects of the Proposed Submission Spatial Strategy and related Core Policies. The Sustainability Appraisal Report (March 2010) refers to other reports prepared as part of the Sustainability Appraisal process – available to download below. A non technical summary of the Sustainability Appraisal report March 2010 is also available.
 
Core Strategy: Emerging Approach -
Sustainability Appraisal Report (March 2009)

A Sustainability Appraisal Report was prepared to accompany the publication of the South Bucks Core Strategy: Emerging Approach consultation document (March 2009).

It summarised the principal Sustainability issues facing South Bucks District and the likely environmental, social and economic impacts of pursuing each of the four Strategic Spatial Scenarios outlined in the Core Strategy consultation document (March 2009). The emerging preferred Spatial Strategy is also appraised, and an assessment made of the three Strategic Sites - Wilton Park, Beaconsfield; Court Lane, Iver; and Mill Lane, Taplow.

Following the consultation on the Core Strategy Emerging Approach in March 2009, the Sustainability Appraisal Report has been amended to reflect the consultation comments received - in particular, those from Natural England and the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust. Deleted text is shown in strikethrough and additional text is highlighted in yellow.

Core Strategy: Preferred Options -
Sustainability Appraisal Report (July 2006)

A Sustainability Appraisal Report was prepared to support the Core Strategy - Preferred Options. The Report, together with the Core Strategy - Preferred Options document was subject to a six-week period of consultation, from 11 September to 23 October 2006.


Core Strategy: Issues and Options -
Sustainability Appraisal Report (December 2005)

An Initial Sustainability Appraisal Report was prepared and then published for consultation, alongside the Core Strategy - Issues and Options Paper.

Core Strategy: Scoping Report (May 2005)
At an early stage in the plan making process, South Bucks District Council prepared a Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report (May 2005). This identified links with other relevant plans, programmes and sustainability objectives (including the Community Strategy / Sustainable Communities Strategy), established the baseline conditions in South Bucks District (with reference to social, environmental and economic issues) and identified some of the main current and future sustainability issues to be addressed in the District. It also included a set of objectives and indicators, which have been used in subsequent stages of the process, to assess the sustainability merits of different strategy and policy options.

The Scoping Report was subject to stakeholder and public consultation in May 2005. In December 2007, all consultees were contacted again, asking whether there was any additional evidence or new issues they wanted to bring to the attention of the Council. Officers used the Scoping Report in deciding upon the main issues to be addressed in the South Bucks Core Strategy.