Planning Advisory Service issues guide on Sustainability Appraisal
The Planning Advisory Service (PAS) at the Local Government Association has published a guide to better Sustainability Appraisal, stressing that it must be "more than just a tick-box exercise".
The guide, which can be viewed here, covers.
- Introduction and background: including legislative requirements and legal challenges
- Good practice
- Choosing the resource model that works for you or 'who's going to do it?'
- Setting the assessment framework
- Integrating SA into plan-making
- Considering reasonable alternatives
- Assessing site allocations
- Monitoring outcomes
- Acknowledgements
- PAS plan-making resources
The PAS said: “Sustainability Appraisal (SA) is more than just a tick-box exercise - it should be an integral part of Local Plan preparation. SA provides the evidence to inform, and the framework to test and develop, options ultimately helping to deliver a more sustainable strategy.
"What's more, SA is a legal requirement and will be vital to demonstrating to the Inspector that your plan is ‘justified’ at Examination in Public.
“The aim of this guide is to provide tips and good practice to help LPAs working on Local Plans now to avoid duplication, speed up plan-making and make their Local Plan more accessible and transparent with a focus on good quality evidence.”
