Sustainability Appraisal & HRA

Local Plan Review Ceased

Work on the Local Plan Review stopped in September 2019.  Instead, we are now preparing a new Local Plan to cover 2023-2040

'Sustainability' is about trying to ensure that the decisions we make today do not have too much negative impact on future generations. National planning policy promotes sustainable development.

As we go through the stages of preparing a new local plan, we are required by law to do a Sustainability Appraisal (SA) looking at how the different plan options at each stage affect sustainability, and how any negative effects can be minimised.

Linked with SA, there is a requirement to carry out a Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA), looking at the effects of policies and site allocations on specific nature conservation sites.

SA documents are immediately below; HRA documents are lower down this page.

 

LPR Sustainability Appraisal ('SA')

Preferred Options SA

The SA report looks at the likely economic, environmental and social effects of the Local Plan Review Preferred Options.

Issues and Options SA

We prepared a SA of the Local Plan Review Issues and Options documents in spring 2017.

SA Scoping Report

The 'scoping report' uses available evidence to identify the different 'sustainability issues' in the area, and the current state of play - or 'baseline' situation. It goes on to consider how we might address the various issues ('objectives'), and how we can measure progress ('indicators').  We prepared the West Lancs SA Scoping Report in autumn 2016.

 

LPR Habitats Regulations Assessment

In addition to the SA, we are also required to do a Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) to try and make sure that we cause minimum harm to important wildlife habitats. As with the SA, the HRA must be carried out at each stage of preparation of the Local Plan.

Preferred Options HRA

The 2018 HRA looks at the likely effects of the LPR Preferred Options policies and site allocations on designated nature conservation sites within and close to West Lancashire. It also includes an Appropriate Assessment of potential effects on designated sites of European nature conservation importance.

Issues and Options HRA

We undertook this assessment when preparing the LPR Issues and Options documents.