The purpose of sustainability appraisal is to appraise the social, environmental and economic effects of strategies and policies in a development plan document or supplementary planning document from the outset of the perperation process.
A sustainability appraisal ensures that decisions are made to accord with sustainable development. Being subject to a sustainability appraisal is one of the legal tests for a development plan document at independent examination.
The sustainability appraisal process incorporates a strategic environmental assessment in line with government guidance. This concentrates purely on the environmental impacts of a plan at a strategic level.
