Sustainability Appraisal (SA) & Habitats Regulation’s Assessment (HRA)
'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 policy 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.
Sustainability Appraisal (SA)
The SA report looks at the likely economic, environmental and social effects of the Local Plan proposed policies.
SA Scoping Report
The first stage of SA is to do a 'scoping report'. This uses available evidence to highlight the different 'sustainability issues' in the area, and the current state of play - or 'baseline' situation. The report goes on to consider how we might address the various issues ('objectives'), and how we can measure progress ('indicators'). The Halton SA Scoping Report was prepared and consulted upon in Jan 2016.
Habitats Regulation’s Assessment (HRA)
The 2019 HRA looks at the likely effects of the DALP proposed policies and proposed site allocations on designated nature conservation sites within and close to Halton.