Local development framework

Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA)

What are Sustainability Appraisals?
Government legislation requires the City Council to carry out a Sustainability Appraisal (SA) of all documents which together make up the Local Development Framework (LDF).  The main role of SAs is to consider the performance of the LDF documents, against specific social, environmental and economic objectives drawn up by the Council.  They are used to assess the potential impacts of the various policy options and programmes on the social, environmental and economic characteristics of an area, and inform the choice of preferred options and the development of measures to mitigate any conflicting or negative effects identified from plan alternatives.

An initial sustainability appraisal has been undertaken for the Issues and Options for the Core Strategy.

Sustainability Appraisal (SA) of LDF Core Strategy Issues & Options document July 2007
Sustainability Appraisal (SA) Tables August 2007

Consultation on the Sustainability Appraisal
Consultation on this initial Sustainability Appraisal was carried out over a 6 week period from mid-September until Friday 26th October 2007.

How we reached this stage
The Draft Scoping Report sets out an evidence base and set of sustainability indicators from which the sustainability appraisal was derived.

Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report Schedule of Responses June 2007

This Draft Scoping Report was the first stage in the process of preparing the sustainability appraisal report, which is itself an iterative process that will guide and inform the emerging Core Strategy DPD of the LDF.  This report will be finalised by Autumn 2007.  The City Council is required to consult on the scope and level of detail of the environmental information proposed to be included in the Sustainability Appraisal report.

Appropriate Assessment
The Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, requires an Appropriate Assessment (AA) to be made of all strategic spatial plans and programmes that may affect European protected areas, which may be: Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for rare, vulnerable or migratory birds under the EU Birds Directive; Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for other flora, fauna and habitats of Community Interest under the EU Habitats Directive; and Ramsar sites which are wetlands of global importance, listed under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.

The Directive is now reinforced in the UK by the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c) (Amendment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007.  Although there are no above designated sites within the Westminster area, Richmond Park, Windsor Park and the Essex and Thames estuaries are within a 15 km radius.  It was therefore necessary to carry out the screening and scoping stages of an AA and consult on it prior to publishing the Preferred Options for the Core Strategy.

Appropriate Assessment, draft Table August 2007

Consultation on the Appropriate Assessment
Consultation on the AA was carried out for 5 weeks between Friday 14th September and Friday 19th October 2007.

Find out more
If you would like to find out more about the Sustainability Appraisal, Appropriate Assessment, Core Strategy, Issues and Options, or the overall LDF process please complete the online comments form:
Local Development Framework Enquiry form
Please also use this form if you would like to be included in our consultations database.

If you have any further queries or comments, please contact the LDF team by email:
Email: ldf@westminster.gov.uk

Telephone: 020 7641 2513

Alternatively you can;
Write to:
The LDF Team,
Core Strategy,
11th Floor City Hall,
64 Victoria Street,
London SW1E 6QP.