DRAFT Sustainability Appraisal Report for the Emerging Local Plan ...

Section 1.
Section 1
Introduction to SA/SEA Report for the Local Plan
Purpose of this Document
1.1 This report forms part of the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment
(SEA) for Runnymede Borough Council’s (the Council) Local Plan (Local Plan) Preferred Options 2013 –
2026.
1.2 The Local Plan will replace the Council’s existing Local Plan (2001). Up until the summer of 2010, the
Council was preparing a Core Strategy to replace its existing Local Plan. However, the Governments
decision to revoke all Regional Plans including the South East Plan (SEP), introduce the Localism Act
(2011) and refine considerably all planning policy guidance in to the concise National Planning Policy
Framework (NPPF) has resulted in the Council moving towards the preparation of a new style Local
Plan. This new Local Plan will supersede and complement all work done to date on previous versions. It
also uses previous evidence, research and consultations undertaken on the Core Strategy to inform its
emerging policies. Conclusions reached as a result of these earlier assessments and appraisals are used
to inform this report. However, where conclusions no longer reflect current baseline or policy
conditions, they have been updated.
1.3 The requirements of Section 39 (2) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 made the
delivery of sustainable development central to the reform of the planning system. The purpose of SA,
which was made mandatory under S19(5) of the same 2004 Act, is intended to promote sustainable
development through the integration of social, environmental and economic considerations into the
preparation and revisions of Development Plan Documents (DPD) and Supplementary Planning
Documents (SPD).
1.4 Pursuant to Section 19(5) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, a SA must be carried out
during the plans preparation. In addition, there is also a requirement to carry out an SEA pursuant to
the Strategic Environmental Assessment Regulations (2004) ( 1)
(SEA Regulations). The SEA Regulations
transpose the requirements of the EU Directive 2001/42/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain
plans and programmes on the environment (SEA Directive) into national law.
1.5 PAS advises 2 that, PPS12 at paragraph 4.40 states: “Sustainability appraisal fully incorporates the
requirements of the European Directive on Strategic Environmental Assessment. Provided the
sustainability appraisal is carried out following the guidelines in the A Practical Guide to the Strategic
Environmental Assessment Directive and the Plan‐Making Manual there will be no need to carry out
a separate SEA.”
1.6 Government advice advocates integrating the SEA requirements into the SA as part of the plan
preparation process. In essence these statutory requirements are met in that the preparation of the SA
has occurred over two key stages between 2007 and 2012;
A number of Scoping Reports set out and updated the scope of the Sustainability Appraisal
(see Table 3 and Appendix 17); and,
the production of this Sustainability Appraisal Report. (SAR)
1.7 This SA Report (SAR) concludes the Government requirement for a SA and the corresponding
environmental report (ER) in respect of the SEA Regulations. It is published alongside the Council’s
Local Plan (Publication Draft Version) pursuant to Regulation 27 of the Town and Country Planning
(Local Development) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2008, and prior to submission for
examination by the Secretary of State’s appointed inspector.
1.8 The remainder of this section describes what is covered in the main body of this document.
Section 2
Legal and Statutory Requirements
1.9 This section describes the legal and statutory requirements impacting on the production of the
Council’s Local Plan. Ensuring that all legal and statutory requirements are addressed during the
production of this Local Plan is an important objective of the council. The main relevant legal
instruments are:
1 The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004, Statutory Instrument 2004 No. 1633, HM Government,
London.
2 Source: http://www.pas.gov.uk/pas/core/page.do?pageId=152497, Last accessed 26 Nov. 12
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