Sustainability Appraisal

A sustainability appraisal (SA) identifies and evaluates the impact of a plan on the economy, community and environment. The SA is produced alongside the new plan and suggests ways to avoid or reduce any adverse impacts arising from the plan as well as maximising positive impacts. Undertaking a sustainability appraisal of the Local Plan is a statutory requirement of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

The Scoping Report is the first stage of producing the SA and has been prepared under a series of topic headings such as Landscape, Coast and Housing etc. Each topic provides baseline evidence on the current and future state of the National Park based on information from a range of plans, policies and programmes at a national, regional and local level – from European Directives to Parish Plans. This information helps to identify the key issues for the area under each topic and to establish the main sustainability objectives which will be used to appraise policy options as the plan is prepared.

Habitats Regulations Assessment

The purpose of the Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) is to ensure that the policies and proposals in the plan are fully assessed and do not have a significant effect on a European site – these are the Exmoor Heaths SAC (Special Area of Conservation) and the Exmoor & Quantock Oak Woods SAC. The HRA Scoping Report is the preliminary stage setting out an initial evaluation of the plan's likely effects on the SACs and the range of issues which need to be considered.

A consultation was undertaken on the draft SA and HRA Scoping Reports at the end of 2010 - the responses we received from consultees have informed the final Scoping Reports which are available to download below, together with subsequent SA and HRA reports for each stage of Local Plan preparation.