Sustainability Appraisal - Local Plan Preferred Approach

Natural England welcomes the production of the Sustainability Appraisal of the Local Plan Review policies. We support the inclusion of objectives on biodiversity, water quality, use of resources, landscape and best and most versatile agricultural land. However, an omission is the lack of an objective on access to the countryside for people's health and wellbeing.

Nevertheless, we welcome the fact that the SA has been used to direct the preferred approach to Option 1 (650 dwellings per annum) and the spatial strategy to Option 1a (focus on existing settlement hubs, but limiting development on the Manhood Peninsula). Natural England agrees that these are, overall, the most sustainable options, whilst recognising that no option is without environmental impacts.

Furthermore, the SA is very useful in assessing the broad range of potential impacts that the plan policies may have, and hence should direct the Council in devising suitable mitigation measures.