Sustainability Appraisal of the Sandwell Local Plan 2024-2041
5 SA methodology
The SA Framework
N54 Taking into consideration the key issues identified above, an SA Framework was established which includes SA Objectives, decision-making criteria and indicators. The SA Framework provides a way in which sustainability effects can be described, analysed and compared.
N55 SA Objectives and indicators can be revised as further baseline information is collected, and sustainability issues and challenges are identified, and are used in monitoring the implementation of the Plan.
N56 The full SA Framework used throughout the SA process including indicators is presented in Appendix B, with a summary of the 14 SA Objectives shown in Table N.3. It should be noted that the order of SA Objectives does not infer any prioritisation.
Table N.2: SA Framework summary
SA Objectives
Relevance to SEA Regulations - Schedule 2
1
Cultural heritage: Protect, enhance and manage sites, features and areas of archaeological, historical and cultural heritage importance.
Cultural heritage
2
Landscape: Protect, enhance and manage the character and appearance of the landscape and townscape, maintaining and strengthening local distinctiveness and sense of place.
Landscape, cultural heritage
3
Biodiversity, flora, fauna and geodiversity: Protect, enhance and manage biodiversity and geodiversity.
Biodiversity, flora and fauna
4
Climate change mitigation: Minimise Sandwell's contribution to climate change.
Climatic factors
5
Climate change adaptation: Plan for the anticipated levels of climate change.
Climatic factors, soil and water
6
Natural resources: Protect and conserve natural resources.
Soil, water and material assets
7
Pollution: Reduce air, soil, water and noise pollution.
Air, water, soil and human health
8
Waste: Reduce waste generation and disposal and achieve the sustainable management of waste.
Population and material assets
9
Transport and accessibility: Improve the efficiency of transport networks by increasing the proportion of travel by sustainable modes and by promoting policies which reduce the need to travel.
Climatic factors, population and material assets
10
Housing: Provide affordable, environmentally sound and good quality housing for all.
Population
11
Equality: Reduce poverty, crime and social deprivation and secure economic inclusion.
Population and human health
12
Health: Safeguard and improve community health, safety and wellbeing.
Human health and population
13
Economy: Develop a dynamic, diverse and knowledge-based economy that excels in innovation with higher value, lower impact activities.
Population and material assets
14
Education, skills and training: Raise educational attainment and develop and maintain a skilled workforce to support long-term competitiveness.
Population
Significant effects
N57 A single value from Table N.4 has been allocated to each SA Objective for each reasonable alternative. Justification for the classification of the impact for each SA objective is presented in an accompanying narrative assessment text for all reasonable alternatives that have been assessed through the SA process.
N58 The assessment of impacts and subsequent evaluation of significant effects is in accordance with Schedule 2 (6) of the SEA Regulations, where feasible, which states that the effects should include: "secondary, cumulative, synergistic, short, medium and long-term effects, permanent and temporary effects, positive and negative effects, cumulative and synergistic effects".
Table N.3: Guide to scoring significant effects
Significance
Definition (not necessarily exhaustive)
Major Negative
--
The size, nature and location of a development proposal will be likely to:
- Permanently degrade, diminish or destroy the integrity of a quality receptor, such as a feature of international, national or regional importance;
- Cause a very high-quality receptor to be permanently diminished;
- Be unable to be entirely mitigated;
- Be discordant with the existing setting; and/or
- Contribute to a cumulative significant effect.
Minor Negative
-
- The size, nature and location of development proposals will be likely to:
- Not quite fit into the existing location or with existing receptor qualities; and/or
- Affect undesignated yet recognised local receptors.
Negligible
0
Either no impacts are anticipated, or any impacts are anticipated to be negligible.
Uncertain
+/-
It is entirely uncertain whether impacts will be positive or adverse.
Minor Positive
+
The size, nature and location of a development proposal is likely to:
- Improve undesignated yet recognised receptor qualities at the local scale;
- Fit into, or with, the existing location and existing receptor qualities; and/or
- Enable the restoration of valued characteristic features.
Major Positive
++
The size, nature and location of a development proposal is likely to:
- Enhance and redefine the location in a positive manner, making a contribution at a national or international scale;
- Restore valued receptors which were degraded through previous uses; and/or
- Improve one or more key elements/features/characteristics of a receptor with recognised quality such as a specific international, national or regional designation.
- Limitations, assumptions and topic-specific methodologies applied in the SA are discussed in further detail within Chapter 4 of the Regulation 19 SA Report (Volume 2) and Appendix D (Volume 3).
