Sustainability of local development documents

16 – 17 October 2006

Background

Sustainable development is central to the reformed planning system in England. Under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, Sustainability Appraisal is mandatory for Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) revisions and for new or revised Local Development Documents (LDDs) which includes Development Plan Documents (DPDs) and Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs). The purpose of Sustainability Appraisal is to promote sustainable development through the integration of social, environmental and economic considerations into the preparation of revisions of Regional Spatial Stategies and for new or revised DPDs and SPDs.

When preparing RSS revisions or new and revised DPDs and SPDs, Regional Planning Bodies and Local Planning Authorities must also comply with the requirements of European Directive 2001/42/EC "on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment" (the Strategic Environmental Assessment or 'SEA Directive').

The Sustainability Appraisal and SEA Directive requirements have major implications for those involved in plan-making, such as local authorities, regional planning bodies, as well as consultees and those with an interest in scrutinising the plans produced, such as government agencies, NGOs and other stakeholders.

The Programme

In recognition of the importance of the Sustainability Appraisal within the revised planning system, and the challenges those affected face, Collingwood Environmental Planning in partnership with Imperial College London, are presenting a 2-day programme to provide in-depth and practical knowledge of the process of Sustainability Appraisal and how to implement the requirements.

The aim of this course is to provide a sound grounding in the details of Sustainability Appraisal, how to implement it in practice and how to tackle some of the key challenges that it presents, including:

• integrating the plan making and appraisal process
• complying with the requirements of the SEA Directive
• stakeholder participation and involvement in the appraisal

Objectives of the training

By the end of the training, participants will:

• Know how to ensure that their appraisals comply with the SEA Directive
• Understand the requirements for Sustainability Appraisal under the new planning system
• Understand the key elements of undertaking Sustainability Appraisals of both Development Plan Documents and Supplementary Planning Documents
• Know where to find further information on undertaking Sustainability Appraisal
• Have received practical advice and examples on undertaking key aspects of a Sustainability Appraisal
• Have material to help cascade Sustainability Appraisal training to colleagues
• Have an opportunity to ask questions and share experience

Teaching Approach

The course will take place over two consecutive days and is aimed at providing the participants with a solid foundation such that they will feel more confident to commission or carry out Sustainability Appraisal. To complement this, the course will use interactive teaching methods such as role plays, visual aids and discussion groups. In addition, case studies will illustrate all aspects of the course.

The maximum number of participants on the course will be 20 with at least two trainers each day.

Participants will receive a workbook to follow during the course and supporting reference material in both hard copy and CD format.

The course will run from 9.00am to 5.30pm each day and will broadly take the following format:

• Introduction/review of the previous day (day 2 only)
• Lecture and plenary discussion
• Group work and structured activities
• Round up including tasks for the following day (day 1 only)

Who Should Attend?

The course is aimed at officers within local planning authorities who are commissioning consultants to carry out Sustainability Appraisal or carrying out the appraisals themselves, and consultees in the Sustainability Appraisal process.

It is also relevant to academics and NGOs with an interest in the Sustainability Appraisal and SEA processes and spatial planning more generally. The course will be designed to be relevant to people with different levels of experience of Sustainability Appraisal.