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Strategic Environmental Assessment and Sustainability Appraisal

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) has been introduced to the UK through the EU Directive 2001 / 42 / EC, and in England the Directive has been implemented via the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004. SEA is a systematic process for the evaluation of the likely environmental consequences of proposed policies, plans or programmes in order to ensure that environmental issues are fully integrated and assessed at the earliest appropriate stage of decision making.

The Sustainability Appraisal (SA) promotes sustainable development through the integration of environmental, social and economic considerations into the preparation of policies, plans and programmes. The preparation of an SA is a requirement of Planning Policy Statement 12 (ODPM, September 2004). Government guidance "Sustainability Appraisal of Regional Spatial Strategies and Local Development Frameworks" (ODPM, November 2005) has merged this process to allow for a single appraisal to be carried out (SA/SEA).

North Devon Council and Torridge District Council are carrying out SA/SEA on spatial plans and strategies that are currently being developed. This includes the preparation of the .

Sustainability Appraisal Framework

Torridge District Council in association with North Devon Council have prepared a Sustainability Appraisal Framework against which to assess the documents of the Local Development Framework. The framework was consulted upon as part of the Core Strategy Issues and Options stage and was subsequently adopted in the summer of 2009.

Further Information

Further information relating to Strategic Environmental Assessments and Sustainability Appraisals for the Local Development Framework will be made available via this page as the preparation process progresses. If you have any questions or queries relating to the SA / SEA, or the preparation process, please feel free to  with the planning policy team.

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