There is no legal requirement for a neighbourhood plan to have a sustainability appraisal (SA), although the forum must demonstrate how the plan will contribute to achieving sustainable development. Even though it is not legally required, a sustainability appraisal may be a useful tool.
In some circumstances, where a neighbourhood plan is likely to have significant environmental effects, it may require a strategic environmental assessment (SEA).
Some neighbourhood plans may also trigger the Habitats Directive.
To determine whether the neighbourhood plan is likely to have significant environmental effects, the forum must, at an early stage of plan making, formally ask the city council for an ‘Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) screening opinion’.
The initial screening consultation takes 6 weeks and involves consulting the statutory consultees to determine if an SEA is required.
We have produced a SEA guidance note giving more detail on what is required.
If it is determined that SEA is needed, then strategic environmental assessment must be carried out and an environmental report prepared.
More information on SA and SEA is given in the Government’s Planning Practice Note.