Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report - October 2024

We are required to produce a Sustainability Appraisal (SA) to inform the preparation of the City Plan 2041. 

The SA process considers how the plan might influence the environmental, social, and economic characteristics of an area. It plays an important role in demonstrating that the plan is positively prepared and contributes towards sustainable development. 

SAs must incorporate the requirements of the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004 (commonly referred to as the ‘Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Regulations’).

The Scoping Report

This Scoping Report is the first stage in the sustainability appraisal process. It sets out the context and approach of the SA moving forward, and identifies relevant environmental, economic, and social issues and objectives for the plan area. The scoping process helps ensure the sustainability appraisal process is proportionate and relevant to the plan being assessed.

The Scoping Report has been divided into ten topic chapters which cover various sustainability issues:

• Natural Environment and Landscape
• Population, Health and Wellbeing
• Land, Soil, and Waste
• Water Quality and Resources
• Transport, Air Quality and Noise
• Climate Change, Flooding and Coastal Change
• Historic Environment
• Social and Cultural Infrastructure
• Local Economy and Employment
• Housing

To read the information presented in each chapter, please see the full document. It is important to note that the SEA Regulations consider only the environmental effects of a plan, whereas the SA considers the wider economic and social effects in addition to potential environmental impacts. 

For each topic, proposed SA objectives have been identified which reflect the various issues facing the city, informed by the baseline information. The objectives are then used in the assessment process to show whether emerging options for the plan will contribute to the achievement of sustainable development or not. 

Decision-making questions are also used to consider how well an option contributes towards achieving the objectives. 

Overall, the SA framework provides a way in which the policy options, draft policies and likely effects of City Plan 2041 can be assessed and compared.

The proposed SA objectives

Natural Environment and Landscape

1. To conserve and enhance the biodiversity and geodiversity of Brighton & Hove.
2. To conserve and enhance the South Downs National Park and its setting.

Population, Health and Wellbeing

3. To create active, inclusive, and safe environments for everyone, helping to improve health and reduce health inequalities across the city.

Land, Soil, and Waste

4. To ensure the most effective and efficient use of land.
5. To protect and enhance soil quality.
6. To apply sustainable waste management practices in support of a circular economy.

Water Quality and Resources

7. To ensure the efficient use of water resources whilst protecting and improving water quality.

Transport, Air Quality and Noise

8. To create a high-quality movement network where active travel is the first choice.
9. To improve air quality and reduce noise exposure.

Climate Change, Flooding and Coastal Change

10. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve greater energy efficiency.
11. To ensure that Brighton & Hove is resilient to the impacts of climate change.

Historic Environment

12. To conserve and enhance the historic environment including designated and local heritage assets and their settings, in relation to their significance.

Social and Cultural Infrastructure

13. To provide the social, community, recreational and cultural facilities, and services the community needs.

Local Economy and Employment

14. To support a strong, diverse, and resilient local economy proving opportunities for everyone.

Housing

15. To provide a range of housing, including affordable, that meets the needs of the local community. 

The SEA Regulations require three statutory bodies (Natural England, Environment Agency, and Historic England) to be consulted on the Scoping Report. In addition, a public consultation will take place in accordance with the council’s Statement of Community Involvement.

The consultation runs for 11 weeks from 4 November 2024 to 20 January 2025.

Use our consultation portal to make your comments online. This will help us handle your comments quickly and efficiently and ensures that they are automatically filed under the correct topic.

Your comments will help refine the approach of the Sustainability Appraisal of City Plan 2041. The next consultation stage of the City Plan 2041 will be a consultation on a full Draft Plan, expected to take place in 2025.

An SA Report will be produced to support the Draft Plan which will assess the policy options, draft policies and proposed site allocations and identify their likely significant effects.